Good Call JParis I updated the video card driver and the problem seems to have been solved. yea, It was driving me crazy, never though of video card driver. by the way the video card is Nvidia GTX680 and I just upgraded to driver (21.21.13.7892) date 3-16-17 thanks to all for the help Alex

I don't think so. What is Verisurf ?

I think its a bug because when I hold shift and middle mouse button to rotate part nothing happens just the part will rotate as I move the mouse. But when Analyze Distance after picking first point then holding shift and center button on mouse then gnomon pops up. gnomon cancels Analyze Distance, I need to rotate part sometimes when using Analyze Distance anyone else have this happen. I am using 2017 mu3. alt f9 does nothing to solve this problem

I am getting the gnomon constantly popping up when trying to do measure distance. I pick the first point then hold shift and mouse center button to rotate solid for second point and gnomon pops up. It’s really annoying. Is there a way to turn off the gnomon or change its hot keys. Thanks Alex

I am new to stock model and want to use the stock model when machining a part in our Horizontal on B0 & B90 faces. I guess that I can only make a stock model on one index at a time so if a tool machines on B0 then rotates to B90 I first make a stock model from B0 then use that stock model and do the B90 cut. I make the part solids, tombstone, stock in SoildWorks and import the assembly into Mastercam so I can pick the stock and part for compare from the imported solids. My WCS is center of pallet at the Base and G54 B0 and G55 B90 is on the part as it should be. But Stock Model just is not working, I am not sure how the stock plane needs to be set up in stock model. Thanks AlexC

I was brought into this shop to help get their Makino A51nx line up and running. They mostly have Mazaks so use Mazak control to program, so they got FeatureCam thinking it is fast and automatic (yea right). It’s very different than Mastercam that I have been using for the last 15 Years. After using FeatureCam for the last 3 months I really miss Mastercam. I will never grumble about Mastercam again…. LOL

KME Pallet and part Layout.stp

I have a solid of tombstone from KME that I put a sample part on ready for our A51nx Makino that I will upload. The Makino is wired to a control box that wireless controls the 4 chucks on the tombstone, so M code chuck number and angel is sent from Makino program to control box then the control box sends movement info to chuck. Its good program practice to position next chuck while machining current chuck like staging next tool. I will keep posting as I work out the details, this Tombstone wasn’t cheap almost the cost of a whole machine. The management is anxious to see it working.

Thanks jlw for your Thoughts and input I agree that it’s going to take some post work. I can use text input statements to manually index chucks but there must be a better way. I have seen posts here that some have used mcad to program KME tombstone. I don’t have Mastercam now to play with, but if I can see how it’s done may be able to talk the management into springing for it and dumping our current system. The code is (M##) C1 thru C4 (for Chuck) (angle) that’s it.

The KME tombstone has 4 rotary chucks mounted 2 on B0 and 2 on B180 that you can index 360 degrees by wireless M code commands from inside the program. So on B90 you can index each one Independently Wirelessly to all 4 sides of a part and do the top on B0 thus machining 5 sides of a part in one holding. The other chucks are so you can machine 4 parts on the tombstone. I am guessing that you would use Axis Control/Rotate Axis around X in Mastercam to index the part. Just not sure the best method to program and simulate in Mastercam. We are putting the KME in our Makino A51nx Horizontal line.

Our company has just gotten a KME tombstone with two 5th axis rotary’s chucks on B0 and B180 ( 4 total). I have used Mastercam in the past but this Shop doesn’t use Mastercam and our current programming system will not support the KME tombstone, this may be my opportunity to get Mastercam in our shop (yea). Has anyone used Mastercam to Program the KME tombstone and how do you use Mastercam , Can you use post a complete program. I use Solidworks to Build complete pallet model and would bring it into Mastercam, will verify show the parts being machined properly. I truly miss using Mastercam

Thanks for the responses, We have been programming the probe using manual input statements in Mastercam for picking up offsets and checking if part is loaded or clamps in proper position. This kind of probe programming takes time and is error prone since its all hand done. Just looking for software to help streamline process.

We use probes a lot in our programs for horizontal machines and I am curious if anyone uses any probe add-ons for Mastercam to make the programming easier . Thanks Alex

Thanks CJep for info on linking sim to Mastercam web site. didn't get that it needed to be done for access to forum, I am now in. Also I change the look to top menu thru applock to 5. much easer to see .

Thanks for all your reply's. its nice to see all the good humor here. I tried to get into the above link into the Mastercam forum but I must have a premium membership thru my reseller. that counts me out if it costs anything my employer won't got for that. lets hope X9 will address some of these issues.