Greg, the first step is going to be to create a model of your part with the extra stock on it. You can create a dummy toolpath leaving stock on the part that you need. Run the dummy toolpath through Verify and write out a STL file. Once you have the StL file, you can select it by selecting "Cad File" under the drive surfaces button. Mark B

The "safety zones" does work with all 3 axis toolpaths. When it was first released it only worked with 4 or 5 axis toolpaths but it was soon changed to include the 3 axis toolpaths. With the safefy zone on, the toolpath should give you a retract out to the specified zone. I think that the only requirement is that you need to have a value in the feed plane which is normally on. Once the safefy zone is turn on, there should be some text above the "select library tool" to let you know that its active "Safety Zone Enabled"

This may be a stupid question but I have to ask, are you using the "fast forward" button to run Verify or the "Play" button??

There can be a speed issue with X2 and the HST toolpaths, the problem started with a few situations where the toolpath wouldn't machine the entire mold. To fix the problem we switch to a different data structure for the surface calculation, there was a slight time hit (4 to 7%). The time wasn't big enough for us to be conserned, what we didn't realize is that with bigger parts the time can be much longer than the 4%. We've added some extra logic to the data structure and should see a calculation times speed back up with the release of MR1.

On High Speed machines with "look ahead" functions, they like to have the smaller segment outputs. With more segments the direction change is smaller and allows the machine to go faster. With less segments (like using the toolpath filter) the control will decel more and the machine will take longer to get up to the programmed feedrate. If you were to take idenical toolpaths and run one with the filter and one without, the unfiltered toolpath will run faster.

Keep in mind that once you have your "high speed" function turned on that High Speed Machines don't like the toolpath filtered. If you take idenical toolpaths and make the cut tolerance tighter on one (so there are more segments in the nc code), the tighter cut tolerance file will run faster on the machine. The "look ahead" functions like to have more segments so the vector change is smaller and allows for faster feedrates.

I believe the reason that the stl files aren't incorparated into the mcx file has to do with the size of the stl files. Adding a few STL files would make the file sizes HUGE. I logged a bug with the Zip to Go not grabbing the stl file. So hopefully that will be fixed and the Zip to Go should grab and include the STL files.

The engrave toolpath is an add-on. If you'd like to try it, send me some wireframe geometry and the cutter info (tapered cutters - the important info is the angle and radius)and I'll run a toolath for you. I've cut a fishing pole handle that came out really nice, I have a video if anyone would like to see it (the video isn't the best)

The engrave toolpath only needs wireframe geometry to do a 3axis toolpath. So any of the true type fonts can be used with the toolpath. The only time that you need surfaces is if your doing a 4 or 5 axis engrave toolpath.

I'm not how many people are using it but there is an "Engrave Toolpath" that does a nice job with tapered cutters. The toolpath automatically calculates the centerline and will rise up in the corners to get sharp transition.

I hate to say that "it is working" when I have people say that it isn't but unless someone can send me a file showing us a problem it probably won't get looked at. I've done 3 test examples with the tool clearance and it's looking at the "Z" height on the two pcs I'm working with. I've tried X2,MR2,English and metric, with all looking at the tool clearance with the Z axis. If there is a problem, we'd like to know about it but at this point I'm going to need an example.

The HST Holder check does work in the Z axis.I'm guessing that Darrn's problem lies with the "Stock to leave" setting. Since we're not pointing to an Stl file, the toolpath doesn't know where the extra stock is. So in this case the 2mm of extra stock should be added in with the "Toolholder clearance" setting. Without seeing the file I can't be sure that this is excactly what's happening.

I'm not sure why you're having trouble with custom tools with the HSM Toolpaths. The problem with the helix entry having $$$$ sounds like a problem with the custom tool. The helix default is a percentage of the tool diameter, so if somehow the tool diameter is zero (I'm not sure how that could happen)or some odd number then the helix parameter whould be incorrect. I've tried a few things here but I wasn't able to find any problems. The problem with the depth of cut changing sound like the tool was re-selected from the tool list. The depth of cut defaul is 10% of the tool diameter, so if you changed the depth of cut and then reselect a tool the depth of cut would be changed. This is something that we're going to be changing in the near future. Once the tool is brought in and the defaults are loaded, then they should never change unless its by the user. Reselecting the tool shouldn't change your settings, like it does now. If you'd like send me your mcx file with the custom tool, I'll see if I can't find whats going wrong.

The default feedrate for the HST - Min distance setting (under the linking parameters) comes from the machine defination. Go into the Machine def and go into the "Edit general Machining parameters" and set the max feedrate (under the "op. feed rate limits/axis motion" tab) then the default should come through the next time you do a HST toolpath. The reasoning is that each machine is going to have a different max feedrate. So instead of having one setting that needs changing each time a different machine is used, its pulled from the machine that its being programmed for. The "Rapid Retract" setting isn't going to output rapid moves if the "output feedmove" is checked on the "linking tab". The rapid moves will be converted to feed moves using the default feedrate that is pulled from the machine def.

The default feedrate for the HST - Min distance setting (under the linking parameters) comes from the machine defination. Go into the Machine def and go into the "Edit general Machining parameters" and set the max feedrate (under the "op. feed rate limits/axis motion" tab) then the default should come through the next time you do a HST toolpath. The reasoning is that each machine is going to have a different max feedrate. So instead of having one setting that needs changing each time a different machine is used, its pulled from the machine that its being programmed for.

David, I'm not sure what is going on with your file. I did a quick test with MR2 and I didn't have a problem copying the operation over or finding the STL file. Is it possible that the Rest Rough toolpath was done with an earlier version of MR2? So when you did your Rest Rough operation, it opened the operation that was done with the earlier version and marked it dirty? I'm not sure why the operation is having trouble finding the STL file. Can you send me your MCX file and the Stl file?

I hate to say it but at the present time the Hsm waterline doesn't allow to have less material on the floor than the walls. I've talked to one of the programmers and this looks like something that can be addressed and hopefully get it implemented. As far as trying to get negative stock on the walls we can lie to Mastercam and give a smaller dia cutter which sould do the trick. Or have a negative stock on both the floor and the wall and raise the cutter .001 at the machine.

I'm not sure that this will work all of the time but if you can bring your file back into AutoCad, use the "explode" function. You may need to do it a couple of times but this may allow you to bring in the proxy entities into Mastercam.

Nils I don't think that the "holder dia" setting has worked for a while. The holder seems to come in at size. If you modiy the holder.mcx file in the Mill/tools folder then the holder should come in at the size that it was drawn at.

The toolholder geometry comes from a file called toolholder in the McamxMilltools folder. If you modify that file the change will show up in verify and backplot.

Jeff, I've played around with a few things trying to reproduce your problem but I'm not able to find any thing. Is this something that you reproduce at your end? If it is send me your file and I'll give it a try. Mark B

In version 9 there wasn't a way to "select all splines" with Modify/Break/by error, each spline needed to be picked. There is a Modify/break/Splines to arcs but if the spline didn't lie within the construction plane then the spline won't be converted. X unfortunitly works the same way. So there isn't a "takes a little longer once a month" scenario happening here. I'll see about putting in a request to be able to select multiple splines.

There is a bug with the current release where negative stock to leave is being ignored with the Horizontal Toolpath. Its working with the MR2 build. Mark Baker

There is a change that has happened for MR2 and HST Scallop. We've put in an "Expand inside to out" option that I'm guessing will solve the problem. Dave if you'd like you can send me the file and I'll see if it does what your looking for. Mark B

Yes, there was a bug with custom tools that has been logged and fixed for MR2. Mark B