That works. We had them for 3 specific threads that couldn't easily be measured by other methods.

They're not cheap, but they worked well for the jobs we needed them for. Like $300-600 for a 1/4-20, depending on whether you want standard or "hi-resolution"

I've been multiple places that say multiple different things. In my opinion, a fastener, with the both ends faced off so they are perpindicular to the axis is the most accurate method. We had a customer that was VERY specific and particular about their thread depths. To measure those we used Leitech gages, which use the same principle, albeit, more precisely.

Whenever I open up a file created by another MC user, it changes any new geometry or solids I create to their color scheme. Is there any way to keep my own colors, as opposed to the colors of the user who initially created the file?

interesting, I don't think I've seen either of those first 2. Where would something like an Okuma Multus fall? Would that be Head/Table?

Interesting, I've always used G10 to write offsets and have never known about this. I wonder how many times I've banged my head against the wall when this was the problem.

I'm sure it's just terminology I'm not familiar with, but what is the difference between these types of machines? I've seen those terms referenced here a few times, but I'm not sure what is meant by it.

Wow, you guys have been posting here for TWENTY years?? That's pretty crazy.

I'm a pretty novice solidworks user. I can do what I need, and that's about it, but I have a good friend who is a pretty smart mech. engineer who has always told me "DO NOT use top down methods" He says it will just get me in trouble. I'm sure it has it's place. But he uses all day everyday, so I usually take his advice when it's modeling related, and he listens to mine when it's manufacturing related. We have a semiconductor customer who almost never uses symmetrical tolerances. Everything is unilateral, and it's always way more time consuming than it needs to be!

So I've never heard of JM Performance (We use lyndex and big kaiser pull studs in our Matsuura and Yasda) and until I googled, I assumed JM was your initials, and they were pull studs you made!!

I'm sorry, I don't have any input on your process, but I'd like to know more about the magnet workholding!!! What type of magnets are you using that hold well enough for machining??

I actually tried using the large wireframe rectangles you see as the containment boundary, which are well outside of the part, but the key seemed to be in just telling it to skip the pockets smaller than _____. There is a very shallow rectangle shaped pocket that it was trying to cut first. I will check out that video this evening. Thank you!

I've tried changing nearly every setting, and boundary I can think of, and no matter what I do, Optirough wants to ramp down into the part. I've moved on, and started creating my own dynamic toolpaths instead, but what gives?

I have a bad habit of jumping back and forth, seeing something I want to change from earlier in my program, etc. Then I'll go back, and forget to change my planes. This helped me to make sure I was working in the correct planes.

I never saw the value of view sheets, because I never had a problem positioning the model with my 3D mouse. Then I learned about bookmarks, and how the viewsheet also changes planes, levels, etc. Game changer.