BTW does everyone know that Windows XP sp2 is called NT v5.1????

It sounds like what you really need is v9 where you can transform a transform (rectangular then rotate) In v8 I think your only options are chain ALL 10 pockets in 1 toolpath then rotate it around 3 times, or build each of the three rotations for 1 pocket, toolpath them, then transform rect. it 10 times. The latter will most likely have less code, but your part will be spinning around a lot.

The posts are set up to interpret ALL t-plane changes as rotations of axes. The only ways to get what you want in v8 are to either flip the part over so that the B0 and B180 sides are reversed, or edit the post to add 180 deg to all B values.

V9 has a user definable WCS which can redefine the "top" t-plane thus preserving part orientation but allow a new "B0."

Toolplanes do NOT mirror at all. 5ax or otherwise. The only way to accomplish it is the way you have done it before.

You could try the mirror function in the editnci chook, but I'm not sure that does toolpaths either.

If you use the screen-to Clipboard option, you can only get as high a resolution as your screen is currently set at. If you go into your video settings and crank up the res, your snapshot will be at that res also.

Also, just for further info. If you convert a model with surfaces,surface curves, or splines to a VDA file, then convert it back in, ALL of the entities come in as parametric surfaces/splines.

It really depends on what kind of operation you're talking about. As far as drill cycles, etc., Everything but tapping could be long-hand coded into the post for output (peck drilling or boring with a shift for example). Usually the only other kinds of things available in a control are things like automatic pocketing routines, macros and the like which Mastercam can do just fine. Basically as long as there are codes (M,G,whatever) in the control that can accomplish what you want to do, a post can be written to do it.

Run a contour toolpath on the chain of lines (doesn't matter what size tool) with the compensation off. Turn on the filter and give it a tolerance you can live with. Backplot the path and save the geometry. The arcs aren't tangent, but you usually end up with decent geometry to deal with.

So Elad...Is Voyager on the air over there right now? It ended here a couple of years back (WAY COOL LAST EPISODE).

And for the purist in me ...

NCC-1701 : Original series and Motion pictures 1-3 (with a refit)

-1701A : Motion pictures 4-6

-1701B : Motion picture - Generations

-1701C : Next Generation Episode "Yesterday's Enterprise"

-1701D : Next Generation and Motion Picture - Generations

-1701E : Motion Pictures - First Contact, Insurrection and Nemisis

which started all this...must be the 1701F

Whew! I'm even starting to scare myself.

[ 01-15-2003, 01:29 PM: Message edited by: gstephens ]

Actually Vericut now has a really reasonable package starting at around $4K. They are also working on something NOBODY else is doing...Creating SURFACES from the cut model (G-code) that take into consideration things like smoothing cusps from kellering, etc. WAY COOL!

I've got a USB to serial cable for my laptop. Works bitchin once you figure out how to install serial drivers for a port that doesn't exist yet. $25-$30 or so.

You cannot "reconfigure" the parallel port to act as serial.

Yes. You can only make an assignment (A= on a line by itself. The only things you can do more than one of are output functions and variable update (!,@,etc.) functions. Also, you should remove the commas (,) from the end of the lines. Chances are it will work OK, but your next output line might get scrambled.

Now I'm just waiting for DS9 Season 1.

I don't recall exactly, but the NCC-XXXX is a N??? Construction Contract number and each number refers to a single commission. So anything named Enterprise has to be a NCC-1701-XX (This excludes the NX-01 which was commissioned before the official Starfleet Construction Contracts were issued). Wow! Am I a TOTAL geek or what?

NCC-1701-F?

Any time the "Initial position" Z changes, the .NCI file goes through a new drill cycle (which has to cancel the previous one first). To get around this you have to put in some conditional flags into the pcanceldc and pdrill(ppeck, etc.) cycles to check for new op_id's. If you're not VERY comfortable editing posts, I'd stay away from this one. It's REAL time consuming.

You aren't going to find any single line fonts in True Type format. By definition they have an outline and a fill. Great thing about Mastercam is the ability to create your own font (9.1 has upper and lower case and full ASCII capability now). It's a little time consuming, but well worth it if you do a lot of engraving and don't like the Box or Stick fonts that are included.

Jets?

On another note I'm praying for the Titans to win. I just don't want 40,000+ Raider Fan(s) coming through L.A. on their way to San Diego only to come back through and loot and destroy and stab and shoot and maim and ... because they won or lost.

This is the key phrase.

ATM fonts are by definition NOT True Type fonts. Mastercam ONLY recognizes the True Type ones.

WOW! look what I helped start!

IMO, the biggest problem on the Engineering side comes from getting part files (IGES, .X_T, etc.) that have dimensions like 1.000 +.020/-0 where the part is drawn at 1". Whoever teaches these guys to do this should be taken out and shot. If it's just a print, I need to draw it anyway, but when I get a file and have to redraw it...

Most of us, since the "Engineers" can't be bothered with trivial things like that (or MEAN DIMENSIONS - sorry was that out loud??). You know... the ACTUAL part that they want. Sigh!

Just because it's a block dimension doesn't mean you don't have to draw it. If you're using a 1/2" E/M to cut an internal 1/4" radius, do you draw a sharp corner? (well, sometimes depending on the situation)

I've ALWAYS created EXACTLY what I cut. If the print says 0-.015 edgebreak, I'll draw .005-.0075 radii on all sharp corners. But maybe that's just me. Shall we take a vote?

I actually don't like the auto edge break in lathe for the exact reason that I don't want any software (even Mastercam) deciding on its own to cut off some piece of geometry (e.g., sharp corner) that I've created (Then again I've got trust issues ).

Alot of it comes down to whether you "just need to get the part running on the machine", or if you have the luxury of creating a full model to work with. For the former, use things like grid and bolt circle in drill toolpaths (no geometry), only create the bottom outside boundary and top island boundaries for pocket, and draw only center points for circle mill (minimal geometry). For the latter, design has wonderful tools to create a whole "picture" of your project.

[ 01-09-2003, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: gstephens ]

line:

in pcir, catch the xabs,yabs variables for re-use and set a flag (output_start_again=1). Then in plinout, if flag=1, output the saved variables and reset the flag.

circle:

But anyway...

Easiest way is: while angle>360,angle=angle-360

[email protected]

Your dealer has no (or at least VERY little) say in whether you are a beta tester or not. Chances are slim in getting in unless you are running wire, router, or very intricate mill/turn applications.

You should have 2 completely different postblocks. 1 for mill operations and 1 for lathe operations and they should be called from mtlchg and ltlchg respectively.

Parameters are the second trickiest thing in MP. Make sure you have enough variables defined for the longest version of the specific parameter (same # can have many different meanings). Also you have to keep track of the variables as you may name one for 1 type of tool, but the name doesn't work for a different type.

Confused?

"T" gets you back to "Translate mode" then you can "P"oint select from there.

However there is no way to rotate the rectangle to follow the curvature of the spline if that's what you are trying to accomplish.

I'm sorry...I thought the point was to draw the part correctly.

+1