Cam Disciple Yep, have a program in MC when I run the script. I'm currently trying another approach. You wrote a bit of code a couple of months ago that lists the operation number and operation name to Word. I'm working on a variation of that that hopefully will do what I want. John

heres a slightly different version of the same thing. code: Dim i,maxopcount Dim toolcount ' -- Start Script Call Main() ' //////////////////// ' Sub Declaration ' //////////////////// Sub Main() toolcount=0 maxopcount=GetOperationCount("") 'ShowString"tool 1, "&GetToolComment(1)&", "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolDiameter(1)&" diameter, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolFluteLength(1)&" flute length, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolLength(1)&" overall length" For i=1 To maxopcount If GetToolNumber(i)>toolcount Then ShowString"tool "&GetToolNumber(i)&", "&GetToolComment(i)&", "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolDiameter(i)&" diameter, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolFluteLength(i)&" flute length, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolLength(i)&" overall length" toolcount=toolcount+1 End If Next ' -- Add code here... End Sub This merely goes to the mastercam screen then back to the MC VBS editor. huh. John

Seeing my message in print, I think I might see why my program is messed up...I should be using getfirstoperationid and getnextoperationid. Yes? Got a cold thats making me tired...can't think clearly! John

I finally got around to teaching myself some VBS in MC. In fooling around with things, I came up with this short bit of code: code: Dim i,maxopcount Dim toolcount ' -- Start Script Call Main() ' //////////////////// ' Sub Declaration ' //////////////////// Sub Main() toolcount=0 maxopcount=GetOperationCount("") 'ShowString"tool 1, "&GetToolComment(1)&", "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolDiameter(1)&" diameter, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolFluteLength(1)&" flute length, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolLength(1)&" overall length" For i=1 To maxopcount If i>toolcount Then ShowString"tool "&GetToolNumber(i)&", "&GetToolComment(i)&", "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolDiameter(i)&" diameter, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolFluteLength(i)&" flute length, "&Chr(13)&Chr(10)&GetToolLength(i)&" overall length" toolcount=toolcount+1 End If Next ' -- Add code here... End Sub what I was trying to do here, is get a listing of the tools by going through the operations, and getting the tool information when the operation number is larger than the toolcount (which starts at zero), then putting the information on screen. Unfortunately, MC chokes on this code and "detects an error" and closes. An earlier version of this would go through the tool list, then MC would crash after going through the list. Don't have that code anymore though (that commented out showstring was part of it). So, any ideas, or is the coding logic I'm using wrong? John

Millman, We have a broader mix of 2D/3D than you do, so we change that option as needed. John

If you look on the first page of your toolpath parameters, there is a button with check box called "misc values" (I think...its kind of automatic for me now, don't really READ what some of these things say anymore). If that is checked (on), click on the button and look on the left column of choices. There is a line that says something about G9/G8, with a value of 0 for G9, and 1 for G8. Change this as necessary, and it should set that as needed in the post. You have to set that for each toolpath. For 2D stuff, we leave it off, 3D has it on. G8 is needed for smooth surfaces. If you use nurb splines instead of arcs in a 2D surface, you can try G8 there also, but I'd replace that spline with a arc if possible. John

I often wish I could afford to have mastercam on my home PC, instead of at work. There's so much about mastercam I don't know, like various tool paths and programming, scripting, etc. I have more time at home to work on these, but I can't cause I don't have mastercam. ah well. John

Further experimentation proved that something, somewhere, is just too screwed up. I started the programming from scratch. Weird things are happening when I try to fix the original program. Thanks John

Rat, We can't figure out which surface it is. Anyway, a small update. Changed the tool in the surface rough pocket from a 3/4" to a 1/2", and it works fine?? The restmills (1/4" cutter) now work fine also. Might have to just start from scratch. Oh yeah, MC mill, v9.1 sp2 John

Here's the situation. I programmed this mold with 3 cavities, no problems. Engineer comes out with a revision (narrower) that requires total reprogram. What I did was just import the new geo into the existing program, delete the old geo, and make new toolpaths. The problem is when I regenerate the toolpaths, it always hangs up (locks up, no response) on "surface 769/1133 slice 1/23", whether its surface-rough-pocket, or restmill. The surface rough pocket is for the whole mold. the restmill is 3 segments, one for each cavity. No matter which segment, its always the same surface and slice. I don't think there should even be that many surfaces when doing the restmills. The model checks out good in MC. No idea which is surface 769. This is on 4 different PC's. Any ideas? John

This topic, when it started, sparked my curiousity about what DID happen to Ray Rayner, but I only just got around to checking today. Turns out Ray Rayner passed away Jan. 21st of this year. A google search will turn up a lot of stuff.

Yep, the script editor ran on ALL the PC's in the CAM lab, then the one computer I tried to upgrade did not after I installed the upgrade. I'm at home now (4 day workweek, oh yeah!), so I'll do your suggestion monday. Wish I had mastecam at home! John

How old is that video anyway? I'd have to say from the 80's or early 90's at best. John

Mick, On the computer I tried to install the upgrade, neither file is present. However the script editor was there before I tried the upgrade, as I used it just before trying the upgrade. On the other PC's, the installed date for both is september 18, 2003. John

I used the dec03vb.zip file from the mastercam support page. I'm starting to finally have time to study VBscript, and I'd really like to play with some of the newer functions and stuff! John

Version 9.1, SP2 John

How do I go about installing the VB script upgrade? The guy "in charge" of mastercam software here at work said to "go ahead" and install it. I d/l the zip file, unzipped it, ran setup that came with it (it didn't reallly seem to do anything, but it did), and unzipped the .dll files into the chooks directory. Now I get a error messages when I try to use "add-ins" from mastercam then the vbscript editor, says it could not find "mcamvb.dll" (I think) in the chook directory. This file isn't in any of the other PC's either, so it must be a upgrade thing? What am I doin wrong? John [ 01-28-2004, 10:19 PM: Message edited by: John T. ]

If you think McAfee slows your sytem down, try Norton!!

Bozo was from chicago, they filmed from WGN studios. Ray Rayner (Ray Rayner show) was same. Its a little wierd, I was just thinking about thise old shows recently, esp. Ray Rayner. I'd wondered what happened after the show ended. John

That setupsheet was written for/with version 9.1 SP2. Its definitely not perfect, as less than 10 tools will put the tool list across the whole page, instead of one column. I haven't worked on it for a long time, looking for the time to learn vbscript and do it that way, now that the new VBScript C-hook is out. Joh

I understand the Haas machines have pretty small tables. Our average Fadal table is 40x20, and we need them that size. Unless they (haas) have come out with bigger ones now?

just to be clear, the high feedrates I'm talking about are for roughing passes. we leave about .02 for semi-finish (leave .005) then finish. When it comes to cavities, you wanna get rid of the unwanted material fast. There is a group here at work looking into a hi speed machine, but I don't know whats going on with it.

This topic came up at our weekly shop meeting. One is improving overall efficency (feed rates mostly) in cutting aluminum molds. We are using Fadal machines, tops about 10K rpm. Right now, we are using hi-helix carbides as our main rougher, and some guys aren't using them right (slow ipm, about 80-100ipm). I've been running about 120, and its been suggested trying 180-200ipm with cutter lengths up to 2.5", and experimenting with higher feeds with longer cutters. We used to use mini-cuts, but have since switched to 99% hi-helix. the speed/feed tables from the cutter manufacturers are too conservative. Another material is syntac,which we use for plugs. This came up because of a deep mold and the plug it needed. Syntac is not friendly to HSS, and long carbide cutters (in this case, the cutter was a HSS 6", 5 degree ball end mill. A carbide would have been very expensive). It was brought up that trying inserted cutters might help, if they can replace the tapered bem's where we use them in 3D toolpaths. We'd also like to look at 0 degree endmills equally long for roughing. Any thoughts, ideas, or experience out there? John

We've pretty much replaced using mini-cuts with high helix carbide cutters in Aluminum. Shallower cut depths, but way faster cutting and smoother faces. Most users here are kind of conservative, running a 3/4" dia hi-helix at about 120"/minute at 8500 rpm for roughing passes, then about 80-100ipm for "finish"passes. I'm willing to run them 150ipm at 8500rpm myself. We don't have any high speed machines now, but are looking into it.

It would interesting if you mentioned if those wages included an apprenticeship or not. I did a career change, started in the CNC business at 30, going to tech college for a technical degree in machine tooling. I've been with my current employer 3.5 years, and only just now am getting $15 an hour, and might get 18 in one year. No apprenticeship. Everyone in the shop does mastercam. This is in southern WI. A good 3bdrm home would cost around $200K. Last year, they were running 150-175K. John