Sure can Aaron, send to qc at mastercam.com?

If there is one thing I've learned over the years of using mcam its that you can always expect something... different I never expected to have to turn on 5 axis to verify/backplot a 3axis motion toolpath.

I wont have anything crazy happen if i switch to 5 axis?

Why is X7 telling me I have undercuts and to switch to 5 axis verify/backplot when my flue length and shoulder length are the same? I am not going to have to change hundreds of programs am I? The vast majority of my tools are defined with shoulder and flute length the same and verify just fine in any other version of X.

I'm trying out the new compare in verify and I'm a bit confused. How do I set the different amounts with colors to check to? For instance Im comparing a toolpath to the finish model and one of the color ranges is -.0072 to .171. Thats a weee bit to much range for one color. Id like to be able to set it to +/-.01" with a different color for each, can I do that?

One big thing for me is yeah it's great we can have a somewhat detailed tool database but I need to be able to get this information to the tool setup folks on different shifts here in the quickest way possible. If all this new stuff isn't included in output options like Active Reports or X+ its just dead info and I will have to jump through hoops (type it by hand) to get this info out there. I guess my next step is checking out Active Reports in this version to see whats been changed... I hope a lot of stuff has.

gawd I figured I was missing something lol!

I'm getting really worried now that I've been playing with verify a little bit. In X6 when I activate verify I can go in to the settings and choose an stl file from a different operation in a different file and use that as my stock model. I don't see this option in the new verify unless I am missing something? It looks like verify only pulls the stock from the machine properties stock setup and that doesn't work at all for me. I need to be able to select any stock model I want when I fire up verify. I have to be able to verify the same program on different stock models if I so choose to do so... just like X6.

The first thing you need to do is contact your reseller to get a hold of the active reports tutorial and work through it start to finish. Heck it may even be on the FTP here. That will kick you off on the right foot.

Hey Rich, Hmm I can only think of density as an extra property for material I would want. That way I can have an easy look up reference to get material mass, volume and center of gravity inside mastercam without google searching. Maybe someone else will chime in for something. Thats a bummer about not being able to make my own property fields. I can think of a number of tool manufacturers I've used in the past few days that aren't in the list: Mitsubishi, OSG, Emuge, MA Ford, Everede, Garr, Harvey Tool, Micro100... can we make the manufacturer a fill in list instead of a drop down and populate the list based on what I type in? (I think thats how it works heh)

Another question I read the notes about the material tab in the Tool Manager being only for reference but it would be nice to include some more properties for the materials. Like the density of the material. Any chance we can get the ability to add our own property fields to this?

Been zooming around this on my lunch breaks and I have some questions for X7: 1. I can't use the cool new mp.net post/machine stuffs unless I purchase the MT add-on? Will this new post thinger ever be translated over to regular 3/5 axis post work? 2. Before I go and print out all the xml tags for Active Reports and do a compare, has this been updated to support all the new stuff in the tool manager? I notice some property fields in the tool manager don't transfer over into X7 like manufacturer, catalog id, tool crib location, etc... I want this info for my setup sheets in Active Reports. 3. Cool manufacturer's name list in the tool manager, how do I go about putting the name of the tool manufacturers I actually use in there? 4. Code Expert - my eyes are bleeding, I need to change the font. I see lots of headings in the options menu for fonts and colors, I just can't change a single font. How do I do this? 5. I opened one of my old files and got a Tool Corruption Detection pop-up with a giant list of tools and it asked me to remove them. I clicked yes for giggles and I noticed none of my operations were dirty after it deleted the tools. Is this feature just checking for unused tools? What exactly is it removing? That's it for now. As I get more time to play I'm sure I'll have more q's. I really like the direction you guys are going with the extensions (Tool Manager, Code Expert), and I like the layout and style like visual studio.

Wow I had no idea Everede was bought out. We use a couple of the 60 degree insert mills from Everede and we use Mitsubishi inserts in the cutters. I've never had any issues with them.

Well hell I just sat here for 10 minutes trying to find it again in the list and I can't lol. Did you try changing it to NCFILE-LONG ? I'll look at it again tomorrow.

I found the best way to make sure you have the correct link when making these sheets is to drag the item you want from the "Fields" drop down in the upper right corner window to your sheet. If your links are setup properly that "Fields" drop down will populate every option you can use. I don't display the full path name for my programs so I use the shortened version and here is how my DataField box is displayed: //NCFILE/NCFILE-SHORT You just have to be careful which one you use. These ncfile data fields are spread out in multiple sections. Using the wrong one is very easy to do and it might not display correctly.

I tried the Vericut route and had the guy in for a demo session and possible quote and it fell through. This was well before we were even considering a 5X. I'd like to get vericut or camplete for verification because straight-up backplot and verify inside of mastercam just doesn't show everything and it has bit me before. I just can't get the cost justification through to the powers that be. Cjep -- yeah that's what I'm looking for from a book. I can follow a list of instructions thats say click this, type that, click that.. I want to know why I'm doing things and what it does. From those sample PDF's I thought the Handbook was better at that than the professional courseware.

No vericut guess I'll need to contact Gosiger.

welcome to the board newb!

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm not sure when the machine is going to drop in but I believe I got awhile before I have to start laying toolpaths so I think I'm going to wait for X7 and I'm going to buy that secrets book too.

So we are finally breaking into the 5 axis world with an Okuma 853PF-5x. I am about to pull the trigger on purchasing a book from the site here for myself aside from any training I might get from my reseller and after looking through the sample pdfs (thanks for that folks, nice to see a little taste of what I'm buying!) I'm thinking the volume 3 handbook is the right choice. The professional curriculum is a little to sterile for my tastes. So my question is, is this a good book? Or, should I just hold out for X7 and pickup a book for that instead.

Without pics I am thinking a thread mill cycle or a straight up point to point program.

Damn and here I thought I was having a hard time with 120" long 3" thick plates of aluminum bending and twisting .250" heh

Whats it like cutting that HY100 material? Always wanted to make some stuff with that.

The length is the killer on that one. MSC has off the shelf 6" long reamers.To bad you can't squeeze a small diameter collet holder in there with it.

We will be pouring a pad for this this machine as we have 2 of the 852's now without a slab and they are a pain to maintain with those outriggers. This thing is 40 feet long with the chip conveyor sticking out the side. I'll be shooting you a pm doug.