Check the Misc Int switches in the MPLFan post. It used to have an option for that. Mike Mattera

Sorry I dodn't read the entire thread, but if anyone needs to know how to create a custom tool form. http://www.tipsformanufacturing.com/bin/Form_Tool-002.exe http://www.tipsformanufacturing.com/bin/Form_Tool-003.exe Mike Mattera

Mask on Arc and them pick the hole by the size you want to machine. Picking each hole manually is WAY to time consuming. Mike Mattera

There is another alternative for those who dont still have Transition classes going on in your area. http://www.tipsformanufacturing.com/html/mastercam_x.html Mike Mattera

There are also some examples in here... http://www.tipsformanufacturing.com/html/x...contouring.html Mike Mattera

What's this....? A square drill to make square holes . I gots to get me sum uh doz. Mike Mattera

If you want to fish in Alberta, you should bring an ice pick. Mike Mattera

I saw a bug in V9 where the 2D geometry had to be above the surface. If you do that make your depth incremental. Mike Mattera

There was something about "add depths". Did you use that? Mike Matera

Very Good Machine. Well made. Good control Mike Mattera

1 - Your sure it's a solid model? 2 - Did you check the box for "Searvh all planes" in the Solid Drill parameter page? Mike Mattera

It doesent sound like you picked the Multi-Line icon on thr Ribbon bar. If you did it works the same way (last point = next start pt.) As for entering the coordinate... hitting the space bar and then X,Y is really not That much different. Make sure you've selected the "zig zag" looking icon on the ribbon bar. Mike Mattera

There's a check box that says something about making it the Default. Mike Mattera

Anytime you have a video problem, or if it just looks funny, got see if there's a new driver. Mike Mattera

The nesting does that now. Or it did in V9 Mike Mattera

I have a FX 5700 and an FX 5900. They've been pretty good cards. I know I should get something faster (and I will) but all my CadCam applications have worked well with them. Mike Mattera

So if I understand this.... Your outputting DXF from ProE and the geometry is not connected. This has what to do with Mastercam? Wouldn't it make sense to contact the ProE user forum. Not trying to be an A$$ or anything, but it seems like your asking the wrong group. Mike Mattera

Sounds like you need to create a new CPlane to bring it to where you want and then select the toolpath. I'm not sure what you mean by Curve Contour Or Face Toolpath. By Curve contour I assume you mean Toolpath - Contour and selecting a 3D curve. Those are both very different and I dont see one as a substitute for the other. As for learning Mastercam, you might want to click on my link below. Mike Mattera

If it's choppy it's because of the tolerance. I would project splines. Or you can do the toolpath in 2D and project the toolpath (Toolpath - Project) onto the surfaces for the 3D cut. Mike Mattera

Sorry it's pwrtt. This is the section from my posts. Mike Mattera # -------------------------------------------------------------------------- tcnt : 0 # Count the number of tool changes-Used for Tool List opcnt : 0 # Count the number of operations -Used for Tool List fmt "TOOL" 18 tnote # Note format fmt "DIA OFFSET D" 18 toffnote # Note format (use fs 1 0ln) fmt " LEN OFFSET H" 18 tlngnote # Note format fmt " DIA " 19 tldia # Note format (use fs 0.3t) fmt 18 opcnt # Operation counter pwrtt # Tool table at start of file tnote = t toffnote = tloffno tlngnote = tlngno opcnt = tcnt + 1 # operation counter = tool counter +1 if t >= 0, [ "(", "OP", 35, *opcnt , " IS ", *tnote, " -",*tldia, " - ", "OPERATION IS ", *sopcode,")", e "( ", *toffnote, " -",*tlngnote, ")", e "( ", "TOOL TYPE = ", pstrtool, ")", e tcnt = tcnt + 1 ] # --------------------------------------------------------------------------

pwrite used to be a post block section that scanned thru the post and let you make a list of tools and offsets. I have in all my posts. Do a search for pwrite. I know I documented this before. Mike Mattera

Daves' got the right idea. A little more bulkie. But thats what I do with my USB devices. Pete's point is that when the device registers with Windows, It's seen as a security device. Making a USB that can be seen as a Security device and a Storage device sounds like problems waiting to happen. It's like having an 8 track, cassette, CD, DVD, MP3 player built into your Phone, PDA, with a tooth brush, hair trimmer and Swiss army knife attachment. You could do it, but "should" you do it. Mike Mattera

If you do a test, it's not about the mold, It's about the tolerance for the cut. If they use your part and set the tolernce to .010", they will probaly process faster. Compare apples to apples. Same part, same tolerance. Mike Mattera

gcode: Feature recognition will never replace an NC programmer. We both know that. The point of feature recognition is to create a beter integration between engineering & NC programming. Getting rid of the "us" vs "them" approach that most companies have. The idea is to find the things on the model, that you have to create manually now with the system you have. It also passes the information like tap & drill sizes & depths. The time you spend creating curves to create a pocket boundry is wasted motion. Especially when you get the same part back with an engineering change. Right now you have to start over. Quality feature recognition, recognizes that a cavity is a pocket. It lets you grab the feature and drop a toolpath on it. Mike Mattera

One minute your creating programs for your machine & the next you have to learn how to write Machine & Control definitions just to do your job. Mike Mattera