BerTau, That method works good on some parts that dont have many surfaces. But the majority of models I work with are very large and contain hundreds of surfaces. I would have to spend alot time trimming and blending surfaces together. Mike

I forgot to mention the method I am using now. I machine the backside of the cavity using parallel finish, again leaving stock that is equal to the wall thick I need. I backplot the toolpath, saving the toolpath off as geometry. So what I end up with is basically a section cut thru the model, but its offset the wall thickness I need. Finally, I do a lofted surface thru those offset sections. This method can sometimes take days to complete depending on the compexity of the surface model. Some of them can be very complex!! Again thanx for the help!! Mike

James, Here's a breakdown on what I am trying to accomplish. I work in a shop that makes foam injection molds for the automotive industry. Our customers send us a surface model of what they need the part to look like when it comes out of our mold. From there, we start to design and build the mold from that surface model. Anyway..... What I need to do is basically offset the surface geometry to give the the suface model wall thickness. I need to be able to do this very quickly! I have tryed to turn the surface model into a sheet solid and then try to thicken the sheet solid, but I have had no such luck. Another idea I had was to machine the backside of the surface model using parallel finish, and leave an amount of stock that is equal to the wall thickness that I need. Run that toolpath thru verify, and then save that off as a STL model. Now if only I could convert that STL model into surfaces I would have the majority of the backside of the cavity modeled and ready for modifications before I start to machine it. If you or anyone else has any other ideas on how to accomplish this, I would be greatly appreciated if you could help me out! Thanx! Mike

Is there anyway in Mastercam that a person can take a STL model and convert it into a solid and or surface model. If not, does anyone know of any reasonably priced software packages that will accomplish this? Thanx! Mike

First off, I must say that this forum is teriffic! In the short time that I have been using MC I cannot count the number of tips of tricks that I have learned by reading the posts on the forum. Keep up the great work!!! Now onto my question. My boss would like me to look into using plunge roughing as an alternative to other conventional roughing stategies. Example: Surface/Rough/Pocket. Has anyone had any success using plunge roughing? For both core and cavity parts. I have had no luck finding any information on the Internet about this milling strategy. Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! Thanx! Mike