I am doing different engravings on these parts I am working on. I usually use the same file and just copy and paste the toolpath and rechain geometry for each engraving. The toolpaths operations end up being the same parameters, just different geometry. What I am attempting to do is find out if there is any way to select all the operations, and post them, but have it make a new file for each operation. I don't know if its possible, but it would save my all the time of individually clicking the operations and posting them out one at a time. Also while im at it is there any way for the post to insert a comment in the begining of the file, and pull the value from the operation name. Say if I name my operation 1500, it would post that with the file, because I end up having to do that anyways. I hope theres not a thread on this already, I really did look, but couldn't find anything. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jeremy

Yeah never mind, I just tried it out and its like whatever z value you put in for the drill depth it shows the same verification, with the whole diameter of the tool cut into the part. I guess there must be something else. Now you have me wondering...

In your job setup check and make sure there isn't a .1 value set in the Z origin. If you don't set your stock size in your job setup, it tends to put a value in for stock by default. I'm not sure if this is where your problem lies, but it happens to me occasionaly doing verify, because I forget about that value

This is from the help file. "A 2D chamfer toolpath places all chains at an absolute depth. A 3D chamfer toolpath, which is only available if you select 3D chains, uses incremental depths." So this being the case, I wonder it you move your geometry 1/4" down in Z depth, if it would take multiple passes based on the tool. I haven't actually tried it but it could work. Tell me if it does.

I know there has been discussion about things that people want. Has there been any word from Cnc Software as to whats going to change for sure, or at least an idea for improvements? We are looking to get the maintanance program, but have to convince management that it will be worth the fee for the free upgrade when X comes out. Sorry if this has already been answered. I should really be programming right now instead of posting, lol. Thanks in advance. Jeremy

Yeah I know that but I wanted it to automatically use the level name for file name. Like I said probably not very likely

I just bought one of these last week. Apparently they have been discontinued. It is a left handed mouse shaped device that has programmable buttons you can program to use any keystroke. it also move foward back left and right which you can use to pan. It makes a great tool for mastercam and lets you keep your hand on the mouse and forget about keystroke shortcuts and menus. look it up on a search engine to find out more about it. I got mine for 24 dollars, but they originally listed for 100. Just trying to help other people [ 08-11-2003, 11:12 AM: Message edited by: JeremyG ]

Does anyone know if theres a way to use a current level name when saving some entities? Not likely but that would save me lots of time if possible.

Yes I will try both of those suggestions, they might work for what i need, although the roll and rotate into position wouldpossibly distort the sides of the letters wouldn't it? I guess I'll have to do some experimenting. Thanks for your reply

Does anyone know if this can be done?

Yes, I beat you on this one.

This is what someone replied to me with the same question you need to know the answer to. jeremy, on the first parameters page of an operation there is a button called "NCI path". If you click it a window opens prompting to save the .NCI to a directory with a check box option to 'force tool change'. Checking the box should get you what your looking for. Steve Hope this is what you mean

Oh, the roll feature wont work. It on rolls onto a tube and not down onto a surface

We engrave tire molds. I have a specific letter height to be measured on arc lengths. I have made a surface with the profile of the tire mold. I have a 1 inch high character on a flat z0. plane. I can project this geometry down onto the surface, but it won't measure the correct height on an arc length. Can I essentialy roll a 1 inch high character onto a specific surface, and have the arc length of the height read 1 inch long? [ 05-16-2003, 07:44 AM: Message edited by: JeremyG ]

If I remember right, I think the haas just ignores same tool changes, but I'll have to actually run a program first to find out if I am lying or not.

Oh, well thanks for that info. I guess I need to learn to follow instructions first. I guess if I would have read a little more I would have figured that out. Maybe I'm not all here today. Thanks again, I'm glad to know that I can change my post afterward. I should just try to proofread.

Geez, I need to read my post before i post it. I meant to say take the login/pass out of the cadcam's FTP Site link at the top of the emastercam homepage.

One more thing, you would just have to take the name and password out of the cadcam's FTP Site. Then the user would just have to enter his/her own login/pass to gain entry.

Why don't you just give a password and user name to anyone that wants it, but make them all seperate and different. That way, since only the person knows their password, you will have a log of what user logged in and what file transfering they did. Not everyone posts to the ftp site, and if they had to wait a couple hours for you to respond, it wouldn't be a real big deal. It would at least keep illegal software off the ftp, and if it didn't, its not hard to figure out who.

Thanks alot for the quick replies. I knew there was somewhere that it could be done. And this isn't something I have to do all the time, but usually on the first run of a part, its nice to easily run just that operation again, even if it takes and extra 15 seconds. It would take longer for me to search through the code.

I've got a post for the haas mostly where i want it, but im wondering if its in the post or in mastercam itself that you can make it put a tool change on every operation. Like say i use the same tool #3 for 3 operations in a row, but find out that i need to run only the last operation of the three. It would be much easier to search for tool changes, not try to figure out in the code where the tool is moving to its next procedure. Is this possible?

Is is possible to use equations or variables in macros. For instance I would like to divide a number in half. I want two vertical lines equidistant on each side of the y axis. For example, i want to input a 10 inch apart distance of two lines. I put in ten, and it divides it in two, to make an x of 5 inches. Then the next line has a x 0f -5.0 inches. But I just want to put that 10 inches in on both entries so i dont have to do the division in the input box. I know it sounds lazy, but it would be easy for me since we do alot of these part with the same basic line entry

Well we figured out that there was a run delay value of .1 intead of 0.0 That's what made it run reallllllllyyyyy slow. Its all fixed now. Thanks for everyone's help

Thanks, I think thats going to fix it. And it was right there the whole time

All of our settings between the two computers are exaclty the same on the Backplot, Display page. Any other ideas? Its not when its backploting, its after the initial creation of the toolpath, when it first lays it in, and believe me, the current state of his takes so long its unbearable.