I have the "post processor" manual (sept. 97) and have read through it and I'll have to admit I don't understand it completely. My post is custom derived from AB8601.pst and I have done 75% of the mods my self. There are a few things I would like it to do and would like to understand how and why instead of just sending it out, getting it back, posting and looking at 64000 lines of code. Anyone here a self-proclaimed post guru? Someone beyond PSOF and PEOF. Jim Jim

I don't know of any situation in multi-passes that you couldn't cancel comp (I'm assuming you mean "in the controller") as long as you turned it back on before the next pass which should allready be happening automatically. Could you explain deeper your specific concern? Jim

What file format does LT output in? 'Cause if it's .dWG Mastercam has an exellent translator direct for .dwg. It's 100 bucks but well worth it. If it used to work and now doesn't, please zip and e-mail me with the dxf and I'll see if there is anything wrong with it. I can quickly tell you if it is your LT or your MC that is misfiring. Jim

I like my dealer and have never had a problem.We all have each others e-mail address and no one can ever stop you from complaining to each other. Negativity of any kind is bad, but I don't think anyone really wanted to hurt MASTERCAM in any way. Even if you hate the mail man, I bet you still read the mail.

They call me an engineer, but I have no degree. I prefer no titles, no cards. I'm part owner and run the engineering and programming dept. I help out with manufacturing and machine repair when it's a wierd problem. I'll even sweep the floor and empty the garbage occasionally. What would you call me? How about Jim. Jim

I use custom tools also. How did you get the picture to appear in the window above? I create custom form tools and verify wipeouts by backplotting- I never use verify. I did try a couple of my tools in verify and the tool looked right, but I couldn't quite tell what was going on on the piece. Yours looks allot like my "full bull" which backplots and verifys ok. I'd show you the picture but I don't quite know how. I might be able to help, but I don't know what we are doing differently. Mine seems to work. Jim

Sounds like the "Yugo" of rapid prototyping, for sure,tell your bosses I'll give them $102.00. Since this has been declared the "non mastercam question" section, is anyone making money on these small "desktop" mills or lathes? Seems like a wide open market. Jim

I started on v3.2 on a centroid controller. I've seen this and that version kicking around but stayed away for fear of the copyright thing. Moved to mill55, skipped right over 6 and bought 7 the day it came out. Associativy rules and was something I dreamed of even while I was watching a strip of paper with holes in it pass by optical sensors that made a bridgeport go X Y. That's how old I am. Anyway, I upgrade legally every time a new version comes out. I think out of all the most useable for my situation was 7.1, by 7.2 the tool library came ub alphabetically instead of by tool number and screwed up some of my routines. 8.1.1 is not as useable to me as 8.0, which posts out (custom post, started with ab8601.pst and evolved) differently than 7.x which requires editing before running. Who is the custom post guru on this forum? Jim

Mopar- I be lookin for a desk top. Is it up for grabbs? Back to the subject- I buy HP deskJet 895cse's. I'm on my third in 4 years. They are so cheap, immediate replacement doesn't become an issue. 3 people use it daily, and we go through a reem every two days. Ink is always on sale. Accounting just had to have a pair of laser jets- at the end of 20 years I will have a brand new printer and have spent as much as accounting spent on their laser jets which I'm sure won't work by then. Works for me. Jim

I don't see any michiganders admitting their wage.... I think it scales rather highly in the southeast section of the state. The economy seems to dictate the availibility of the jobs but anyone who can think on their own and program a little can nab 60k without a problem. Good help is extremely appreciated in that region. Here in Petoskey it is a little more difficult to find help. Anyone up here that knows V8.1.1?

Rob- Thank you, that worked fine. It does take a few more steps to complete than before- the way I was doing it it would add any series of chains I selected to all the operations then create one extra operation which I would have to delete. In 8.1 it does ask you if you want to create the extra op so you can "just say no", then sets stock to leave at zero. Now I will select the first series of chains and simply copy them to the other ops unless anyone knows of a way to add chains to all ops at once. Thanks again- Jim

Patch in place. A neat little "8.1.1" in the upper left corner. Still sets all my "X Y stock to leave" to zero. Any other suggestions? Jim

I noticed a difference in the way V8 handles the op library versus V8.1. Most of the work our shop does is 2d contouring using multiple form tools. I used to have all the tools in a particular form sequence stored as a huge operation sometimes including 9 tool changes. After upgrading from 8 to 8.1 and scrapping a 4000 dollar part I noticed that chaining a line and selecting one of my familiar operations results in all the "X Y stock to leave" fields returning to zero. This took away what I considered the most useful aspect of MC for my particular situation. Is there any way of making it retain the XY stock to leave info in the original sequences as 7.0 thru 8.0 did? Please help- I don't want to "downgrade" but as it stands programming takes allot longer. Jim