We're currently looking at some workholding options for a few machines here. 3 axis okumas VMC, 5 axis Matsura, maybe some 4 axis stuff too. Anyone ever work with Lang workholding fixtures. They look pretty elaborate and $$$. Maybe overkill for what we do. How do they compare to say... Raptor or Thechni-Grip?

Yup, that did it. I don't use the verisurf feature at all, so i didn't even know that that's where it was coming from. Thanks guys.

Something that's been bugging me ever since I've updated my computer a few months back. When I was running MC in XP this wasn't an issue but sice our I.T. guy loading MC into Windows 7 I have large Blue, Red, and Green arrows on origin indicating the X,Y,Z directions. For the most part it's just fine with me, but when I work on small geometry that close to the origin or in line with one of the arrows, the the geometry can get hard to see becuase it's hiding under the arrows. I've tried surching the forum and can't find any topics on it. And can't seem to find a way to hide or remove the large arrows. Anyone out there have this on their set-up? Know how to hide them? Thanks in advance for any help.

I've had this happen to me on the finish pass of a pocket. Make sure you have your Leadin/Out is set with enough linier clearence to take up the comp that you're using on your tool. Alos if you don't have your Lead in/Out on at all and you're toolpath starts at an arc it will most likely alarm on your control.

No need to draw it if you use the thread mill toolpath that Brad discribed above. Pipe thread I'm assuming? Oops, thought that was the thread mill toolpath dialog box, which can give you what you need without having to draw it.

Double sided tape or vacuum is what I would normaly use but removing that much stock from the part will more than likely warp it to the point that neither will hold it down properly. Much less hold tolorance. Especially if we're talking about an extruded piece of stock. It might be best to rough and stress relieve with heat before finishing, if the specs allow it.

Yup, that's it. I wish we had an option with these toolpaths. I really like the HS toolpaths and I I've started to use them pretty often. Just a bummer they won't be as productive in my 5 axis programs unless something changes either on the MC side or the way set-ups are done here.

Been working on this on a bit this morning and I seem to have seen a pattern on some of my toolpaths. On all of the tolpaths that let me choose my linking perameters in incremental everything works fine when I X Form then rengen. But on the HS toolpaths like OptiRough and Core Roughing that only let me use the steep/shallow perameters to choose a Z depth, my toolpaths won't follow when I X Form move my geo and regen. I have to go back into my perameters on those toolpaths and adjust my Z depths one by one. Not fun when I have over 80 toolpaths to keep track of.

I've made a few molds in my days but sure won't consider my self a mold maker. With machines and controls that can handle it, I've always used a .0005 total tolorance and at least 2:1 ratio with one way filtering checked on toolpaths that allow it. Also use creat arcs in x,y, and z if you have toolpaths that are moving up and down along walls, like with the blend toolpath. Seems to me that if you have large sweeping surfaces you can get away with higher #'s on your tolorances using larger diameter tools. In the old days they used to lap the surfaces on the mold after machining so the finish didn't need to be as good. Then agian they probably had to lap them because they couldn't accomplish the nice finishes you see come out of newer machining centers.

Bruce, it sounds like your non-dynamic work offset set-up is what I'm used to working with. I used to use that method on old Haas HS-1 horizontals with custom trunnion style set-ups on them. Currently I working on an Okuma VMC with a Kuma 0. to -90. rotary attachment(somewhat limited on this one). But in about a week we're getting a brand spankn' new Matsuura MX-520 so I want to knock the webs out of all my 5 axis stratigies before then.

Jaz I think it's slowly starting to come back to me. Like I mentioned in Apps Guy's reply, I'm almost sure it's something I'm missing. Moslty I'm looking to verify that it can be done either way and still get a good program. Also which method is most commonly used successfully in this type of situation. I think App Guy's break down realy sums it up. And your post helps verify it. Thanks for the input.

Apps Guy, first off thanks for the reply. The way you've just laid it out is the way I've been trainned and work 5 aixs. I could of sworn I've done this in the past with no problem. Both simultanious 5 axis and 3+2. I do understand the difference between the absolute and incrementals in MasterCam vs. machine absolute and incremental. Yet for some reason with the programs I've been working on lately I'm having issues with some of my toolpaths following my geometry after x form translate(all values in absolute). I try to always program to center of rotation using plane selection in WCS as needed for 3+2. So my geometry realy only gets moved in Top Z from center of rotation, when I get my gage length. Tools for simultanious are set from center of the tool and tip for 3+2. I've also tried choosing the same geometry with incremental values and get the same results. I know it's something I'm missing, just not sure where. Just getting a little steamed besause as things are now, I have to re-choose most of my values once i finally get my gage lengths in order to get a good program. It's like doing everything twice, big time burner. I'll go over a few more toolpaths and try to see if I catch anything. Then report back mid morning. Thanks agian for the help.

So, most of the 5 axis jobs I program lately are low volume, quick turn around. That being said I don't always have the luxury of knowing where my part is going to be in the machine before starting my program. In the past I could count on having all my gage lengths before starting, so I would program everything with absolute values. I've been told that programing with incremental values will be needed now in order for me to be able to program my part ahead of time and move it later when I get the gage length from my set-up guy, then regen all my toopaths, and done. Anyone out there use either method with this kind of situation with any success? Thanks in advance for any help. P.S. Table on table set up with preset tools.

Also make sure that your Helix support is set to "all planes supported".

The only time I've had this happen to me is when saving to a file on a shady server. Somehow either the signal gets dropped, the server lags, or reverts back to an earlier version of the file I was be working on.

I'm running the 2000 in my new rig. About 2 months old. Seems to do well in verify, 5 axis, even shaded. Although I am having similar images issues that Patrick described. Mostly in the dialog boxes. Also at least once or twice a day the end selection button and the undo buttons go grey. They still work if clicked on, just greyed out. Have to restart for them to show as selectable.

"Does anyone know if there is any work going on to allow multiple solids to be picked in verify? EG stock, vices, tombstone etc. Am I the only one that thinks this would be helpful? Right now I boolen solid together, but sometimes it doesnt work as well as ID like." Same here. I used Esprit 2001 and at that time it had this feature. You could create multiple solids, set different colors them, layer them, etc., and import it all into verify. Very usefull tool. Yet it seems MasterCam has no interest in taking it's onboard varify to that level. I haven't tried the verisurf tool yet. It takes a bit to set up properly. Maybe that will get you what you need.

1min. 2sec. Lenovo Think Station Xeon 3.2GHz 8GB RAM 64bit Windows 7 NVidia Quadro 2000 MasterCam x5 MU1

O.k., I found the problem. Apperantly there was something wrong when I transfered my .SET set-up sheet files into my "commons" folder instead of my "post" folder. Not sure why that would be a problem when when working with geometry, but uninstalling those folders and re-installing the default folders seemed to do the trick. Thanks.

Hi guys, We just upgraded our computers here from XP to Windows 7 and not sure if this is a compatiblity issue or just a bad insall. We were running X5 on XP, and now on our new Windows 7 (64bit) set-up. I seem to be having issues when trying to XForm offset a 2D spline, Analyze, or Chain a Toolpath. These work regularly on any other geometry, just seems to be an issue with splines. When I choose a spline to perform these functions, the chaining dialog box pops up, I choose my geometry (spline) and MasterCam stalls and will not recover, forcing me to close it. One other thing, when choosing my geometry in single mode instead of chaning, everything work as it should. I'm at a loss, becuase this has always worked fine for me in the past. I've gone through my MasterCam install process numorous times only to end up with the same results. Any help is appreciated. Thanks