I'm pretty sure the letters are created using some type of spline, and that may be the reason I can't do anything with them. "splines are not defined past their endpoints" What does this mean and how does it effect what I'm doing? "also put c-plane in 2d when trimming" Is this the same as "top" view? Where do I find screen-statistics? how will I be able to tell if they are on the same Z level?

The letters are true type. Comic sans to be exact. They are not drafting letters.

I am in the middle of drawing something containing letters. I started in V8.1, and then I finally opened the file up in X2 thinking it would make a difference. When I try to modify the geometry that is associated with a letter and mix it with geometry that I have created, the two will not mix. For instance if I draw a line across a line of one of the existing lines from a letter, the line won't trim. I am drawing a small necklace charm and I created letters to go inside of a heart that say "#1 Mom. I drew the heart "free hand" so to speak, and I am trying to merge the lines together so that I can burn the piece in a wire machine. No luck Why won't my geometry jive with the geometry from the letters???

I usually just edit the program. But if you have a very complex (Cam created) program, I can understand wanting the post to do it. I have used reference epoints also.

1. Not sure what you are talking about here except for maybe actually defining the path or chain by clicking on the end where I want it to start??? When I do this, I do see the whole contour highlight, and the end has the little simbol it puts on it to designate the end of the chain. When I get through with the menus and ok's I see the last line of the contour unhighlight - and thats when I get the error message. 2 and 3. Not sure exactly where these are, but the only menu I see that relates possibly is the one that says lead in/out - the menu that pops up after you have chained your contour. In there Lead in and out are both checked to line only, and the overlap is set at 0. For more info, the version I was trying to use was X2. I tried it in 8 and it worked fine. I just used the post off of the V8 geometry.

I am trying to chain an open contour, just like I have many times before. When I chain it and hit ok, for everything, I get an error message right at the last moment. it says: "lead-out not successful, check cut position" What the??? I tried adding a small radius and another line going another direction on the end of the contour, but it still says the same thing. What am I missing?

What causes the little tail at the end of an open contour? I have a line, say 3 inches long, and when I chain it I get a small kickout either left or right about .4" long. What controls this; is it some sort of exit move or something that can be changed? Thanks Running MCAM X2 wire edm

inch is 0.00001 metric is .0001. my email is [email protected]. Send me an email there and I will reply back with the files.

we have (2) classic 2's. The NC tolerance in the control definition is what I think may be the problem. I don't know how to change it though. MCX doesn't give me a problem most of the time, but sometimes it will give me the error message on really complex contours with a lot of radiuses in them. Like I said, I turn around and post it out of MC8 and it takes the contour fine. Those two programs above are for the same contour, but as you can see the one from MC8 is a little less accurate. I am running Wire level 2 also.

I still can't see anything. I have to use a proxy server to even be able to access anything, and I can't see half of the things that people see on the normal internet. I will just post the two programs here. This one was created using mastercam 8: N0100 G70 ; N0102 G00 X1.17267 Y1.6905 ; N0104 G90 ; N0106 G01 Y-1.6905 ; N0108 G03 X1.12672 Y-1.72761 J-.047 ; N0110 G02 X.94049 Y-1.878 I-.18623 J.04011 ; N0112 G02 X.75426 Y-1.72761 J.1905 ; N0114 G03 X.70831 Y-1.6905 I-.04595 J-.00989 ; N0116 G01 X-.12733 Y-.05132 ; N0118 G02 X-.14097 Y.00545 I.11136 J.05677 ; N0120 G02 X-.12718 Y.06253 I.125 ; N0122 G01 X.70831 Y1.6905 ; N0124 G03 X.75426 Y1.72761 J.047 ; N0126 G02 X.94049 Y1.878 I.18623 J-.04011 ; N0128 G02 X1.12672 Y1.72761 J-.1905 ; N0130 G03 X1.17267 Y1.6905 I.04595 J.00989 ; N0132 M02 ; ------------------------------------------ This one was created using Mastercam X: N0100 G70 ; N0110 G00 X1.17267 Y1.69019 ; N0120 G90 ; N0130 G01 Y-1.69019 ; N0140 G01 X1.1673 Y-1.69081 ; N0150 G03 X1.12674 Y-1.72753 I.00537 J-.04669 ; N0160 G02 X.94049 Y-1.878 I-.18625 J.04003 ; N0170 G02 X.75426 Y-1.72761 J.1905 ; N0180 G03 X.71166 Y-1.69062 I-.04595 J-.00989 ; N0190 G01 X.70825 Y-1.69038 ; N0200 G01 X-.12733 Y-.05132 ; N0210 G02 X-.14097 Y.00545 I.11136 J.05677 ; N0220 G02 X-.12718 Y.06253 I.125 ; N0230 G01 X.70825 Y1.69038 ; N0240 G01 X.71165 Y1.69062 ; N0250 G03 X.75424 Y1.72754 I-.00334 J.04688 ; N0260 G02 X.94049 Y1.87801 I.18625 J-.04004 ; N0270 G02 X1.12672 Y1.72761 J-.19051 ; N0280 G03 X1.1673 Y1.69081 I.04595 J.00989 ; N0290 G01 X1.17267 Y1.69019 ; N0300 M02 ; ---------------------- notice the difference in the preciseness of the decimal places. I think that is where the problem is. It will read a program posted from 8, but not X - which appears to be more precise. How do i change the settings to make it where it does not post so precise?

I can't see your email adress Sheffer CNC.

I cannot upload anything from here at work. our internet access blocks things like that.

We just recently installed MCX where I work and we had been running MC8 up until then. We use MC to post code for AGIE wire machines, and I have been having some trouble out of the code that MCX produces (or MCX's post processor). Sometimes when I post code from MCX, my wire macine won't take it. It will give me an error message - something like "unable to calculate beyond statement 04875". I will go back and post from the same file in MC8 and the machine will take the code it produces. I got to thinking about it and I came to the conclusion that there were two different programs being produced by the different post processors, and I was right. MCX's program appears to be a little more precise, and the wire machine just doesn't like it. I am not sure if it is a setting in MCX itself or the post processor. I have the same program, both as text files, and I would appreciate it if someone could take a look at them for me and tell me what I need to change on the MCX side. I can send them to youyr email. Thanks.

I work in a tool and die shop and I regularly run a 3 axis vertical CNC mill. We cut alot of tool steels (D2, A2, S7, 01) and whe are having trouble finding a good cutter. An HSS rougher of the highest quality and coating will last, but eventually fail. Carbide face mill cutters do pretty good, but they take forever. I have been given the opportunity to grab some tools, and I want to get the best couple of ones for the job. Right now I am cutting a 1 inch deep depth of cut with a 1" DIA cutter and taking the full with of the cutter. I know a carbide rougher would work well, but what kind? A indexible endmill would be cool, you know the kind with the inserts running up and down the flutes. I am just not sure what would be the best cutter to get. If you have more questions feel free to post them, and I will try to get them answered. Thanks.

You replied to my old topic with the same answer about a year ago it seems like lol. How do I get to where you are talking about? What is the ftp site?

I had this problem in the past and searched for the last post I had about this, and the responses were simply "open the .GE3 in Version 8. I have version 8.1, and I tried opening it but it is telling me to run the .MC8 file converter. It seems like last time it was opening the GE3's for me, but it isn't doing it now. Where can I get the application that converts the entire directory to an MC8 or MC9?? Thanks

It turned out to be a gunked up planetary gear in the back on the pulloff roller servo. It was so corroded and gunked up that the motor was just throwing an alarm. I took it out and rebuilt the planetary, ceaned it up and greased it and got it back together. Its running right now but there is a lot of slack in the planetary. Maybe it will get us by until we get the new one. $1980...Supplier doesn't have it in stock, has to come from switzerland or italy or wherever. Thanks for the help guys.

We just havent had any luck getting any help with these machines. We use X2 to program them and create tool paths for them. Its just that when the meachines themselves mess up, we dont know who to turn to get help. The night shift guy that was here last night cut them off because of a storm that came through last night and went I brought them up this morning I cant get one of them to run. it is giving me the error message "action requested cannot be performed because of the tripping of a safety device". Problem is I have no idea where the safety devices are...lol I am trying to find them.

We have 2 AGIE classic machines in my place of employment and I am the main operator. I have never been to school on these machines. I have been running them for about a year, but I only know how to make them do what I was taught. we do pretty good with them until we get and error or something isn't working properly. Everything is foreign language because they are foreign machines (I'm guessing italin) and we have had a lot of trouble getting assistance with them. Does any body know of a website or another forum or anything we could use to get some help from some experienced operators? Thanks.

This was an explanation I got on a post I made here or somewhere else. I can't remember where this came from but here ya go. Just for the record, one of my machines is an old cincinnati, and it has an acramatic control. It uses a "P" instead of an "R" for a radius. It also accepts I, J, and K though. Difference between I, J, and K and R for a radius in a control Your machine has internal resolution limits. This means your control has to round values to fit your command to its nearest values. draw two points. -1.0,0 and .9999,0 put a arc with radius 1.0000 between the two points. Analyze the arc center. If you use R and are near 180 degree your control calculates where a 'center of rotation' is at. Since the machine resolution may be +/- .00004 x 2 x 1.4 (the 1.4 is for rounding error) you will see the control move the center up to +/-.014" from what you (using what YOU KNOW) expect. I've seen the result of this dozens of times. The error doesn't even happen the same on every part if the numbers match up just right. If you use IJK, you are telling the control what to use for the calculation. This forces the control to conform to your idea of where the center of the arc is at - not fit an arc. Yes, you can get away with it most of the time. But you can't get away with it ALL of the time. Just like I can drive my car 100 mph across the Nevada desert and not get a ticket. (Most of the time).

Moderators, I know this isn't the right place to post this particular topic, but I am really in need of some advice and I can't find anywhere else to look. If this is isn't the right place for this question please excuse me. The company I work for recently bought a new ultrasonic cleaner. its a small Crest unit. It has the heat option on it. We are searching for things to add to the tap water to use as a cleaner. I have tried several different things with very undesireable results. We will be using this cleaner to clean wire machine head parts and various other small parts. Most of them are stainless and we do have some carbide and brass parts as well. We use an acid solution diluted in water to clean them most of the time, but we thought we would try this ultrasonic cleaner. I added some of the acid in with the parts in the cleaner, and it will turn them black, especially with heat. I haven't put any valuable parts in yet, just old scrap pieces. If any of you all use these types of cleaners, what do you add to your water to make them clean well? Thanks

How would I do that?

We have some files here at work that are apparently from either the first or second versions of Mastercam, a GE3 file extension. X2 will not open them, but Version 8 will. What we have been doing is opening them in V8, and then DXF'ing them, and then opening the DXF in X2. Is there a reason X2 won't open a GE3?

I tried it, but I get 2 boxes and they say-- THE SELECTED PICTURE CAN CONTAIN PIXEL DATA THAT CANNOT BE CONVERTED! SELECTED FILE COULD NOT BE CONVERTED. CONVERSION PROCESS FAILED. This is really weird, because the way I did it in 9, it seems like it had a options box where you could control the parameters of the conversion. One thing I do like about X though is the fact that you don't have to choose a converter most of the time. As long as X is open, whenever you go and get a file, no matter what extension it is, it seems like it automatically retrieves the right converter for that format. I do it all the time with .dxf's, and I didn't even realize it but it did the same thing with .eps. I just tried to open it and it automatically called the converter. the "files of this type" is just another way to do it.

I'm trying to get X2 to read an eps file. The last time I did this I was in version 9, and I went like this-- FILE CONVERTERS NEXT MENU EPS Can this be done in X2? If so How do I do it?? Thanks