I use a excel sheet, to track all my macros. That way you can type a little explanation. Company part number. Then you can turn on autofilter, and easily find certain macros for a job. Looking for what macros you have for a company, just click the bar and it will seperate easily all the macros for a specific company, or click the part and get those macros for that one... Jim

The more you idiot proof, the more idiots you find Jim

Peter, Mastercam 8.1, I have never had this problem. Hopefully it is a one time event. I have made much more complex assemblies than this before. I dont know why it had this happen. Specs, the machine is a dual 3.0 xeon , 2 gig ram, pny quadro fx1000 128 meg card, dual striped sata drives and on win xp pro. Wish I could post some of my files on the ftp, but I cant do to customer nda's. jg- I also use alt a. Saved a crappy copy for me As for the backup. I setup a primo file server for the shop. pent 2.8 with 1 gig o ram, with 4 drives 2 striping 2 mirroring. Excelent machine for a file server. I also use one cam station as another backup. Cannever be to cautious. I made a little dos batch program I can click off the desktop, that runs around to all my critical file areas, and xcopy all the latest files over to the cam computer in a seperate directory. Plus every month I have a 1.5 gig usb hard drive, to transfer files for home. The good news, I was able to recreate my work in about a hour. Seems the solids all got corrupted. But the underlaying design geometry was right where it was suppose to be. So recdreating the solids went relatively easy. But the file still had errors just pulling it all up. So did a dsave some and windowed my geo to a new file. Worked great. Jim

Turned off shading, and called the file up. Same error. Also at the time of crash I was at .02 Also getting this error as I play with it.. "no matching op file"

I am a little flustered right now. My file with 17 complex solids I been working on for 2 days, just got dumped somehow.. When I pull the mc8 file up. I get this alarm. "cannot find solid referenced by history file" If I click ok and move on. I can go click solids, hoping to find my tree. But all it does is crash mastercam... And I was just thinking to save it as a different name in case Any ideas, I have never hit this one before.. Jim

Well if you draw your s shape from the top plane. Pick one of the end points of the s. Offset that line in each direction, .125. Draw a line to each end point of the offseted lines you just made Now translate it down .25 while joining. Now if you look at it in dynamic view. You will see a box in going down. Click cpane and click 3d. And creat,arc,tangent, 3 entitities. Click the bottom line, and the 2 lines going upwards. This should create your arc on the bottom. Now trim them up into the shape you need. And hopefully you have the item you want to sweep. Solids,sweep It will say chain items you want to be swept. Click the items you just made, it should be a closed chain to do this. hit done till it says along path. And click your s path starting where you just made the geo for the swept. That should grab your shape you made, and pull it along the length of the s, cutting everything in its path, or making if you said to create. Anyhow hope that helps. Hard to explain things over the internet sometimes... Jim

I dont know about the swirl in the rope, but if you are trying to get a round shape to interweve like a rope. You can create circles through out where you want the rope to be. And loft em through. The hard part is to keep its orientation. So what I do, is create a circle, break it by mid point 3 time. So you have one half, and 2 quarters of a circle. Now change it into 3 colors, so you always no where the proper start point is of the circle. Helps with chaining the right direction as it interweves. Jim

quote: HAAS = you get what you pay for... Agreed, I will never pay for a machine again, that has a picture of their service vehicle on their website. Or one that brags about within 24 hour service. I rather have a machine tool, that takes them 5 days to get to your shop. Since these machines I will most likely not see their service technician for 6 years. Jim

Change the view to the side, draw the shape of the ball emill, and extrude it through the part from the side... Jim

I know this isnt the same thing. But I have been slowly working on building a rc m1a1 tank for myself and kid. I love doing little projects like this with my kid. Atm I am working on its transmission, motors, and lights. I will probaly have it done in a year I hope Also some fun stuff I did with my oldest kid, (4) We built a trebechet together. I let him help me cut wood and screw it all together.. I know the treb is unrelated but fun none the less.

blowing off the table must be a all day event Jim

I have a feeling no matter how fast the rapids are, it will still look slow Jim

Tool fab--- when I say setup guyz, yes these guys do run the machine to. So yes they are overtrained operators. Takes out the boredom for them Jim

quote: This machine is only 6 months old. I would hope were not having issues like that yet. I will check it out though. I did already have to replace the belts. Thanks again peeps! Well you did say rebuilt, so I thought I would mention this. If it was rebuilt, the machine under neath is problay alot more older than 6 months. Jim

Could add 180.0 into your work offset to compensate for the bad 180? bad fix but should work. Or G90 G52B180. At the begining of your program.

Documentation is always a hurdle to succumb. Since every programmer I know has different philosophy and techniques for accomplishing the same task. Be strict on setup sheets and tool lists. Or do what I do, if you do production. And save all files into a directory with inspection tool lists, quick setup sheet explaining procedures. So if one guy is sick, the other can pick it up more easily. I like to also have all files in one central file server rather than letting programmers stash files all other the network. Makes it way easier for backups, and finding old work. We have 3 programmers here, and 1-2 setup men who are learning. Setup men are a great way to make a expensive programmer cheaper. Keep the programmer kind a supervisor of his setup men. You dont want a expensive guy setting up tools, and offsets. No reason why he cant delegate the work. Basicaly we have 2 cnc lathes, 3 cnc verticals, and 3 cnc horizontals. And we are able to keep them all running by this method. One programmer per machine would be a waste in my opinion. Less it is something super intensiuve and detail oriented. Then keep your best guy on the job. As for programming at the machine, I dont know your work. But I frown down on this. Nothing can really be hand typed in faster than wipping something up in mcam. That and tracking files made at the machine is a headache imho. Others might disagree. I even have a pretty strict policy aboutmaking postable programs. Since I hate getting into someone elses work one year later, to find out they did a crap load of hand edits. Making any changes cumbersome. Jim

Btw using some of this to even further modify my post. Like M05 at my tool changes. Thanks again for the info.

If I new how to give you the 2 guys clanking beer mugs, I would type it in for you guys. Thanks alot again. Jim

Just posted my program with the last portion of code paul added in. Works great !! God you just saved my tons of time on editing and getting new production up on this machine. Guess might as well be greedy and fix the last portion of the post. This post I use is modified post that was supplied to me a long time ago. When I turn this post on through ncutils. The miscallaneous values will not display the added on meanings. for example, it will read misc.interger [1] instead of Work coordinate [0 1=G92 2=G54...] If I load the orignal it shows the g92 / g54, and the rest of the untergers. I dont know how it ever got turns off. I checked under display misc and it is turned on. Anyhow thanks guys much appreciate the help on this. This was the last machine that did not have its post dialed inperfectly. Jim

I tried some varations on the tool change with no luck. This is the psof *********************** psof # Start of file for non-zero tool number prv_c = c9k hispeed = 0 if tplnout = 1, ttplane = wbuf(1,wc1) preset !opcode, !coolant if tcnt = 1, stagetool = 2 progno comment n, "G00" "G40", "G49", "G80", *sgabsinc, ptplane, e # pg28_sof *n, *t, "M106" if next_tool <> t, n, *next_tool, e # if stagetool = 1, n, *next_tool startflg = 1 nobrk_sav = nobrk nobrk = 1 # n, phi_sped ****************** ptlchg ptlchg # Tool change n, phi_spedof preset !opcode n, "M09" n, pinc, "G28", "Z0." n, "M05" n, pop_stop n, "G00", *sgplane, "G40", "G49", "G80", *sgabsinc comment N, "G90" *n, *t, "M106" if next_tool <> t, n, *next_tool, e #if stagetool = 1, n, *next_tool startflg = 1 nobrk_sav = nobrk nobrk = 1 # n, phi_sped !coolant ******************** samples G40 G49 G80 G90 G17 N100 T2 M106 <----- no stage to t2 so this is fixed G0 G54 X.0686 Y-20.1328 S10000 M3 G43 H2 Z1. M08 N102 T2 M106 <--- this is where the machine alarms. <----- again no stage to t2 so this is fixed, G0 G90 G54 X.0686 Y-20.1328 S10000 M3 G43 H2 Z1. M08 <--- h# is shoved in so that is fixed GON I am assuming It is in the ptlchg I need to fix it. Every variation I type either says errors on the line where I typed, Or says variable not right or something. Again I am assuming it is this line needs to be fixed. *n, *t, "M106" If kinda using the other format, it should look like this? *n, if next_tool <> t, n, *next_tool, "m106", e error is variable not defined: if next_tool<>t *n, if t <> t, n, *next_tool, "m106", e error is variable not defined: if t<>t *n, if *t <> t, n, *next_tool, "m106", e error is variable not defined: if *t<>t

quote: If your tool staging is on a lnie by itself, then it is easy to prevent it from coming out if the tool ias already in the spindle. The current line for tool staging would read like this: n, *next_tool, e If you change that to this: if next_tool <> t, n, *next_tool, e Then the tool staging command will only be output if the next tool and the current tool are different. This ended up working great, But one problem still remains. It will still pull up the tool again at the tool change line (ptlchg) this is the line, *n, *t, "M106" So I tried a variation of your suggestion to help. *n, if *t <> t, *t, e And just says variable not defined. I am very close thanks mucho from eveyone who has helped. Already bringing down my hand edit time. I love taking the time to make a program postable. I train my guyz to not edit at the control as much as possible. So 1 year down the line we can make a modification to a program. And still post to the machine and be up, instead of trying to remember all that was edited back a year ago.. Jim

Now all these script? Which ones are being supplied by cnc software as standard? I dont know how to write vb, I would say a mojority of the mcam users dont either. So other than posting features, What do you use daily that hels your daily load? JIm

Millman, thank you very much for this. I will try and fix my post hthis weekend, or tuesday. Ill give you the heads up when I finish. I wish their was a book to help out you know, posts for dummies Jim

Finaly found 5 mintues to sit down Btw I am smiling and not angry Take what I write as debate and not defense please. I dont always write like I talk in person. More of a mechnical brain, And hated english class in school wish I paid more attention now. I dont always relay in a upbeat way what I am trying to relay. quote: That seems funny to me Madbub. If you have an 8 axis machine and only do pocket work why have an 8 axis machine. Well we do a part for consumers that before took 2 lathe operations, and 4 mill operations. With a mazak multiplex 6100y We where able to do this part with no handling what so ever. Basicaly the machine is loaded with material, and nifty parts get spit out onto the nifty parts conveyor. So we removed a crap load of labor by making this jump to a 8 axis lathe, And we are able to run a bunch of other parts that could of just used a milling lathe, but we couldnt afford a 8 axis lathe, and a milling lathe. So we do alot of other parts mixed in also. Some parts have graphics, which we do just fine. quote: If you have hortizonal machines and only do holes and pockets again why even have a cam program could wrtie macros for all of it and could have saved the three seat if that is all you do. Well that is not exactly what I said, I said 99% of the time parts can be broken into those 3 main ways of programming. A huge semiconductor chamber is only pocket drill contour to do the whole job. How many jobs in the real world have alot of intense 3d work? I do alot of 3d in reality. But most of the time surface finish parralllel will do the trick. I tend to stay sway from scallop since the crunch it does to our dnc system. Takes alot more lines of code to spit out a same program. And sometimes can actualy slow you down if you can not have a control to process fast enough or can not spoon feed fast enough. So most of our work linear parrallel works great. Even if you could macro it all. It would be hard to write macros for flowing contours and such. Here is some of my work. All designed and programmed in mcam8.1 my work 1 my work 2 my work 3 my work 4 my work 5 my work 6 quote: Now if you are doing Multiaxis work and 3d machining alot more than you want to lead on then think you need to take Matt aka Rekd's advice and have a dealer show you what V9 can do head and shoulders above V8. I always show up to the machining show in santa clara to pick craigs brain. See what is new, Last thing I saw that was new the kinda tipped me over to purchasing was the automatic edges, and steep 3d stuff. His add on pack for verifacation was very nice I will admit. But sometimes a growing place has to budget, and between a choice like buying a chip conveyor for the es-450 to remove some labor outweighs me needing to buy 9.0 or higher, Have to outweigh all aspects of a shop and labor savings. quote: The multiaxis toolpaths for doing 4th axis work alone kick V8 in the head as fas as I am concerned. You are most likely right. I never asked craig at the time about 4th axis features for the new lathe. quote: I have to also agree that VB is a tool you are not using and I can see a 50% reduction in time on some things just using the scripts verse's the old method. Again I dont know, and dont know what I can accomplish with the vb tools. So I will agree with you. quote: The ATP scripting that Mick is getting fine tuned woud ltkae alot of your 2d bring it and write toolpaths automatically from paramters you have set-up in minutes with only a few mouse clicks if all you are doing is 2d work. This is one thing that really catches my ear. So yes I will be looking around at this to see how well it get implemented. quote: Again may be getting you by but you have no idea how good it is to have 6 sessions of Mastercam up and cruching toopaths on 2 and flipping between the others doing work and showing employees things about others that I can on the Xeon I got here. I am doing a Scallop toolpath cruch in one program doing a surface rough poeckt crunch in another doing modeling in yet another as I also type this response. I do this now. I also have a dual 3.0 xeon. Buying mcam9 wont help me here :/ I constantly will write my 3d and process it on the other monitor while I do design work on the next monitor, while underlaying a verify. Pulling files up on the next. quote: You own your own business good for you but to say you are fine where you are and not need V9 then might need to open your eyes little bit and see what si out there. I do keep my eyes, open and I have been waiting for the thing that says yes, you are falling behind, And this is why. I mean if I was to buy every "upgrade" everyone wants to sell a machine shop. I would never be able to move forward in our shop. We would be inundated in bills trying to pay for all the new features. What is it 5k to upgrade and what now per month? It is alot of money and shouldnt be takin lightly, I have already paid 25k for 3 seats. Which is alot of money. And when I bought I knew what costs about to raise to the next level. Now that is all thrown out the door atm. I really can not stand this maintenence idea. Everyone wants to be a utility. And want monthly fees from you. It drives me nuts, Not just at work at home to. quote: BTW X so rocks that you will do alot of a favor if we are your competion by never going past V8.Again havent seen it, have not heard about peoples problems implementing it. And you are assuming my limitations would be my software. Where as my strengths might be our fixturing, our setup people, or what not. It still takes a good machinist to make the software good to. Cause a bad machinist who is a great programmer can make the software look bad. quote: Good luck and much repsect to your accomplishment but did you start the buisness to be the best at what you do or just able to get by. Do you only get junk to endmills to cut parts with or do you spedn that extra few dollars to get the good stuff that last 10 times longer. Well I buy the good stuff, cause I have time studies that tell me I am saving so and so amount by running this many more parts with x brand. I now buy the best machines I can afford, since it tells me now I will save time in the long run with our being down so much and refixing problems. quote: Mastercam toolpath cruches alone and others things you need if trying to expand your market share are what it gives you. I know you would not get alot of our work just in the fact you said 2D work is your bread and butter. Crunch time is not really a factor, I crunch in the back ground. 2d crunching of regeneration, is like 5 seconds. Btw I never said 2d work is our bread and butter. I said most work in most shops can be done with three toolpath functions in mastercam (pocket, drill,contour). And I can not see where not having version 9 is going to bankrupt me :/ I really doubt you are doing work 50 percent faster than I am because of version 9. But hey I could be wrong, I just can not see it. If I am wrong please show me. So I can make a more informed decision. Madbub,

G00 G17 G40 G49 G80 G91 M98P7180 ( ) ( **G57 B180. 1/2 EM ) G90 N102 T2 M106 T2 G0 G90 G57 X.0686 Y-20.1328 S10000 M3 G43 Z1. M08 GON G1 Z.1667 F70. This is what I am getting atm, I need staged tools. Or the horizontal would be to slow on the tool change. But the yasnac i-80 I have, for some reason alarms out if you have a tool in the head than call it up again. Like the post example, says t2 m106 then stages to its self again, it will alarm out on the second t2 call out. I need to not call up t2 if it already has t2. Make sense? This happens when I do a force tool change on a line. Since it has force tool change. The next tool operation is still going to be t2 so it stages it for t2 again. I do force tool change so I can more custom write my horizontal paths, saving lots of time where I can. This saves time by not backing out all the way for a b axis rotation. And instead I can make a more postbale program to keep the tool not traveling so much z where I can. I wrtie alot of production programs so a 20 in ch z axis move, then b rotation, then negative again 20 " move actualy adds up to alot of uneeded traveling. So where I can I will move out in the x into position, leave the z in place rotate my b, then go down to z height. Jim Hard to explain.