The tabs allow you to leave the slugs of the cut hanging on so it doesn't fall on the head. Then you can cut multiple shapes while leaving the slugs hanging on in the night. Come back in the morning and just cut the tabs off.

Also if you don't have auto thread the tab feature is used to make a small stop move just before cut off.

John

Another thing worth mentioning about Volumill is that there have been some bugs... BUT, the longest I have ever waited before I could download a fix is 5 days. You will never hear me gripe about paying Volumill maintenance. Their customer service is EXCELLENT!

What about dealer pricing stability. No supprise 40% increases from greedy dealers?

I am thinking I can add Volumill to X2 right. Maybe cheaper and better than going to X5.

John

"...using MC in SW requires 2 licenses, right? Lame IMO..."

 

Wrong.

One for SW and one for MC is two right?

Please expand on this?

John

Send me a pm with your email and I will send you a copy of mine.

John

Are there other features or enhancements that would make you consider the upgrade? What I mean is, if Mill level 1 is "exactly" the same as the mill level 1 that you purchased how ever many years ago, and that is all that you need the software for, then I dont see what your point is. Upgrading wouldnt even be a consideration.

 

However, if there are areas of the software that you use and take advantage of that have been enhanced, then they are not "exactly" the same. There have been improvements and added features. Are those improvements worth that extra 40%, I guess that would be something that you would have to decide yourself. If those improvements or added features are of no use to you, again, why even consider the upgrade?

I am just talking about adding another seat. One day 40% more. One day maintanence was 40% more for the same seats.

I guess you will just have to wait and see one day when your dealer needs some coin. Just remember there will be no help from CNC Software.

Peace out.

John

Or maybe he let his Maintenance lapse assuming that he ever had it and is having to play catch up.

 

 

No that is not the case. I am talking about a straight 40% price increase. Mill level 1 for us was *K. Less than a year later its $*K.

Exact same package.

I know I have been called a whiner and boohoo but I can't understnd why there is not more interest in this.

This means any one of your dealers can up the cost of your seats and maintanence as much as they want at any time without any protection from CNC software.

And in my case I can't switch dealers because there is only one in the country?

Get a Canadian quote. It used to be *K.

John

OK. Who are you really.

If you can promise that can you also promise my pricing won't go up another 40%. I want something we can pin up on the wall here.

Post me a good one...

John

So all I was saying is if X5 lives for 20 months that could be a problem for X5 In Solidworks.

John

I told you where to get the info..but the info doesn't fit your agenda.. so you've ignored it

I didn't ignore that information. I used it in the post above.

I also went here.

http://www.mastercam.com/View.aspx?Page=/value/Default.cncx

Scroll down and you will see dates referring to what improvements were made and release dates.

As they fell behind it looks they were to embarrased to keep putting the dates beside the upgrades...

I respect the fact that you are a real company man but the truth will set you free.

John

I wasnt complaining in this thread? Just stating facts.

Mastercam sometimes takes a year off. Not with billing. Just new versions.

Only trying to help people see all the information.

There is no real history or timelines on releases of Mastercam. That's why its called X something or other. Not tied to any kind of date where they could be held to annual releases.

I think that is important information to know if you are considering adding this to Solidworks.

John

Mastercam X4 for Solidworks and Mastercam X5 for Solidworks can both open Solidworks 2011 files.

Mastercam X5 for Solidworks also works on 64 bit operating systems.

Thats because it falls behind and has to supply 2 converters for the same version.

Mastercam X - SW 2005

Lap 2 - SW 2006

Mastercam X2 - SW 2007

Mastercam X3 - SW 2008

Mastercam X4 - SW 2009

Lap 6 - SW 2010

Mastercam X5 - SW 2011

If you get lapped twice are you still in second place?

Just something to keep in mind if considering X5 for Solidworks.

I think I remember waiting more than 6 months for 2006 converter?

John

That's nice to hear.

You know where I can find the release dates for Mastercam versions since V9?

John

So what happens when Solidworks comes out with 2011 in a timley manner which I am sure they will..

And Mastercam X6 is delayed for, lets say two years...

You must keep paying maintenance on Solidworks but cant upgrade it. As well as paying maintenance on Mastercam while waiting for X6. If it's been almost 10 years from V9 to X5 you do the math.

Is Mastercam a gold partner? There are lots of gold CAM partners.

Will X5 work on a 64bit yet?

John

John,

 

It's no secret that I too have my frustrations but as I said many times MC has done us well even though I plan to move to NX. I like this forum for many reasons, reasons that in many ways have nothing to do with MC and that's why I am here.

 

But, complaining about MC in every post here will do nothing but get your blood pressure up. If you are no longer satisfied with MC, find another solution, it's that simple.

 

Good luck to you.

I think you are right. CNC Software has no ears. Just read this forum. Just take a sample going back 10 years and it's all the same BS.

I wish I could get my money back.

John

Good one. HaHa. So funny. Funny guy.

Where is it you are cool again??

Oh ya. Only here in this brainwashed forum.

John

So does that mean all Mastercam products are going up by forty percent in price? Or is it still just us Canadians getting the shaft.

Can Canadians buy from Batefoot directly in USD and save forty percent?

John

I took no offense. I have a mill/turn as well and +1000 on mill toolpaths using stock recognition. It causes me so many headaches I will not use stock when programmimg in lathe. I realize that this is a touchy subject for many of us. I just wanted to try our best to keep the framework of this discussion positive. I have no problem with this being the beginning of a enhancement request list.

I seems to me this has been done many times in the past. If there is no commitment from top level managemant at CNC to acknowledge any of this what's the point?

By starting a section on this forum for enhancements and bug fixes that would be a start.

John

I think plunge turn is a great new toolpath. I also like the new options for spindle speed and feed rate overrides for groove and partoff. It would be nice to get some of the functionality of the dynamic paths into lathe (Dynamic Turn?) in one of the next few versions.

I was asking my dealer for speed override on part off in V9. Had our dealer spend hours trying to accomplish this with the post but had no luck. Dealer finally gave up.

So ten years later it's there. Also been about ten years since the release of that Iscar groove turn tool.

Just released round boring bars? Come on. How about a thread chart that works for external threading. It hasn't worked since V9.

What about a new forum category to address the progress of bug fixes? If we took money from a customer of ours for a product and a year went by I would be expected to produce a progress report of some kind. Not just a statement saying we will ship it maybe soon. No date. You will get it when you get it. If it doesn't work you better keep paying us or we won't fix it.

And a new catagory for enhancement requests to the forum and have CNC post progress reports on the development timelines of these enhancements. Then the end user could make an informed decision on whether to continue maintenance or not.

I will start now working on a long constructive list of enhancements for lathe and wire edm. You get the lights turned back on in those departments and boot up those computers. May have to update them from Win98.

John

In case you didn't notice, the Plunge Turn toolpath is new for Lathe. I realize that Lathe still needs work, but improvements are being made.

You are really going to defend the amount of work that has been done on lathe since V9?

You guys really are in a dream world.

Can you please go look at the Esprit website. It's on the Internet. And make a list of turning improvements made in the last 10 years.

John

I think what Bob is referring to, is the fact that things like X style coolant which have been broken and then fixed already in past releases, are again broken. Regardless of whether or not the Beta testers missed this, I am assuming that this had to have been noticed, but how does this and other functions get broken after being previously fixed, and the fact that they are broken and missed not just once, but time and time again. Its as if they use the code cut and paste method that I use for post processor editing except that instead of saving the working code, they just keep cutting and pasting the broken code back in to the software over and over. It escapes me as to how something like this would get broken and missed time after time. While this seems like a trivial issue, it has caused me major problems. To the point in fact that I have switched away from using it at all and probably never will again as my confidence that it will not be broken again in future releases is completely gone.

 

Sorry Bob, I am not trying to speak for you, just trying to interpret your frustration.

 

And also, I dont blame any of the issues that I have had and/or currently have with the software on the people that are beta testing this software on their own time. I commend you people for spending your valuable time to use and test this software in a real world environment before it gets released to the public. I dont think that anyone can hold any of these issues against you. Its the quality department at CNC that is in question. If the shop that I work for sent parts out with these same quality standards I doubt that we would still be in business. I also doubt that anyone in their right mind would continue to pay us for our services.

 

Sorry if that is hard to read and understand.. I am working on about three hours of sleep here.

+1000

John

Oh ya. Don't forget to add some protection from greedy dealers..

You might want to try going to the Solidworks web site and download one of the apporved drivers for that card.

Because Solidworks used it's customers maintenance money to develop working drivers that Mastercam users can get for free.

So Hardmill should these be available to Mastercam users?

"If you put nothing into it, you dont deserve it."

"

John

Do you think it's ever happened that someone worked for months with their dealer on a post. The dealer charging by the hour to resolve issues.

Then a month later that dealer sells an exact copy of that post to another customer? And keeps all the money?

John

Not sure what you mean John.

It's name calling. Very professional. How many seats do I have to buy to call people names on this forum? Do educational seats count?

John

John

Hey Chief Cook and Bottlewasher, that post was almost as helpful as one of mine

It's kinda like making fun of the poor customer.

Rubbing our noses in it.

Why wait for MU1 just buy something else.

John

Kinda hard to explain but we will add an extra little bump on the surface that we lead in and out off of right where we lead in. After we remove the slug we go back and trim the lump off. You may have to experiment a little with the power settings a little to get the blend right so the lump is gone and you can't see it.

John