corbyvhall, i am not able to run up the corners. The engraving package in sp1 is now essentially a 2d pocket toolpath. It needed fixed for small entities from the orginal x release, and has lost all useful functionality now. The engraving package is an option and I only think a select few people use it. It may be why the problems aren't caught because nobody uses it. It is essential to our shop however, and thats why we purchased the addon. I would hope they could get a fix and not have to wait for a service pack to take care of it. The update mastercam feature seems like it would be great for things like this.

I glad I looked at this forum. I was thinking I could start using Mastercam X now, but it looks as though I have to wait once again. I can use X as a cad program cause its nicer to lay stuff out. I just can't use it to do any toolpaths. Any word on when service pack 2 is coming out?

Is there any setting i can change on my video to keep mastercam from showing ghosting lines when transforming? For example I have the dialog box open for translate, I try different values to see where i want it moved, but everytime i change a value, it shows the geometry moved but leaves a blue copy of the entities there. It leaves after i hit repaint. Is there something I can do so I dont get these ghostings? I have a Nvidia Quadro FX540 chipset

right click the level button at the bottom of the screen and then select your entities. It will then ask you for the level and whether to copy/move

what kind of processor does your system have? [ 09-21-2005, 07:29 AM: Message edited by: JeremyG ]

Just wondering if McamX only uses 50% cpu at full load on your machines. I have a DELL 3.0 GHZ Pentium M. Toolpath generation is slower than it was in Mcam 9.1 using the same processor. Are there any settings to make McamX faster than Mcam 9?

Is this one of the new features in X or do I have something set wrong. When I used to do a surface radial toolpath in 9.1, the generation was almost instant. I was selecting about 20 surfaces and containment boundaries. Now in X I can do 1 surface and its instant, 4 surfaces and it takes about 50 seconds, and 20 surfaces I'm not sure how long because after 4 minutes i hit ESC. Now is there some tolerance I have set wrong or is this just part of the new software. Seems like everytime I try to do something in X, trying to move from 9, I get some sort of bug or limitation. It's kind of discouraging. I can't use the engraving package yet because it wont engrave some small entities. It randomly encounters errors(I just deal with them because I know they are working out some problems. Also when chained geometry has overlapping entities, how come it doesn't highlight them anymore?

ok i got it to save, but only when i shut down mastercam and it asked if i wanted to save my open file, ill email it to anyone that wants to take a look at it

Well i wanted to make a file but it seems i cant resave a file after ive merged one from mc9 into it, it says "file cannot be opened, check the read only attribute" No matter where I try to save it. I hope the sp1 is really out, it seems like all the bugs are things i really need to be able to do.

I don't know if its just me or not, but does any one do any surface creation in X and why is it so hard to get it to do what you want? Are there any X tutorials? Ill upload a file tomorrow that i can get solidworks to make the surface fine in but no matter what i do mcamx wont do it

I can't use engraving yet because it doesnt tool small geometry in some cases that it did in 9.1. Im waiting on sp1 and hopefully i can start using x, until then its just kind of sitting on my computer wasted.

Alos I noticed that I can't change a tool in an engraving operation, and it seems to change my tools to other random tools. Should I go back to using 9.1 and wait awhile on X. This makes it really hard to use the new software

Is it just me or does Mastercam X think that I always want to have my tools numbered 1,2,3,4,5? I am in an open file and I try to add a tool to use in my program by creating a new tool. I input 20 for the tool #, set all of my parameters for the tool, and then apply. When I go back to the tool manager this tool has been changed to 6? Is there any way to choose what tool number you want without having to go in and re-edit it after you create it?

Avoid them? ...... Can anyone name any programs that are capable of multithreading? I can think of a bunch. I thought after all this time and everyone asking will mastercam support dual processors, that it would support it. Its too late to not get the pentium D as its already arrived. I would be happier to hear it wont take advantage of the dual core, not it will run slower than a regular pentium 4

Anyone hear anything about this? We just ordered a 380 with the 3.00 ghz dual core and havent set them up yet? Is a dual core chip really worse for MCam?

Under the new analyze distance in X, there is no positive or negative symbol in the analyze distance function under the XYZ delta. Was this removed? I used this in 9 and I don't know why it wouldn't be there. How would you know which way an entity is if it isn't visually apparent? I didn't really want to have to look and see which point was bigger.

I'm starting to get the new interface, I had a little work with the machine definition though. I noticed doing the things ive learned faster than i did them in 9 though. Still have other work to do and were still waiting on a chook we use alot before we can try to go full transition. Were also getting new computers so thats kind of when we expect to install x permanently.

In 9.1 my post would put the g54's in the nc file at the tool change, now it looks like its putting g28's What do i need to change? Also when you make a new tool, can it still default to having the length and dia offset set to the tool number without typing them in the edit tool dialog? % O0 ( MACHINE_GROUP_1 ) (DATE=DD-MM-YY - 11-08-05 TIME=HH:MM - 15:06 ) N1 G20 N2 G0 G17 G40 G49 G80 G90 / N3 G91 G28 Z0. / N4 G28 X0. Y0. / N5 G92 X10. Y10. Z10. ( ) ( TOOL - 1 DIA. OFF. - 0 LEN. - 0 DIA. - .25 ) N6 T1 M6 N7 G0 G90 X.5179 Y-.1551 S14500 M3 N8 G43 H0 Z.25 N9 Z.1 N10 G1 Z-.25 F50.

Mmpheonix and I have the same post but worded different

This is told to you by someone that has never done it that way. We have a vf1 and I would think all the vf series are the same basic principal. We use a electronic plunger type toolsetter. It's got a set height, and you just bring all the tools down to touch it until the light comes on indicating contact. Then we use an electronic edgefinder to set the xyz offsets of the part. The electronic edgefinder also has its offset set with the plunger. When you find the top of the part with the edgefinder, you hit part work offset button while on Z, G54 G55, etc... Then you go to the offset page and find the tool offset for the edge finder. Type the tools offset into the input field as a positive number. Before you hit enter, go back to highlight the g54 z offset, and press enter. It will add the lenght of the edgefinder and all the tools will be set to the top of the part. The plunger thing is more accurate than paper, plus you don't chip your tools accidentaly.

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaa I don't have my codes

You guys are both from PA, maybe you have the same reseller.

So is cnc releasing codes one reseller at a time? What makes it take a long time to generate codes?

Hey J Coulston, You have a disk and a code?

ok so nevermind, I got the software last night after i went home. It was sitting behind me on a table. Anyways whats the deal with not releasing codes until the 15th? Is this an everybody wins situation? Its probably a wise idea I guess. Everyone would complain too much about someone else being able to use their software before others. Oh well, not that big a deal I guess. They will be here soon.