Hi All! Given that 99.9% of mcam students DO NOT have access to mastercam at home, how do you deal with teaching it? Does anyone give their students the demo version to do "homework" on? It seems to me that most students (mine anyways) could not afford to buy the 'apprentice" version, so giving them the demo would make sense. But how would that work into the liscensing agreement? This is a problem I have to deal with every day. Thanks in advance for your input! Mike R.

Hi All. I've recently come into a ton of ANSI std style 1 retention knobs. If anyone needs them, I'd sell them real cheap & use the money to buy tooling for our poor school. We also have over a hundred cat45 tool holders. I know this may not be the place for this, but what the heck. Thanks fer listenin Mike R.

Hi Kevin! Welcome to the forum. I know you'll find it worth your while. I've learned so much from it it's not funny. Anyway, ask away, we're here for you, man! Mike R.

Would it be prudent to create a page on this forum for beta users? Just a question... Mike R.

I just wanted to say something about mcam design. Note that I am NOT a designer, but I've been learning mechanical desktop (acad), and know that it is MUCH more powerful than mastercam on the design side. BUT, if I'm gonna design a part that has only one component, I'm still gonna use Mcam, cuz I can draw in in MUCH faster. I also like mcam's dimensioning better... Thanks fer listening... Mike R. Just an unsolicited opinion. Mike R.

I remember a while back someone mentioned a way to use the mouse to do dynamic pan and zoom, which was outside of what a normal mcam user like me would know. Something about holding down the shift or control key while using your mouse to rotate. Am I halucinating? Thanks all!!! Mike R.

Thanks Jay, I think I understand. So now its time to play with it. BTW, V9 has some VERY nice design enhancements!! Thanks again! Mike R.

Thanks Jay, does that mean I don't have to worry about setting cplanes and tplanes anymore? Thanks (how's that keychain holdin' up?) Mike R.

Not to be ignorant, but what is the difference between a work coordinate system and a construction plane? Thanks in advance! Mike R.

That's a bumber, but thanks for the reply Charles! Mike R.

Is there a way to change the size of the "osnap" box? Thanks all! Mike R.

Hi. I just downloaded all of the files for v9B to a folder on my desktop. How do I "mjoin' them? Help!! Thanks all!!!!!!! Mike R.

I get your point, Jay. Just puttin' in my opinion on cadcam education as a whole. To Jame's question, I've taught mcam at the college level for a short 5 years, and my tests have always been "on system". Meaning, I give them an iso veiw of a part (with dimensions), and they give me up to 4 views, complete with tblocks, part geo, and dimensions, along with APPROPRIATE toolpaths, and, ultimately, GOOD nc programs. As part of the test assesment, they need to machine the parts (to print), and hand me a hunk of metal. When they turn in thier test, they turn in a disk containing the part, print, toolpaths, nc files. I then open each students disk and look to see, for example, that the info in the toolpath parameters are reasonable, or meet the specs I've called for. Hope this helps! Mike R.

Hi James! Students need to know 4 things BEFORE TOUCHING a cadcam system. So here is my 2cents: 1. Teach them BASIC MACHINING (MANUAL) 2. Teach them BASIC SHOP MATH (trig, speeds n feeds, etc.) 3. Teach them BASIC NC PROGRAMMING(post processing is USESLESS unless they know how to EDIT a program 4. Teach them how to set up, operate, edit, and tweek offsets. Tooling is also VERY important. THEN, in my opinion, they are READY to BEGIN to learn Mastercam. I've seen too many people who call themselves "cadcam programmers" who couldn't write a simple program by hand, don't know the first thing about machining, yet are writing programs to run on 50K machine tools. That's scary. Then teach them basic geometry creation, levels management, toolpaths, postprocessing, yada, yada, yada. My basic point is that people need to know WHAT to put in the text boxes in the tool path parameters pages. That takes more knowledge than chaining geo together n making a toolpath look good on a computer screen. JMHO, thanks fer listening... Mike R.

I kinda saw it as an intentional act to undermine President Bush. All I could hear in the background was an incesant whining "we want you baaack, we want you baaack". Made me sick. Did the media have to run that bit of film?????????? JMHO Mike R.

I agree. I came up from the floor BEFORE I went to college to be a teacher. By researching what I thought I should be teaching, I learned ALOT that I wish I knew WHEN I WAS a toolmaker. On the other hand, I USED alot of what I learned on the floor to come up with WHAT I should be teaching. It works both ways. Ya gotta use both practical knowledge ALONG with down n dirty theory. Thanks fer listnen, Mike R.

Ok, I've got to chime in on this one. There really is alot of THEORY in the machining business that you probably DON'T get by practical experience. From simple things like how to come up with speeds and feeds, cutting tool geometries, properties of metals, how to PROPERLY select a grinding wheel, threading formulas, selecting the PROPER coolant, etc., etc., etc. These things are just as important as the "basic" math (which isn't very basic), communications skills, etc. I've been a toolmaker for 18 years, and have taught it for 5, and I can tell you that I've worked with some very good machinists/toolmakers who would have been lightyears better had they known the theory behind what they were doing. So don't discount a good technical college machining education AT ALL. These students have the technical knowledge, they just need some experience. I've seen that after they get the experience, they quickly surpass seasoned machinist. I hope I didn't tick anyone off here, just sayin' what I've seen. I've also seen that people who don't HAVE a degree don't VALUE a degree. We're not all educated idiots. Thanks fer listening Mike R. [ 09-09-2001: Message edited by: Michael Reynolds ]

What is the advantage of 99% of the symbols in "create, drafting, note (symbols)? Darn near all of them are just letters! Just curious, Thankd in advance, Mike R.

Does anyone know if the mcam pdg's are gonna devote more time to the cad side? It seems to me that with a cam package as good as mcam is, they could. Don't get me wrong. I think that simple geometry creation in mcam is great, and easy to learn, but if we had more options in the creation -n- updating of models, we'd all be much closer to finding the "holy grail". How about incorporating real parametrics (expressions) into the cad side of mcam? How's about a gd & t option? (I know about easy draw, but it doesn't work in v8). Just another 2 cents from me. Thanks fer list'n Mike R.

Hi Greg! I teach both UG and Mcam, and I gotta tell ya, UG has a MUCH higher learning curve to it. + it's much more expensive. Just my 2cents... Mike R.

Thanks Willy! I didn't see the "show all" button until you mentioned it. As for the max # of splines issue, it was set to 4000, but I noticed that the 'incremental angle' option was set to .1, so I changed it to 5. and it worked just duckily! Thanks fer da help!! Mike R.

Hi All! First, I'm trying to use the thelix c hook (which I've done before successfully), but when I try to do a 1/4-20 thread, 1/2" deep, I get a memory allocation/number of points per spline too low, messeage(s). the # of points per spline set in config is 2500. Is that too low or am I doing sumpin else wrong? #2 - How do I get in to check out the "Tech tips" page? all I can get is the last one posted! Thanks in advance! Mike R.

Thanks yalls! Worked like a charm. Thanks again! Mike R.

Hi Larry! You could also try the "canned text" option in the tool parameters page. That will also force moo, mo1, m5, yada yada yada into your program. Might be easier than modifying your post. Hope this helps! Mike R.

Hi All! I'm trying to do a tool path to a part that has a contour on the top and the bottom of a rectangular part. I know is seems like a 5 axis deal, but what I want to do is put an MOO between the toolpaths, to flip the part. How do I do it? thanks in advance! Mike R. (happy labour day, BTW)