Thanks John, I will give that a try.

Can I shade the solids or transform them into surfaces? Or is there another format that I can save to that is different than MCX? What I am trying to do is , on machine simulation, if the tool hits the fixture, I want the collision to be displayed. Am I on the right course? Thanks

This is my first attempt at saving a fixture as a IGES file. I drew the tombstone as a MCX-5 file, then saved it as a IGES file (I also backed it up as a MCX-5, so I didnt lose my work). It opened OK in MC after I saved it and I was able to put parts into it. When I was done for the day, I saved everyting, had a normal shutdown. Today when I came in, I opened up the the IGES Tombstone and I found friggin Jackstraws. WTF???? So I ran the whole procedure as before, I pulled up my original Tombstone MCX file, saved it as an IGES. I then ran a restart on my computer, fired up the saved IGES and again....junk. Obviously I am doing something wrong, I just do not know what it is. Screen snapshots are attached...one shows the file before saving, then other file after reboot.

Thanks again Chris...I appreciate it.

Please excuse my ignorance, what is X+?? Thanks

I was reading the Nov. 2011 issue in Modern machine Shop and there was an article that NX CAM (from Siemens) called the Generic Motion Controller which enables programmers to use a version of jogging to set approach points and define specific machine moves by jogging in the virtual world. http://www.mmsonline.com/articles/a-virtual-jog-mode-for-cam I was wondering; besides manually writing and editing G Code by the programmer, does Mastercam have an alterative to produce user-defined toolpath? Thanks

That was the ticket. Thanks a lot guys!

Phineas, Fat Freddy and Freewheelin' Franklin (and Fat Freddy Scat)

Yes sorry, Helix Bore. I want to know if it is possible to use it to bore out the entire hole, not just the perimeter. Thanks

Is it possible to bore a 6" dia hole with a 1" square-shouldered mill using Helixmill? I tried it on Verify, but it only mills the permimeter and doesn't mill the interior, until it ramps out.

CJep and Hardmill, I appreciate your replies. Thanks.

CJep, OK thanks, I thought maybe there was something in print.

Hello, I was reading another forum and someone indicated that there was a Mastercam Reference Guide. I have been looking on the web for such a book.I have a Mastercam training manual and the Tutorial that came with my install, but what I am looking for is a reference guide that will explain what every radio button, drop down menu, check box and all of the other countless options Mastercam supplies MEAN!! Almost every time I try to do something, I am given an overwhelming set of choices and combinations that it takes half a day trying to figure out what combination works best. I know this will become easier as I work with Mastercam over time, I become more profient everyday that I work with it. However, I would be interested if there was a reference guide out there somewhere for Mastercam X5. Even if there isn't one for X5, I would take one for X4 or X3. On a totally different subject, I have had a hard time logging into emastercam. I type in the right username and password, but there has been a couple of times where it hasn't been recognized and I have had to go thru the process of getting a new password. PITA!! Am I just a goof or has anybody else had the same problem?? Thanks

Jeff, that was the ticket. THANKS, I learned something new today about MC. In about ten years I might be able to help somebody else on this forum.

So I am trying to bore out a .31 hole (.27 deep) using Circlemill with a 1/4" flat endmill. After i drill the hole with a .26" drill; I identify the center, select the tool, choose control comp., and set my depth to -.27. I run my backplot and.....nothing. No tool, no tool path and no G-code. Same with simulation, nothing happens. I try wear comp. and every combination I can think of on the parameters page......nothing. I think maybe I have a bad tool, I try Helix-bore with same tool and I get a tool, toolpath and G-code on backplot. So it is not the tool, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG!!! Any thoughts?

Is it possible to create a new tool library by importing tools from the tool libraries installed in Mastercam? I am going to have 5 new Mazaks, each with a 160 tool hive and they will for the most part have different tool configurations. I would like to have a different library for each machine. I can use the stock tools in the libraries that came with MC, (with a little editing), but I can't figure out how to move the tools from one library to one that I created. Thanks

Keith, That worked, kinda. It changed almost all the mm dimensions to inch. There was a vertical dimension "D16" that did not convert. Simple fix, I will just erase it and put in a new inch dimension. It erased, but when I went to re-dimension, it is still dimensioning in mm. I went through the procedure again and it changed to inch.

I must be dense. I selected all the geometry, clicked xform dropdown, I do not see "check factor" in dropdown window.

I am building my tool library and I want to utilize Iscar's online .dxf tool files. I have figured out how to import the files to Mastercam, however the dimensions are mm and I want inch. How do I convert? Thanks

Thanks for all of your help. I was importing correctly, unfortunately the file was a mix of Autocad and Inventor so Mastercam could not show the file. I had to go into the file and re-save it as a .dwg, then Mastercam could open it and be visible.

I specifically made a folder with only one file in it to make things less confusing, it is an .dwg file. Mastercan will not open a .dwg? I have MC X5. I went to "Sreen-Statistics" after I thought I opened a file. Dialog box said "Current Mastercam File has NO entities". I opened up Level Manager, it said I had a boatload of entities on 12 levels, I checked the box to make them all visible. No dice.....It is almost time to go home. Thanks anyway. I have a Mastercam class tomorrow, maybe my instructor can walk me through it.

Where do you check the scale, in the .dwg file? Also, once it is imported, won't "fit screen" bring it in view?

OK, I went to "Open" file, I had .dwg under "File Type". My file was there, when I clicked the Green Check.....nothing happened. I switched the "File Type" to IGES, file went away and folder was empty. ????????????? I am getting nowhere here.

Just starting messing around with MC. I have been to a few classes and I have done quite a lot of tutorials. I know how to create geometry, apply toolpaths and generate g-code. I have written one program and ran it on the machine and it worked. But, I cannot figure out how in the hell to import an Autocad (.dwg) file into Mastercam. We have all of our .dwg files on the servers "L" drive. Anybody help? Thanks

Thanks John, I appreciate your help. I guess everybody has to build their own operations library. I just thought Mastercam would have provided this for it's users considering everybody taps a hole the same way. Thanks Again.