I need help with a new install. I have X6 on a new PC. Win 7 pro. Mill level 2. sim updated.

We have one machine and one post file. This should be a simple set up. How do I get the new machine definition set up?

Machine group properties? Machine type? Machine definition manager? All three?

I don't see how to default to our machine and post file. I have placed files such as the .mmd and .control and .pst files where they appear to go but I think X6 doesn't use these old files.

Is it possible to output my cycle time from the backplot info as a note in my nc code? This info would help my scheduler to determine how much we can do per day. Would this be a post change or is there some other parameter I can change to make it happen?

For the time being, I wrote a macro within the Mastercam editor that facilitated adding the 7000+ instances of "M98 P6" at the end of each block to my code. It does seem like a simple custom drill cycle could also call out my subroutine at each XY location.

I don't know what "pdrill_2$ postblock" is.

I had my retailer help me years ago to write it into my post (so I thought). That was back in MC9. (or 8 or 7, what was 2005?) Either I don't remember how to "activate" it or MCX is seeing things differently.

What would be the normal "trigger" to output this code (the M98 P6) at the end of each line of XY coords?

I've got this program that I created years ago. Worked great for us. I'm not sure how to recreate it with new coordinates. It contains a subroutine. That part is not my problem. My problem is how to I force the M98 P6 at the end of every coordinate? (there are A LOT more not shown) I don't even mind hand writing the program starting with my standard drill cycle but I need some comment or (?) to "find-replace"

This is one tool that does 2 operations at different depths/speed/feed at 7000+ locations with one offset.

%

:001111

N10( NAME - 180)

N20( DATE - 06-24-05)

N30 ( START TOOL LIST )

N40 ( T175 1-1/2 DRILL )

N50 ( T175 MAX DEPTH -1.3006 )

N60 ( END TOOL LIST )

N70 ( 180 TUBSHEET )

N80 G20

N90 G80

N100 G90

N110 G28 X0 Y0 Z0 H0

N120 G00 Z.2

N150 G54 P6

N160 G00 X87. Y1.1875 M98 P6

N210 X87. Y4.6516 M98 P6

N220 X87. Y8.1157 M98 P6

N230 X87. Y11.5798 M98 P6

N240 X86. Y16.776 M98 P6

N33800 X-85. Y15.0439 M98 P6

N33810 X-85.75 Y8.1157 M98 P6

N33820 X-85.75 Y1.1875 M98 P6

N33830 X-86. Y13.3119 M98 P6

N33840 X-86. Y16.776 M98 P6

N33850 X-86.75 Y9.8478 M98 P6

N33860 X-86.75 Y2.9196 M98 P6

N33870 X-87.75 Y1.1875 M98 P6

N33880 X-87.75 Y4.6516 M98 P6

N33890 X-87.75 Y8.1157 M98 P6

N33900 G80

N33910 M09 M13

N33920 M05 M16

N33930 G28 Z0 H0

N33940 G28 X0 Y0

N33950 G00 Z.2

N33960 M02

:6

N4300 T261 H261

N4310 M08 M12 M15

N4320 S1180 F5.25 M03

N4330 G00 Z.1

N4340 G99 G73 Z-1.170 Q.050 J0.015 D0 R.060

N4350 G80

N4360 T262 H262

N4370 G96 F6.6

N7380 G99 G73 Z-1.200 Q0.350 J0 D0.3 R1.600

N7390 G80 G97 M16

N7400 M99

%

When I got a new computer last year about the same time X4 came out, I made the switch and hoped I would not have to look back.

The old computer died with previous versions of MC on it. Only data files were backed up.

Those files can now be deleted from the ftp site but I don't think I have the authority to do that. I tried.

Thanks so much.

I can't open it. How would I convert it?

Can I get a hand converting an .mc7 file to either .dxf or something MC Mill X4 can open. I just need the line geometry. We no longer have any machines with MC9 or older on them for me to do this with.

I have uploaded 57585457.mc7 to ftp://www.mastercam-cadcam.com/Mastercam_...verted_from_MC/

If anyone is willing/able to do this conversion for me, you can upload to the FTP or email direct to me at puecker at deltasteel dot com.

Thanks all. Some of the suggestions above didn't provide the intended results or ended in an error somewhere.

It was the process from Santa Fe that got us to where we wanted to be.

Thanks also to my Mastercam rep who chimed in w/ a private message and offered to help.

Ok, so I botched the bull vs ball term. No quarter for a newbie, eh? I can take it.

With the .004 stepover, what

type of toolpath are you suggesting will do the variable depth?

I think your edit is correct because when I try surface/finish/flowline, I get the error that I don't have that in mill 1 and I need mill 2.

Goes to show yo how much straight drilling/milling we do. I never needed mill 2 before.

Any other options with mill level 1?

Phil

We are primarily a drill and mill shop but today I have a different task that I need help with.

I need to surface mill a 5° bevel on the end of a part (carbon steel). We are only talking a few square inches but I don't know how to program this.

I have uploaded a yolk.dwg file (not the .dxf version, it can be deleted) of our part to the drawings folder of the FTP site. Each end (top and bottom) has a 5° slope to it.

I was thinking we would use a ball (bull?) end mill but I don't know what sort of toolpath will do that angled surface.

Up to this point, all of my programming has been limited to 95% drill with some pocket and contour.

Am I creating the angled surface and milling with some sort of stepdown to the prescribed angle or depth? or ...?

I guess I could buy a special flat end mill with a 5° angled bottom but we'd rather not.

Phil

[ 04-15-2010, 04:16 PM: Message edited by: perseid88 ]

Quote:

"We still don’t support import of AutoCAD 2010 data in Mastercam."

Has there been any progress made here? I'm getting more and more files from customers using this and I'd like to be able to import them.

Yes, I tried that as I have another customer where I have to uncheck that.

I am going to send you the dxf now. Let me know if it opens any different for you.

I do not know what they use. Everything drawn on one level. Nothing but geometry. Arcs only is all I see. Round flange plates.

MC sees no entities.

I'd like to post the file on the ftp if someone could tell me whay I can't.

Or I could email it to someone.

I have some pretty simple dxf files from a customer that don't seem to open properly in MC X4.

I can open them with other software and re-export them as another dxf file and then they open fine.

I have this problem with both XP and Vista on different computers and different installations of MC.

For some reason I can't get into the ftp site to leave a copy of the file either by logging in or anonymously.

ok, so somehow I boogered up my tool library when I copied it over.

So I had copied a corrupt file. No wonder it didn't work. Fine now.

I seem to have muddled through most of my new install of X4 onto a new computer. Machine, post etc. (no previous MCam on thhis computer)

I copied my tool library over to the new folder but I see no tools in there.

I ran the update folder for tools where I saved it.

I can see my new library listed but no tools there? Did it not update? How do I access my old tools?

[ 09-15-2009, 04:25 PM: Message edited by: perseid88 ]

related question...

When I create a new tool this way, what I am really trying to do is modify an existing one. But when I save it to my library, I have created a whole new tool. I know I can go back and delete the old tool, but is there a way to modify a tool and save the changes without creating a new one?

The window that pops up when you do that is for one hole only. I have to toggle through each hole by hitting the arrow button and changing the size on each one.

I think the propogate only applies to the attributes. (line style, color, level)

Is it possible to have the Xform rotate, translate and mirror functions default to move instead of copy?

Yes, I just did a search and come up with the same thing. This may be the wrong time to ask (as the reapir is taking place) but do I need to back up some files to protect my config settings, machine def's and custom toolbars?

update>>>

Looks like it worked out.

[ 02-11-2008, 12:39 PM: Message edited by: perseid88 ]

I don't know if it is related but when I open X2 now I get an error

The following components are missing

MCBitmap.ocx

MCLstCtl.ocx

Mastercam cannot start.

Did I gunk something up? I've never seent that error before.