I have a copy and continue to go thru the Moduleworks info looking for guidance. I have not found any yet. I've watched several yt vids and not one has helped with this orientation issue. Learned a few things that I will need later, but can't get past step one if Y is up.... And yes the CAD I am using is metric. I also tried to start with an existing 5axis sim. When I add any of my components that way they do not come placed or oriented correctly. I have tried several different save as / file convert sequences and still end up at the same place.

Hi All, I am creating a new machine in the Machine Simulation, We bought the CAD for our new 5 axis which showed up as STP files. Using PTC Creo I have created a common coordinate system for all the individual components/subassemblies and saved the STL files for each using that coordinate system. When I bring in the base as the first piece of geometry while creating a new machine in simulation it comes in wrong. The original coordinate system from the STP file which has Y pointing up and is under the machine is still driving the model. When I open the exact same file in Mastercam the STL loads and shows only 1 WCS and it is where I chose it to go at the intersection of B & C. Pics below of the same STL file loaded in both. What is going on and how do I fix this? I have tried to save the file as a STP out of Creo and then open that in Mcam and save out of Mcam as a STL and gotten the same result. Even though in Mcam the file shows only 1 wcs, when saved out as an STL, when opened in Simulator, it is as the pic below shows with the coord sys below the base and Y is up. Thanks in advance for any guidance. Doug 1st image is base.STL loaded into MCam2020 Below is also base.STL but loaded into Machine Simulation

Hi All, I have been using this work from home time to learn MasterCam 2020 and optimize several things within our setup up for our new 5 axis machining center. With 60 tools available in the carousel I am creating some (about 45) main tools that will live in the machine. Then use the other dozen for part specific tooling and leave the probe and such alone. I created a new machine specific tool library and have populated it with the 45 tools. As this machine was our first with HSK holders it was easy to import the dxf for each of what we bought into the tool manager as holders. Next up was to create assemblies of what is the combination of holder and tool and decided I would do this for some tools twice labelled ALUM & STEEL. Most of what we do fits those and will work for a baseline. So 1st issue: I now have an assembly (for example) that is T42 - letter H (0.266) cobalt jobbers drill mounted in an ER16 x100mm holder. Each with different speeds and feeds that I like for my 2 default materials. I was at the machine to measure projection and noticed that LOC that came up when I selected the 'ltr H Heavy Duty Jobber' wasn't exactly right for the brand drills i use. I went to the tool and changed the LOC but this value did not change in the assembly. For comparison I tried to change a segment length in a holder and this also did not change in the assembly. My hope was that the tools and holders are bidirectional for features and such. Obviously if they were for speeds and feeds my system wouldn't work. In the end I had to change the LOC in 3 places: Alum assy, Steel assy, and tool. ANY BETTER WAY? 2nd issue: My machine (Siemens control) uses H1 for all tools. Whenever I change a tool number whether in the stand alone Tool Manager or within an operation, the D & H parameters automatically change to match the new assigned tool number. IS THERE A WAY TO LOCK THE H & D TO BE 1? Thanks in advance for any help or ideas. Doug

That is exactly what I was looking for. THANKS

where is the "Lock Speeds and Feeds" check box?

Jparis - That seems to work, but you have to do that each time to each tool? How do I make Reinitialize the default when switching tools? CarazyMill - I also have a tool library with all my preferred speeds and feeds. I want to select a tool and have those values used everytime for that tool. This is what happens when I create an operation and select a tool. What is happening is when I change a tool after an operation is created the speeds/feeds from the original tool remain after different tool is selected from library. Most common is after copying spot drill operation. I would change to peck cycle and select drill from library. What I want is the speed/feed from drill data in library to become active as it had in previous versions. What is happening now is the spot drill speed/feed remain until, as JParis pointed out, you reinitialize the tool.

I am using X6 and when I copy and paste an operation which I usually do for spot, drill & tap operations to ensure they are linked to the same geometries. First I create an operation and select all the holes and setup my spot drill. Then I copy & paste that op. When I go into parameters and change the tool for the new op to be the drill, the speeds and feeds remain from the spot drill. The same thing happens if I change tools. If I program a contour with a 1/2 mill and then notice a corner radius requires a smaller tool, switching the tool and the speeds and feeds don't update from the newly selected tool. I am sure I am just missing a switch somewhere but can not find it. Any help?

Hi Cjep - So you have what I had using rotary 4-axis, Thought I like the flow path better. This 3rd version you sent over does an entire spiral pass along the X axis from X0 to X-1.17 leaving 0.12 on part. Then it does another pass from x0 to x-1.17 leaving 0.06 on part and then a final pass finishing the part. THIS IS NOT WHAT I AM AFTER. What I want to happen is to rough at each X location then finish. Then do the sep over. So... At X0 cut a single spiral or loop of the rotary leaving the 0.120 extra. Then still at x0 do another loop leaving only 0.06. Then a final pass still at x0 finishing the part at this point. THEN step over in x by the increment (0.025 in this program) and now do a +.120 pass at x-.025, then +.060 pass still at x-.025 then finish at x-.025. THEN step over in x to X-.050 and cut a +.120 pass, then +.060 pass then finish pass. Then step over and repeat. By doing it this way the material self supports> If I do it the other way I can't acheive the finishes I am after because the x0 end is to flimsy. Does this explain my intent better?

CJep- I looked at both files you sent over. The second one looks similar to where I am at now with the rotary 4-axis. When i try to turn on the ROUGHING, DEPTH CUTS I get an error that says "Select Tool Pattern Surface". It doesn't matter what surface I choose, it gags out. Sometimes it completes toolpath but nothing like what I am after, usually just one surface is being cut. I tried to change any other parameter and got same question.I appreciate your help on this.

I was wondering if the multiaxis parallel cuts would do what I want. I will need to spend some time looking into that as I have never used it. Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking the issue with A axis direction may be in Machine parameter control. Is there a "standard" for A axis negative direction? Should A axis "ALWAYS" be negative for CCW when looking at the face, or is this a variable across platforms? Cjep - I have done the cw/ccw changes but it did not effect my final output. My issue may be because the post was once from V9. (V9 is still my favorite!)

I am using MCam X6 and have a part programmed using the rotary 4 axis tool path. It seems to be working as expected but I have 2 issues. One is an annoyance and is probably a post processor issue and that is all of the A values get posted opposite from what they should be. Meaning the A+values should be A-values and vice versus. The graphics represent what I want to happen and if I do a cut and paste in my NC code from A into A- and then A-- into A I get a program that runs and looks just like the verify and is what I want to happen. I have played with the climb vs conventional cut parameters as well as most everything I could find within the toolpath settings with no luck. I have played with a bunch of parameters with in the machine definition and again no luck. I was unable to get any change in the A +/- sign. Any ideas? This is a little less critical to me as I have a work around all be it an annoying one. The more critical issue I am having with the toolpath is the ability to rough and finish. Ideally i would like to define a max tool depth and have the tool step down in Z at that increment and then perform a finish pass at the final Z height. Then step over in X and do each roughing layer until a final z depth is reached. Each time only moving over in X once the part has been roughed and finished. The only work around I have found is to break my toolpath into zones and create an operation the roughs from X0 to X-.25 while leaving an amount on all surfaces. Then finish that zone. Then rough a zone x-.25 thru x-.50 and then finish that zone. I have attached a part that I hope shows what I have got to work, but is not what I want to do. Thoughts? BENT-ROD.MCX-6