This is likely a syntax error... The M91 is in the wrong place. Did you add this line in the post? or did you create it at the control? The M91 is generally the last item in the line. J

If you want to see different positions on your heidenhain, do this; When you are in "program run" mode (auto...) press the MOD hard key on the control. You will see "Position Display 1" and "Position Display 2"...You can cursor over them and press the GOTO key and a list will show up. Choose the REF selection and this will show you the Machine absolute encoder position. Use that value in your M91 line! J

I know what is going on here. Your operator is showing you the very, very safe way to use a heidenhain. The "Block Scan" feature is scanning the entire program, executing the blocks in the PLC, then restoring the machine to the exact position it was in prior to the block you selected. This is why the machine picks up the previous tool... because that is the exact state the machine would be in if you got there naturally. If you want to avoid this behaviour, you need to select a block after the tool you are using. You can safely block scan to any line on a heidenhain. Pick your first XY line after the TOOLCALL. Alternately, if you know what you are doing, you can simply use the GOTO button instead of the "Block scan" function. This method will NOT scan the file. It will simply start where ever you ask it to. J

Now I've REALLY upset them!

Looks like I've upset the fanbois... Sorry I ever mentioned that Mastercam may in some way be flawed! Long live Mast3rcam! My most humble apologies.

I know. I can do it too, but it's all time. I just never expected that a CAM software in the year 2018 wouldn't have this ultra-basic feature. It's tough to update a post at the same time you're training the staff how to run the new machine! I'll get it all done, I just expected it to be much easier than this! J

I will be doing this. For sure. But, it all comes down to time. I'll get my posts updated for the "next job"... But I need this absolutely right now. You know how it is in this industry!

That's not easy... It's disastrous if you forget. It's a total catastrophe waiting to happen. The software needs a radio button to specify that a particular tool is "Manual only", then whenever you select it, the post processor will complete the tool change safely, based on that value. Anything else is a hack job. It's clear. The answer is that I need to develop a post to do this safely. Thanks, J

Not really.... You need to empty the spindle of the current tool, Call the "manual tool/empty pocket" into the spindle, go to a fixed tool change location and then M00, Do the work.... Return to fixed position and M00, Then carry on. Mastercam doesn't even have the facilities to add a M00 AFTER an operation(BUT before the toolchange!!!!)... I just can't believe it. J

Seriously.... Does mastercam not support a manual tool change out of the box? Do I have to do all the coding by hand to get this to work? Do I need to use a precious misc. value, and develop a post to support this? I know mastercam is bad, but is it really this bad??!?? J

UPDATE: After some more testing, it would seem that "step-up" helps a lot. It looks to me, that optirough uses a very strict "constant Z level" approach to slicing the model, and if a flat doesn't just magically land on one of these slices, it completely ignores it. Not very "opti" if you ask me... Allowing "step up" lets the system go "up" and re-cut those faces. Problem solved(-ish). J

This is what I ended up doing, but it's a band-aid at best. Set stock to zero and use limits to stop where I want. You end up with 10 operations instead of 1 because you need a "cut depth limit" for each critical depth; then another OP to continue deeper. Terribly messy. Oh... also 1 stock model per OP or you cut miles of air too...! I've solved the problem with workarounds, but I'm so sick of working around; I just want the software to work. Colin, I cannot share files. You just need to cut any flat surface on any model and it will ignore the flats. My testing file leaves .080" on all the flats. The catch is....It only behaves this way if you choose to leave stock on your model. If you put the stock to zero, it cuts everything just fine. if you add .001" it will completely ignore flats, and leave ALL the stock on the part. J

So... Why does Opti rough always seem to mess up flat surfaces? Whenever I use it, it leaves 1 stepdown worth of stock on flat faces, totally ignoring the stock defined for floors and walls? What gives? There is no option like "critical depths" or "machine flats". nothing. Other than "get better software", are there any options to solve this basic, basic, function? J

Heidenhain datums are conceptually the same as fanuc. Except where you would say "G54", you simply say "Datum 1". Using the preset table, you can have hundreds of datums defined, datum 1, 2, 3,.....99. you simple call the datum (using cycle 247) and that's it. The preset table allows you to name them with plain English text as well so you can easily identify. Alternately, in manual mode, you can just enter the datum management screen, choose a value from the table, and press activate. The tables are all just text files and can be saved to you network quite easily. They live in the TNC root directory. J

Use "M140 MB MAX" to send the tool home. It moves the tool home in the tool axis, to the limit. You can also use M140 with a distance, but in this case "MAX" tells it to go as far as it can. And as previously mentioned, M91 is the "machine reference" code. J

Are you selecting every single surface? Make sure you pick everything, and not just the walls. have you played with the "cut depths" button? it's possible you may have excluded the part by incorrect cut depth limits. J

Sounds like override inhibit. M65 disables the manual feed n' speed knobs on the control. M66 allows operator control again. It can be used to prevent operators from deliberately slowing things down. Is there any chance your physical feed override knob is broken? or permanently set to "Zero"? A feed knob fixed at zero would certainly prevent you from moving! J

This would happen to me constantly when I was using X9. And I mean constantly.... Over and over and over. Take a look at the Event Logger when you open a file. You may see some errors listed. I was never able to solve it; like most things in Mastercam, you just learn to live with it. J

I have a Sodick wire as well, and like you, we are in the learning phase. 3-5MΩ/cm or higher is what Sodick recommends. The consequence of poor water condition is a less focused discharge resulting in longer cycletimes( and rusty parts). As far as speeds go, I'm cutting 5" thick steel with great flushing and only getting about 0.030 IPM feed rate. I'm finding it's very difficult to find any good sources of information on the EDM process! Good Luck! J

This was it. The second station had the wrong language selected. Easy fix. Thanks all, J

I'm using 2018 and I'm having an issue with 2 of my seats behaving differently... One seat will never, ever show the correct "drill parameter text" in the operations. I am under the impression that this info is stored with the control definition? yes? no? text files have long since been abolished, right? Here's what happens; My seat of Mastercam works just fine, that is, when I make a drilling cycle, I see all the correct cycles and get all the correct parameters. I copy all 4 required files (Post.pst, post.psb, machine.mcam-mmd, machine.mcam-control) to the second seat, open a session, and BLAMO... all the drilling cycles are gone. Everything wiped out. What gives? What am I missing? Why can't I see the cycles on the second machine? J

You may want to consider thread rolling. It may be a custom tool for the length you need, but you'll get a perfect thread everytime and you can make rolls in any thread configuration you like. J

BLUM Lasers are pretty amazing. Crazy accurate tool measuring and equally good broken tool sensing. I have a few "pop up" style and a few that live completely open, covered in coolant, and both of them work great.

I always use a 2mm ballnose endmill spinning at 10000-12000 rpms. Aluminim, steel, tool steel... always 10000 rpm. The results are absolutely fantastic and the cutter will last for a million years (give or take...) J

That's it.... But there is a catch. The "base" manager must already be docked, and that was my issue. I float all my windows and I was trying to re-tab onto a floating window. Like your video shows, after docking the window I was easily able to merge the windows I wanted to. Thanks. J