I use mastercam communication utility

there is a cool old c-hook that i got an updated copy of called csinkpt.dll. if you have a point that represents the center of the hole diameter you just run the c-hook which prompts you for the location(the point) the angle and the diameter, and it creates the point at the depth you drill to. If you want a copy just e-mail me.

I could send you a sample file of a completely organic part that is typical of what I've been doing with curve 5ax lately. just e-mail me.

How come when you add a finishing pass to a pocket the code doesn't contain the g43d(tool number)? Is it me? Am I missing something? I've always had to go in and add the comp in the code...What am I missing?

I've used apt/ncl and others to create 5-axis code. I also used to use mastercam and a c-hook to convert nci to apt. NOW, I use a post written by a third party to write CLEAN 5axis toopaths completely in mastercam. It ROCKS!!! I wouldn't want to do it any other way. P.S. A special thanks to Brad and the guys at CNC Automation for their wonderful post and support. I couldn't and wouldn't have my job if it wasn't for them. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! 'WE'RE NOT WORTHY!!!!!'

there is a c-hook called c-sink that calculates a point given the diameter and the angle. if you use that and an incremental drill depth then you could drill all the points with one operation.

I agree with the rhino option. It will make one surface out of what you would expect to be a bunch of surfaces. Use it daily and love it as a companion to Mastercam. It even runs my Micro-Scribe.

DON"T DO IT!!!!!! Dear God by all thats Holy talk him out of it.....

I don't know what changed but before when I read in a iges file I'd made the entities on different levels would come in with their repective colors correct just like I made them in Rhino. Recently all entites are read in and the colors change to the "current" color. Anybody have an idea what happened and how to set it back? Muchos Gracias!!

I had a similar instance once where i couldn't see the entities. Turns out they were drawn the same color as the background. I also encountered a bug in version 7.2.c where during the creation of a curve 5axis toolpath the current color would switch to black.

MASTER member goes along with the "Master"-Cam theme

Hey I need to do the exact opposite...add a metric tap to my english tools

actually it looks like everybodies post count is frozen. if so this will be my 35th post...my 35th post...my 35th post...

James and Jays post count is stuck at 977 and 999. Did they create a bug buy breaking a 1000 (heh,heh)

Zeiss

Yeah I get solids...Solid castings of someones leg!!! Heh-Heh!! As far as data goes I get Pro-E surface and wire files from engineering when writting code for parts for the machine shop. However, I've inhierited (sp?) a bunch of castings that we've been thermoforming over and they've been hand trimming parts for the last three years. Enter me, a Microscribe run with RHINO, a 5 axis thermwood(12 years old ) the greatest and only cam package I'll EVER use...MASTERCAM , and an awesome post from CNC Automation,(Thanx Brad )and we're now making parts in a total process time of under 5 mins down from 20. I couldn't do the voodoo that I do without my trusty tools.

I've looked at router and wouldn't give up on it yet considering your company. Work with your reseller. I'm POSITIVE he'll clear up all your issues asap.

I would think that a reseller would want to be known as a reseller

Quote"I have been fixing prints and cad files all week." Precisely why a clear concise intent and a standardization for "prints" is still necessary today.

I believe its lazy and unacceptable. It shows that the designer/engineer 1) either doesn't care enough about their own work to make their drawings clear, 2)doesn't have a comprehensive grasp of drafting "STANDARDS", 3)they're also generally the kind of designers/engineers who don't even bother to check if their tolerances stack-up and when you try to explain their mistake to them they get an attitude and tell you "make the part like I designed it. I know what I'm doing. I'm the degreed engineer." and then can't understand why assembly can't press fit the parts together. Or better yet why two differrent types of plastic bonded together and baked don't have the same thermal co-efficiency and one side shrinks more than the other and fractures the laminate. I don't really mean to rant but nothing frustrates me more than crappy designs both under and over-engineered. Unnecessarily tight tolerances and in adequate or unclear dimensioning TWEAK me off. On the other hand theres nothing like a KISS design with clear drafting and dimensioning to make a job pleasant to cad/cam.

I agree with Charles. Haas mini-mill all the way. A friend has one in his garage and is running a successful side business with it. Luckily for me he also contracts out his code to me so I benefit as well.

I used to have a haas and would routinely use a 3" face mill in 6061. From your description and past experience I feel that you are indeed at the limits of your machine capabilities. Two factors to consider are your horsepower and of the spindle is belt driven or is it the geared high torque head. We had the belt driven model with only 8 Hp. I usually ran my 4 flute 3" face mill at .08 depth of cut 28 ipm and 3600 rpm, which at a .002 chipload gave a beautiful finish.

I concur with most who have replied. An engraving tool single flute d-bit style tool with a sharp angle usually works best. INHO. I usually stone the tip to get the desired diameter.

They used to play those commercials in the Seattle area last spring. It was also around the time of the local tool show and my reseller was like "people just come in outta nowhere and buy a seat"...I guess his sales skyrocketed for a little while there.

I believe Cimtech the Washington state reseller has written a post for quintax and its xxxxor control. You can e-mail them at [email protected]