Forgive me folks since I don't have a clue as to what I am doing. Carry on folks.

hey kunfused, if g143 engages TCP. It will/can take the place of g43 even when the tool is vertical B0 C0. With TCP normally what happens (mathematically) is the engagement of tcp shifts the z axis offset down by the pivot length, then the pivot point is positioned as a calculation of pivot length + tool length.

With some of the stuff I've been working on lately I would need a calendar instead of a stop watch.

I run TCP and use both length & diameter comp (wear) but never with surface tool paths. Give me an example when and how you would use comp with multiaxis surface machining. The option is there in the tool path parameters in mcam. The machine has no ideal what a surface looks like, how could it possibly comp for a different ball diameter?

I've been using this tool path a long time and have always turned comp to off. I've never had any problem producing the results I wanted but I got questioned as to what you would use it for. So what do you use it for, I don't have a clue.

Running X4 MU2

I am unable to nest to tool center. Settings revert back to tool diameter? Has anyone saw this or am I missing something.

No

Indicate your spindle. Is it truly vertical at A0 C0? A 10" piece of drill rod in a collet, jog z +/- to see if the spindle is vertical. If so turn A to 90 and see if c is parallel to Y. Also check A for parallel to Y. There is much to be said about 5-Axis alignment, there are the mechanics, the home position, and the servo tuning. Also make sure that values for A&C are always on zero in your orgin table (fixture offsets). When using TCP you can not comp A&C with Orgins.

Have you indicated the alignment? If you are positive of your programming, I would start troubleshooting by taking some measurement of the spindle alignment with an indicator.

For every A&C axis tool position there is another solution. For example A90 C90 is the same a A-90 C-90. If teh two paths were ran with C solutions 180 degrees apart this could indicate that the zero positions of the axis need adjustment. Have you bumped or crashed the head?

Is the roughing and finishing done with the same tool? Is the C axis solution the same for both paths?

Anybody here close to Bennington that could train and work with a company helping them get up to speed in Mastercam 5-Axis? No contract programming, need inhouse consulting.

We in the cnc router world are having reall good luck with these. http://www.techspex.com/amtda/resource-cen...hunk/TRIBOS.htm Not sure how good it will work for you heavy metal guys. But they claim the trueness and holding power to be right up there with shrink fit holders.

On some machines I have delt with in the past, the feed gets applied to the axis with the greatest move. In other words it would switch from in/min for linear axis to deg/min for rotary axis if the rotary axis move was greater than the linear move. Could it be that you need to use inverse time feedrates on this part?

Thanks Eric.

How do you turn this off permant? I can't find it in machine or control def?

It writes numeric variables to the user variables?

What is G31 used for on Fanuc?

Create a helix around your model with the helix height being your step-over amount for surfacing. Do a curve 5-axis using this helix as the curve, use your surfaces as tip control, and vector the tool to a center point inside the helix (as Crazy-Millman suggested). Use axis limits to lock any axis on any angle you choose.

Thnks I figured it out.

I am trying to convert router machine def files to mill def files. I dropped back and tried to convert a v9 router post to a x2 mill post. I now get error. File does not exist. C:mcamxconfigmill(read only).mmd I have not modified or deleted any files in this directory from the default install.

Customer has milling machines an a CR Onsrud router. He wants to use Mill to program both. I am just trying to save some time and give him a mill def/cntrl/post for our router. What would you do if you had a customer with Mastercam Router who just purchased a Hass, but wanted to use Mastercam Router to program it with instead of mill. Would it not be nice to have a mill to router converter and vice versa. I like X2 but tying the post/md/cd to the version of software sucks. I would like to be able to select a mill from router. We all know that there is very little differance between router and mill.

Bob, So what is the shortcut?

Trevor, You have mail. Also thanks for the help.