I have it set to use last directory and everytime i open something it goes to the mcamx folder. What do I have to set different?

How can I make a subprogram, but have it use one offset. For example, I have some .125 tall letters I want to engrave .160 apart from each other in the -x. I use G55 and have the part postioned in a certain part on a jaw. What I need to happen is when I post it out I need it to position G55 x (x location for first letter), and Y of 0. Each of the next subs need to be G55x-.160 and a Y of 0 again. I need the incremental program to position itself before the first z depth. Right now when i post a subprogram, with a letter 1 for example it moves the g55 to the first cutting position and then in the sub the first move is the z plunge. I want to be able to post out all of my numbers and have the first move in the subs as the move to position beforee it plunges. I have done this manually and got it to work right. Its really hard to explain, and probably hard to understand what I'm thinking. Any ideas though?

Why is X posting coolant on and off on every single move instead of just when i make tool changes?

Hey FNMI, do you have a sample program that you've done already? I know the Haas one has to be in a specific format. Or are you talking about not using the G47 command, and making programs using subprograms. Would it be something where i could just type the numbers in at the control?

Thats a good idea but I have alot of little parts, 2 of each that have different numbers on them. Programming in mastercam takes too long for 2 parts each.

just wondering about how to get the variables to output from mcam for my custom shapes

I had a problem installing it and I did the reinstall. The problem is it doesn't delete everything from the mcamx folder. I uninstalled mine and then deleted the folder from drive c: and it worked. May not be the same case for you but its worth a shot to tell you.

when can we see a fix for engraving? I would really like to use x but i use engraving almost daily. X engraving doesn't work.

no if you watch those demos, (the ones at the link listing in the lastest mastercam newsletter) at least when i watch it it gets stuck at that part and keep repeating infinately until you turn it off. I think its the new toolpath options demo

With new powerful backplot controls mastercam x makes it even easier to simulate your toolpaths on screen..... With new powerful backplot controls mastercam x makes it even easier to simulate your toolpaths on screen..... With new powerful backplot controls mastercam x makes it even easier to simulate your toolpaths on screen..... With new powerful backplot controls mastercam x makes it even easier to simulate your toolpaths on screen..... With new powerful backplot controls mastercam x makes it even easier to simulate your toolpaths on screen.....

Yeah you can't even deselect surfaces.

I tried doing this. I have 1 solid. I do solid selection and select it. Ok now I have 66 drive surfaces. There are two counterbores that I don't want to make the ball nose machine. I click geometry for the operation, click the selection arrow, change it to solid selection, face only, and select the two counterbores. They turn red. I end the function with the green circle. Geometry says i still have 66 drive surfaces, and it still trys to machine it. Any ideas?

What kind of toolpath can i use to just mill out this whole thing with a 1/2 inch ball, and finish with a 1/4 ball? file is bolt down profile.mcx on the ftp site. Any help would be appreciated. I don't have enough experience to know what is fastest to use

we dont have hyper-threading on the pentium d chip

so i thought someone said that mcamx would take advantage of multi-threading. Does this mean I'll only run at half the speed of someone that has a regular 3 ghz p4?

i noticed my processor usage wont go over 50%, how about yours?

I have a pentium D 3.00 ghz with 1gb 533mhz ram. My toolpaths take way longer to process than they did in version 9. Is there someething I need to change?

no, Todd. I'm talking about the engraving addon. The one that asks you for an access code if you try to use it under toolpaths. I have no problem with the chook thing, I know that takes time. I just want the engraving to work. It kind of worked in the intial release of X, minus small entities that it sometimes didnt chain. In sp1 it doesn't seem to even consider the tool angle, and it doesn't make the corners sharp. I just use that everyday. I still have 9.1 to fall back on so I'm not really complaining, I just was hoping that I could start using X. Its a real improvement for sure. I just have too many things I do alot that take too much time to do this in this program, and do the thing thats not working in the other program. I just don't want to fall behind in learning it. I have to make sure I get my jobs done too.

I could wait till the next version comes out, and then use x

I would think that the 'update mastercam" button would look to see what updates had already been applied like windows update does and some other software packages. If you son't have internet access, maybe you do have to wait. What percentage of people who use the forum have internet access? 100%? how else would you log on to post. And it has a way of installing on computers that dont have mastercam access by downloading it. Besides, the people that don't have internet access wouldn't even know about updates until their reseller sent them a disk.

make it 4 cents

we have currnet maintenance too, but i also think the update button should be used in this way too. I just need the engraving toolpath fixed for sure and i can wait on other stuff. I guess I am being selfish.

quote: This is scheduled to be addressed in MR1 BTW, There are no more SP's scheduled for X. They will be MR's (MR = Maintenance Release) This is what he said. I really wasn't anticiptaing waiting until December to be able to use the engraving toolpath in the first place let alone not be able to use it unless we keep maintenance. I guess it is a good way to force people to sign up for another year. Some people just got it to get X, and maybe thats not what they intended people to do.

Roger Martin from CNC Software replied to a message and said there will only be MR's. Is everyone satisfied with normal usage of the product to not need anything else fixed?

So in other words functions that just don't work won't ever be fixed for people without maintenance? What about people that aren't upgrading from 9? Do new customers pay thousands of dollars for a new software and then find out they have to pay thousands more just to get it to work? I'm not talking about software improvements, I'm just talking about software usage. I can't even start using the software because two key thing I use either don't work or function horribly compared to 9. Engraving isn't even engraving anymore after sp1, and using surface finish radial on any slightly complicated surface takes minutes where it used to take only a few seconds. Really we have a choice, keep up with maintenance, or don't use X.