I don't think that I'm hitting any buttons on the mouse. I'll look into if it is capable of creating what I'm seeing.

This one is killing me.... First, I'm using a spaceball 4000FLX for viewing. 99% of the time it makes my job alot easier. However [comma] every so often I will look up and notice that my WCS is skewed out to some oddball angle that I never defined AND when I turn off all WCS settings it doesn't go away. So here's where I'm at: WCS is off. I change to (what is supposed to be )my top view and I see a skewed out WCS and the viewport XYZ doesn't match the WCS. In short, by this time I've looked at everything I can think of to explain what I'm seeing. NOW, CHECK THIS OUT: I say 'screw it'. I save it as-is. I exit MasterCAM. I re-start MasterCAM. I read in the same file. There is always some bit of geometry that NOW is moved from where it should be and its kicked out at some wackoid compound angle. This last time it was 16 circles all of the same color and layer. The WCS and views behave like they're supposed to. Now I'm faced with having to do some things. 1)Swear repeatedly. 2)Figure out the angle(s) that I need to rotate the circles thru and then move back into place. or 3)Redraw the friggin things. 4)Swear some more. Someone please tell me there is something that I can do other than "Dude, just save your work every ten seconds and when you see it happen again, just go back to the last save". AAAAAHHHhHH! Thanks...I'm a little better now. Still like some help though. MF

Are you running DirectX version 8 or 9?

Always done it. I'm beginning to suspect the Video card. Nvidia FX 5200.

...it gets real shakey and unresponsive when I'm zoomed in. It happens alot more when I'm dealing with a dimensionally large model. Or, with a small model, if there is so much as a point sitting way out some where in space it just chokes. I get the same thing with the driver that is on the FTP site here or with the latest from 3Dconnexion. Anybody having the same problems or use another 3D device that works like it's supposed to?? Thanks!!! MF

Great. So.....does that mean I need draw the endmill inside the holder (which means I have to draw a whole lot of holders with different size endmills with differrent LOC's and clearances etc) or is there some where that I can tell MasterCAM look for the cutter and then another place to look for the holder???? Thanks again for the help. MF

Does that mean I have to draw the cutter AND the holder in the same custome tool file? MF PS: Thanks for the help..

I would like to define a whole bunch of custom holders to see in backplot and verify. As far as I can tell MasterCAM only lets you use the holder.mc9 file to display holder geometry. Isn't there some way to display different holders for different tools without changing the geometry in the holder.mc9 file every time? MF

You guys rock! Thanks! Still have to work out some things: I like the results of just switching the ret_on_indx : 1 Y6.9044 X-5.0336 Y8.5 G00 Z7. (MSG, FACE TOP NET B270) X10. Y6.9397 Z2. B270. H3 Z.1 G01 Z-.2399 ...but I'm going to need to force a Z20. to replace the Z7. retract height. And I need to get rid of the Z2. on the index line (think I might be able to tackle that one). MF

First...hope we all had good weekends. I think I've been bitten by the time change gremlins myself. Things just seem to be a bit off if you know what I mean. Ok. My post issue is that the spindle and coolant shuts off when the spindle retracts only at B rotations. Heres a bit of the code: Y6.9044 X-5.0336 Y8.5 G00 Z7. M05 Z20. M09 G00 G90 X10. Y6.9397 B270. S10000 M03 H3 Z2. M08 (MSG, FACE TOP NET B270) X10. Y6.9397 Z2. Z.1 G01 Z-.2399 X8. Y8.2757 I need to get rid of the M05, M09, M03, & M08 codes and I can't see how to without affecting the retracts at the toolchange. BTW I'm using a modified MPmaster.pst Any input is very appreciated. MF

Hi James, Thanks for the quick response. The email is: [email protected] My contact info is: Rich Kristoferson JL Manufacturing Inc. 425-355-3330 [email protected] ...thanks again!! MF

Working out bugs in a post here. Many thanks to Stephen Biehl for his outstanding advice!! I now need to tweak the W output on my drill cycles. The problem lies with needing to get the W to output on every hole position (only when I use the W) a not output at all when I dont use it (just use the R plane value). I started with the mpmaster post but ended up pasting in the Drill section of the MPA950 post so the W section looks like this: #W drill position if cuttype = one, initht_a = initht + (rotdia / two)) else, initht_a = initht initht_i = initht - refht if cuttype = three, initht_a = w #if absinc = zero, initht_a, !initht_i #else, initht_i, !initht_a #'W' is ALWAYS considered to be an INCREMENTAL distance from the #'R' plane regardless of the Absolute/Incremental (G90/G91) setting! # Per CINC docs (pg 8-2, 8-6, 8-11) initht_a, !initht_i # Output the 'W' word My code looks like this: (in this case I wouldn't want the W to be there at all since it equals the R value). G81 X1.2914 Y4.0804 Z-.2 R2.1 W2.1 F30. X1.475 Y2.5 X3.2809 Y4.2849 X3.475 Y2.5 X5.475 X7.475 X7.6691 Y.7151 X9.475 Y2.5 X9.6586 Y.9196 G80 Much thanks in advance for any input!! MF

Many thanks Stephen. And BTW, I'm sure the resellers here in Washington are as helpful as they can be and they seem to be a nice bunch of guys. My appologies if I sounded a bit critical of the support we get from them.

Greets to all. I'm in the process of tweaking the mpmaster to make my Cincinatti operators happy. I think I'm about done but I need to do one more thing. I need to get the feed output to display in 4places after the decimal for rigid tapping. ex: G84 X-1.625 Y3.2269 Z-.675 R11.05 W12. S200 M03 K.0625 Right now I only get a K.06 Much thanks in advance for any input!! MF

Many thanks Stephen! Wish I could get this kind of response from my Mastercam reseller! MF

....For drill cycles in a Cininatti Accramatic control. I'm starting with the mpmaster from this site. So far I've had good results getting some different Accramatic stuff to work out (MSG, in the comments, H's instead of G54's etc..). What I need to do now is get the drill cycle Z values to be incremental from the R plane. Those of you who have dealt with Accra's know what I'm talking about. I'll eventually need to get the W's and J's in the drill cycles to work but right now I REALLY need to figure this Z thing out. Many thanks for all input!! MF

I should have been a bit more precise. I want to do is open Mastercam and already have a whole bunch of layers Named, numbered, and colors set. ie: Layer 1: Part Wire color Layer 2: Part solid color Layer 3: Stock color Layer 4: ..... . . . . Layer 10: Op1 WCS Color Layer 11: Op1 jaws Layer 12... . . . . Layer 20: Op2 wcs color Layer 21: Op2 Jaws Layer 22: . . . . Layer 110: Op1 sketch Layer 120: Op2 sketch . . . I don't see how to do this with Attributes_EA Manager. Thanks again for any ideas!! MF

I could have sworn I read something about this somewhere but now can't find the topic anywhere. I want to have default layers and colors set when I start a new part. Anyone doing this? Thanks!! MF

Bushing length is 4.24".

Greets to all. Anyone ever had to do this. I hear'd that it's touchy and the easiest time to scrap these parts. What I have is a 4.24dia OD 4.0dia ID bushing that sets split into halves [along the c/l axis] with a .04" gap max. I'll be using a HSS .032" saw on a 1" arbor. I'd appreciate any wise words I can get. Much thanks, MF

....we're talking about Vericut right? Not Metacut utils. ?? MF

Hey Millman....thanks for the reply! I can't find the blue bar you mentioned. Where exactly is that sucker? MF

I'm a bit dissatisfied with the jagged looking parts that Mastercam's Verfiy displays. Even with the slider bar all the way over to quality, the representation doesn't touch the smooth look that the guy next to me using vericut gets. Is there a way to tighten up the STL triangles or something else that I'm missing to get a better model? Much thanks for any input. MF

The stuff is not in my reference book. Does anyone have experience milling this stuff and would be willing to share their experiences?? I need to know ball park SFM for a HSS-co rougher end mill. The stuff seems soft but with the Nickle in it I'm a bit fraid it's gonna be some tough cuttin. Thanks for any input. MF

One of our programmers is trying to figure out how to hold thickness on a .060" aluminum floor (actually a web) of multiple pocket's that are about 6" square without doing the vacuum fixture thing. He's come up with 1)light compression springs under the web. 2)squashed aluminum foil (sounds crazy but it might just work). 3)A rubber like epoxy or bondo. I was going to suggest bubble gum but I haven't got this guy quite figured out in the sense of humor dept yet. Any fixture fanatics have a favorite way to deal with this kind of thing? Many thanks for any input. MF