I'll try it soon. Got Haas tech's here, I'm watching what they're doing.

I've used that before but if I'm thinking right that still doubles the program size or I have to post it twice which is what I'm trying to get away from. What I'm thinking of is a kind of subprogram. Run this routine at G54 then at G55 kind of thing.

How do I run the same program on two similar parts at different locations on the same machine table?

I know I can copy the ops from the G54 location, change those to G55 and post it all together. I also know there is a way to post it so the ops run at both locations without doubling the size that the copied ops will generate. I've just never had to do this before.

Could you be a lot more specific? A search of %TEMP% had 420 results. A search of .exe files had 4,800 results none of which were created or modified today. Yes I ran the simulation and did not close it before searching.

Thanks guys. I will try some of these suggestions.

We want to be able to show an entire part run like what I see in verify starting with the stock through to the complete part, as a .avi or .Mp4 file so we don't need Mastercam loaded to show it. Is this something I can do with Mastercam or Windows or do I need to install something like FRAPS for this?

Thanks FROZEN, that worked.

I have a pocket i'm machining in three places rotated every 120° about the origin. I have the first pocket and it posts fine. I do a transform toolpath operation, rotate the toolpath 120° around the origin. The backplot and verify look good but when I post it I get (error-select machine achievable toolplane) on the second and third pocket and the posted code has A0. A120. & A-120 moves. What am I doing wrong?

I am administrator on my PC. I've been working on this part file off & on for a couple of days now. It's gotten so it takes a couple of minutes to backplot a simple point to point toolpath so I decided to save the file, then restart MCX7 to see if that helps. Then I get this "Permission denied" error as shown in the attached screen capture. How does that happen & how do I fix it?

Does the setting shown affect only verify/backplot or does it change the output of the .nc code?

I am working with our reseller to get a decent working post for our Haas VR-8. It's a head-head 5 ax machine. I was testing the post using a program with peck drilling on a vector but staying above the actual part. In a 3 axis machine your peck is a rapid out and back in then drill at feedrate. But I noticed on vector holes that there was dog legging on the retract and return to next peck which would be devastating if actually cutting metal. The post developer set up the machine and control defs he wanted me to use so I didn't even notice these settings.

We are a research shop so we seldom see more than 5 of the same part. The versitility of a single point tool is more valuable to us than a tool that will only cut a 12 TPI thread. Gcode your link looks like womething we can use too. Thanks guys.

Thanks specv, that is what I was looking for.

If we have a single point it can make many different threads per inch. A multi thread tool for this leaves us only making 12 TPI holes.

I have to thread several 4"-12 X 4.5" deep holes. I plan on using the thread mill operation but haven't had any luck finding a single point thread mill cutter. Does anyone know where I can find one?

We like our TL-3. I'm not all that happy about the post we have for it but machine works fine. I'd like to change some things on the tailstock but we don't use it very often.

I had a recent job with 53 drilled and taped holes all at different vectors and heights. So I would have to write 106 seperate programs. Using the feature based drilling program I can write those 106 programs in under a minute. But it has a steep learning curve. All tool setting boxes need to be filled in and some will have numbers you wouldn't think will work. Once you've figuered it out there is no quicker way to do lots of 5 axis holes.

Iv'e had this same problem for years. We import from Catia mostly and convert to .stp. The facets occur in opposite quadrants I haven't yet found a way to get the facets out.

No, I'm not using turbo mode and yes, turbo only works in top WCS.

I am machining an airfoil like part on 5 axis machine. I have a parrallel tool path for both sides leaving .005 on drive surfaces. Then in verify I have tool and cut tolerance set to .001 and choose the solid I'm cutting as my stock so with .005 per side left the part should not be touched in verify. So why is over half of my part showing that it's being cut?

We have a Haas VR8 that has been very slow between operations on different vectors. The post is set up so that in 5 axis mode (G 143) rapid moves between ops are output as G01 moves so we don't have the "dog leg" moves you get from all axises moving directly to their next position thus taking a path that wasn't in the backplot. The moves I have been getting after posting are G01 with F0.5, the next might be F0.7 etc. The feed rate for the ops themselves is F7.0. I can't figure out where these very slow feed rate numbers are coming from.

I just learned to use FBD with a tutorial that my MC dealer sent to me. Theres stuff in there I had to find out for my self but the tutorial told me enough to use it. I had 53 holes, all multi axis on different vectors. I didn't want to write 159 seperate programs for C'drill, drill, & tap and with FBD I didn't have to.

Thanks Colin, I will. I've been reading the documentation and I understand about co-axial holes. Same hole, different tool. Ctr drill, drill, tap on same vector. I am having trouble getting it all sellected but I hope the tutorial will help.

I got it to create a drilled hole pattern to all the holes. Now if I can get it to write the center drill and tap routine too. I guess thats asking alot but the documentation page says I should be able to do it.

Right now Verisurf and writing 159 programs is what I'm doing and looking for a better way. Looks like I was on the right path with FBM drill. I was getting 3 windows of errors but I'm down to 1 now. Gcode where is a tutorial on FBM drill?

I have a left & right hand part with 53 tapped holes, all are 10-32, same thread depth but no 2 have the same vector or hole start Z height. I've not used FBM drill before but this seems it might be the way to go vs. 53 seperate drill and tap operations,twice. Is this true or am I looking at getting carpal tunnel on my mouse hand/wrist. If so where can I find a tutorial.