OK, Rotary Ninja: Your Youtube Video is exactly what I was asking about, so thank you!!!!!! [All those tool selection steps were a surprise to me, I guess that is another arena we need to read up on.] I'm going to say that the comments and guidance I have received so far have answered my question, so now it is up to me to find and study the appropriate book/manual! Thanks for your help, and if you ever need any assistance with engineering analysis or design innovation, I hope I could return the favor! Jim Papadopoulos, Northeastern University

Any and Everyone: Please Ignore the previous question.... Looks like it was a network issue here, now the videos show and play! I'll get some popcorn and try to learn something. Jim P.

Dear Rotary Ninja, So sorry to play the child (which I am, I guess, in this new world) -- I see you posted a video or link to video, but surprisingly all the video links just show a question mark, unlike yesterday when they showed a picture and a 'play' button. Is it something I did????? (Something I said????) I would love to see what you so generously created! Sincerely yours, Jim Papadopoulos

Rotary Ninja, your input is very helpful. Couldn't find a Jay Kramer channel, but the Precision Programming collection had this: If it had shown a WCS with different orientation to plunge the angled hole, then my search would be over. But I assume that is the procedure! (Does that video have a Part 2???) I read the views/planes thread, and I think it matches my rudimentary understanding.... Part of my confusion may be that we use MCX5 for SolidWorks, not stand-alone MC -- are they identical (I wouldn't assume so....). Hopefully the book you cited is not inconsistent with our SW installation! Anyway, will read and look around, and it really seems to me the answer lies in the use of WCS. Thanks for your friendly helpfulness. Jim Papadopoulos

Hi RN and SG: I am quoting your helpful answers in full, so I can explain myself better. MY WORDS IN CAPITALS.... Rotary Ninja: “Look here……… In fact, you should subscribe to Jay's channel and watch all of his videos. WOW, I AM SURE THAT THIS KIND OF DEMO WOULD HELP ME IN A LOT OF AREAS. WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "JAY'S CHANNEL", IS THAT ON YOUTUBE AND HOW DO I FIND IT? I think what you are trying to do is create a new WCS at a 45 degree angle to machine a part from a view other than the standard views. Is that what you mean? I know it's hard knowing what questions you need to ask when you don't understand the terminology and how things work to begin with. So don't sweat it. You have come to the right place” SEEMS LIKELY! I THINK I WOULD INDEED SAY: I WANT TO MACHINE A PART FROM A VIEW OTHER THAN THE STANDARD VIEWS. EXAMPLE: DRILL A HOLE AT 45 DEGREES TO THE FACE OF A CUBE. MY VERY INCOMPLETE UNDERSTANDING (SEE BELOW) IS THAT I CAN MODEL A PART LIKE THAT IN SOLIDWORKS, BUT THAT THEN CREATING A TOOLPATH IN MCX5 FOR SW REQUIRES ME TO TELL MC TO LOOK AT THE PART ALONG THE AXIS OF MY HOLE.... SledGeek: You can orientate (what I assume you are calling fixturing) a part to any face, plane, or line you want by creating it if it doesn't exist in your 6 basic front , back ,side, etc. BY CREATING IT: I'M ALL EARS. I'm not sure if your asking how to orientate the part or if your asking how to cut an angle with MasterCam.....or both. The part geometry is what drives how you cut, so without it, the answers are infinite.... UNFORTUNATELY I AM NOT DRIVEN BY TRYING TO MAKE A PART. I AM TRYING TO GET A STUDENT TO WRITE UP SOME BASIC GENERAL PURPOSE INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE MACHINIST IN THE DEPARTMENT MACHINE SHOP. I KNOW THAT HE WILL RECEIVE JOBS THAT CANNOT BE DONE FROM ONE OF THE SIX CUBE FACES. Do you have a square block you are trying to cut angles on ? Do you have a part with no square sides and you want to fixture it so you can cut more angles ? If you have a block with a 45 deg angle and have features that are perpendicular to that angle ,but not to the table then you will still have to tilt the part with only 3 axis. If you need to rotate the part in X5 to match a set up like this then read up on construction planes and xform . Also read up on WCS use. I assume you are brand new to X5 ? BRAND NEW, YES! I SEE THAT I HAVE TO READ UP ON: CONSTRUCTION PLANES, XFORM, AND WCS. THANK YOU!!!! Having a pic of the part is helpful...... SORRY, AT THE MOMENT ALL I CAN DO IS MENTION HOLES OR OTHER FEATURES THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY MACHINE BY TILTING THE PART. TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MASTERCAM TO VIEW THE SOLIDWORKS PART ALONG SOME DIRECTION THAT IS NOT FRONT, TOP, ETC. Jim Papadopoulos

Hi everyone -- since my early lost-at-sea question I got GREAT support from Will Slota at MasterCam, and also the reseller (TESolutions) was very responsive and helpful. So, now have a working setup! Here is my question, for which there is probably a very trivial answer, if I only knew the name of what I want! When using the 3 axis mill manually, I know exactly how to get a 45 degree hole or feature: tip the part with a tilt vise. Or sine bar. How is this to be achieved by Mastercam X5 in Solidworks? It appears [i'm not 100% clear] to offer only fixturing on bottom, top, front, back etc. of solid model. I would like to find some way to define a compound angle of presenting my solidworks model, so that the 3 axis mill can make its angled cuts! Even brief or exasperated responses will be welcome, I know this kind of baby question is probably frustrating for most of you! Sincerely yours, Jim Papadopoulos Northeastern University

trying to delete my mistaken double post, sorry about that

Thanks for the encouragement to contact the reseller. It took me a while to figure out that MC for SW is a MC product not a SW product! And then further to discern that the Hasp is supposed to be updated BY US after we paid maintenance. Both the reseller and the educational specialist at MasterCam have very responsively returned my emails, and answered the top questions. I am hopeful that we will be running next week! Jim Papadopoulos

Further information on my situation: How do I figure out my license situation? When we open the program, there is a check box to say that we agree to the license terms, or something. But if I look for HaspX.exe, it says maintenance is paid through Feb 2012. Is that possibly my huge issue? And, if so, do I go to SW or MC to pay? Whoever has the patience to look at my issues, thank you! Jim Papadopoulos Northeastern University

Hi Everyone -- I am new to this so UNDOUBTEDLY I am making a variety of embarrassing mistakes. I apologize profusely in advance. I just got dropped into the role of helping a student and our machinist try to get Mastercam X5 for SW talking to a Dynapath 20 controller, which runs a Lagunmatic milling machine. We bought a book... we are exploring examples and the directory structure, and trying to learn the lingo. The task we want to perform is to decide whether, or where, we have any problems. How do we most easily test whether the computer is able to talk to the controller? And how do we know if we have the right post processor? And, what question should we ACTUALLY be asking? Thanks in advance if you have even a couple of terse words of guidance! Sincerely yours, Jim Papadopoulos Instructor, Mechanical Engineering, Northeastern University