So you got internet or what? I need your new email.

Unistall, reinstall mastercam. I had this same problem with 2 of my rigs when I installed SP2 for XP Pro.

5ax’s version is an older one. I was waiting for the version 10 Mastercam to be released to limit the upgrade cost. The newer version has crash detection. I think their simulator requires their post. Editing the simulator for various machines is a bit cryptic. It should have a wizard but it’s not super hard to do.

IMO: if just have a one or two 5 axis machines Camaix is a good system. It’s a very solid turn key system with almost no training required and easy on the budget. If you are in an ever changing 5 axis house with a lot of different machines and the prospect of getting more, Vericut is the way to go.

Jack,

It was a inside joke. When I started with Mastercam in 98 Phil was my teacher. Lath/Mill, 3D, Solids, 5 axis and Post training Plus a good bit a tech support. If it was closer I would apply just cause working with Phil would be a blast.

LOL: just a dig at my Teacher.

Belated congats on the new gig.

We use that Camaix system. It combinds their MultiXpost and their simulator. The simulator is not as powerfull as vericut but is a economic atlernitive. I got the post wizard to so I can add other 5axis machines. I think if they made the interface a bit easyer to use and tie everything together they would have a real home run. Right now its a bit cryptic. Even having them come to my site and custom make everything for me (turn key) cost less then vericut. I think the Germans like to make stuff hard

HEY PHIL!

Looks like you got a real job. I like to use a the Gcode editor and out put a DWG of the path then reassign tools in MC so I don't get any surprises.

Free download

http://www.i-logic.com/inplot.htm

Fred Mitchell

Millman,

Was there ever any other video card in your system since your last format? If not. Sure sounds like you got a crupt driver. Try uninstalling the video card completly and reinstalling with a newer driver. I had the same problems you decribed in one of my systems. Thats when I found out ATI cards do not unistall very well. Took a reformat to fix it.

Mastercam and video cards,

Mastercam does not seem to take any advantages of the faster video processor or large memory. We have mostly Dell 3.0 workstation the video cards range from a Geforce 5200 to a 6800 I could fine no test that showed the 128 meg 5200 was any slower then a 256 meg 5600 or a 5700 ultra. Even with long 5 axis simulation the cards finished within seconds of each other. Solidworks on the other hand shows a major improvment with increased ram.

Somthing aint right. I tested 4 computers.

Dell 2.4 (No HT)(1 gig sys mem), GF 5600 (256 meg) "55 sec"

AMD Barton 3200 (1 gig sys mem), GF 5700 (256 meg) "65 sec"

Dell 3.0 (With HT) (1 gig sys mem) ,GF 5200 (256 meg) "70 sec"

This is the funny part:

AMD 2100 OC'ed to a 2800 (768 megs sys mem), ATI 9700 Pro with FireGL convertion (128 meg) 42 seconds.

The 2100 is my custom built home rig and it does do very well with Mastercam but, I also built the AMD 3200 every part of that computer is somehow faster then the 2100, Sata harddrive 200 FSB ver 166, Dual channel DDR memory. The only thing my home rig has over the 3200 is the extream memory settings allowed by the Corsair ram and cooling system.

I think we need a better test, that way we can figure out what hardware really helps and whats a waste of money.

Haas site and your haas operator manual should have sample code. Also the Haas post that comes on the MC disk should get you parts the only changes you will need is your you personal preferences.

The guys at Prism really want you to get the most out of your MC seat. Phil will hook you up. Just don't tell him I said anything nice about him. It makes it tuff to harass him.

Look into add the 4 inch spacer block to the Z axis. Its just a spacer that goes between the 2 main casting pc's. The TR160 uses up a good bit of your Z. We bouhgt one of the first SS out and the only regret I have is the lack of that option.

This is a factory install option only and can not be added later.

"thanks for the help with the ati card firegl

helped but now the card is slower than my old gforce2 card so i want to get a new card that will boost up my video speed. any and all suggestions welcome..."

Thats weird, I converted my 9700 pro and it owns my GF 5700 with 256 meg of ram.

There is 2 ways to do duel monitors.

One: buy a duel monitor card. This is a video card that has 2 plugins. Normally a VGA and a DVI. WARNING not all DVI plugs can be converted to VGA (regular monitors) So you want to verify the DVI port is analog/digital not just digiital. A DVI-VGA adapter will be needed.( this assumes you dont have a flat pannel DVI monitor)

Two: Add a PCI video adapter to your existing system. This even works with onboard graphics. AGP and PCI use differnt adresses for video so there is no hardware conflict. I have read that the newer ATI and newer Geforce card dont play well together on the same system. Once Win XP/2000/98SE sees the second card just go to video propertys, setting there should be a picture of 2 monitors. Make sure the AGP is set to primary and pick extend my desk top to the second monitor.

Three monitors??? Oh yea, You guessed it a twin monitor set up on the AGP and a single monitor on the PCI. Thats 3. I have done it. I never got 4 to work tho. I do have a twin monitor PCI card but it seems the secondary AGP and the Secondary PCI tend to conflict. I guess a twin PCI and single AGP would work but I've not done that one.

Twin monitors since 98SE 1998

I have not tested the Matrox suround video 3 monitor system. Its OpenGL is abit buggy.

There is a post that was developed at Haas for this set up and works real well. I rented it while my post was being made. Since the verify is kinda limited in MC for 5 axis I got the Camaix software to simulate the 5 axis. You need the Camaix post to tie the whole thing together. In the movie when I switch real video to computer graphics that the Camaix stuff.

That is a customer prototype so I am not sure if I can post model information. It is just a belt clip but I would have to ask.

Sure sounds like a hardware config to hardware issue. Do you use this PC for anything else? I have MasterCam on some older boxs and i see this very rarly. Your PCI bridge config could cause this. Might want to update your Mother board drivers. Harddrive itself might be acting up. A reformat to Win XP Pro just might fix you up.

Be ready for sticker shock. I have very little problem with verify in multi axis. You just have to remember in 5 axis that the part is swinging all over the place not the tool so a machine simulator is nice. If you have a good post what you see in 4th axis should be what you get.

Works great here to. Gives my customers a warm feeling inside when they find out that the translator is license by Granite. Only thing I had problems with is that one of my customers is a beta tester. Many times the translator will not support betas. Can't say I blame them who wants to write a tranlator every 3-4 weeks.

Lets keep one thing in mind. The ATI cards are NOT POS. The errors are there so you buy the FireGL versions. Since OpenGL is pretty much a dead gaming engine and only used for Cad now.

The reason most hardware sites rate ATI better then Nvidia is because it IS a better DX9 card. Now ATI worked with microsoft to develop DX9. I am told the next release of Mastercam is a DX9 application. When Mastercam version X comes out it will be the ATI cards ruling and the Nvidia's will be the POS.

My ATI 9700 pro 128 meg converted to a FireGL X1 owns my 5600 256 meg Nvidia card. If left as a 9700 Pro it unusable in mastercam.

Millman, Whats your system specs. We always do the no tool verify on 5 axis jobs. While I dont remember any 50 meg jobs the 20-30's go pretty quick. We run it on a P4 3.0 1 gig of ram and 256 megs on a geforce video card. We also run Camaix's machine simulator, which can be sped up to the point the tool is just a blur.

IMO its worth it just for the translators. Dam CAD systems are releasing new version or major update atleased once a year.

Just a heads up. This has limited accuracy. Since machine controler does not know where the 4th axis is at all times it can not adjust for any changes in feed rate. Use very light finish cuts.

You have time and no money might want to look into converting your ATI card to a FireGL. My 9700 pro works sweet as a FireGL X1.

Edit: Starting point, http://forums.guru3d.com/index.php

http://www.fastechinc.net/fmmt.html

There is the one I keep on hand for the new guys that want to start right away.

Cost effective? IMO the training CD is a nice way to start. Get you used to menus and the very basics. You should really think about the real training classes. I find the people that are self trained spend most of their time figuring out how to get mastercam to do something while those who have had the Basic/3D/Solids training spend their time figuring out the best way to make the part.

Depending on the work you do and the machines you have you could easly see a 6 month payback for training.

Its the weekend so I am playing with my screen config, you know the stuff you don't have time to do on thru the week. I got my startup the way i like it except the following. I would like my Viewports to start off with two views. I would like my Grind turned on and set to a 1" pattern and X,Y,Z axis showing (f9) as the defaults. How can I save this so it opens this way every time. I have been shown this atleased twice but can't seem to remember.

Thanks in advance.

Sorry i can't give you any other info. All I know is my 9700 was almost unusable in mastercam before the convertion. I am error less now. It also runs great in Solidworks. There is even a Solidwork approved drivers and a Solidworks mode in the drivers I have. I have a friend that use the X1 with ProE and loves it.... thats all I know.