quote: i would not want to run 5ax either with out verification but my boss will never go for it "If you need a piece of equipment and do not buy it, you will eventually pay for it and still not have it" I saw this quote attributed to Henry Ford. You should post this on your computer and on your new machine.

I am out on a limb here, but.... It goes something like this. In your design library, make a copy of the standard you want to use and name it something like "ANSI Standard-WSU". I don't think the SW issued standards are editable. Then you can go in and configure the standard to your liking, add new holes, threads, etc. Likely the most help I can give you is get your VAR to hold your hand through the process. My recollection is once you get in the rhythm, it isn't too bad, but it is hard to stumble your way through the process.

We used to edit the Access database directly, until we were strongly advised not to. There is a way to do what you want to do, you will have to give me a bit to remember what it is. Be aware that if you edit the database directly, it will likely cause problems downstream.

Without confirming this (I am not at my MC computer right now), create a curve from your sketch (insert.. curve... composite..- select sketch(es)). If you use parasolids to do your importing, I believe you will get the curve as wireframe.

Found the setting in 2d core mill, still looking for it in blend.

It sure looks like MC is calculating depth at the end of the radius and not the end of the tool for 2d HSTs, or the two I have checked (blend mill and core roughing), and I can't find a place to change this. If you use the tool for other operations, you can't change the offset in the control, so backplot and verify will be hosed if have both in the program. Is there a place to fix this? This can't be desired behaviour. On a related note, I can't figure out how to get the tool to retract when making depth cuts in blend mill, it just feeds to the next depth. Also, I worked around this by duplicating the operation, and when I did that, it moved the cuts to z=0 when set to incremental, and the chains are not at z=0. I worked around this by entering the absolute value, in spite of it being set to incremental. I don't think any of this is right, what am I doing wrong? If this is the way it is supposed to work, what is the logic behind it?

Hmm, well, while I was working on this file, I was also fiddling with the MD to see if the problem was there. File now has no toolpaths in it, zip. I am thinking my kids will still be excited to see me tonight and the dog will be wagging his tail. Fortunately, maybe, I saved an earlier version of the file, but it looks like it was a serious POS at that time.

Justin- It is a post I got from my reseller that I have tweaked a bit, I am pretty sure it was developed from MPMaster. Nick- I am pretty sure I tried all combinations I could think of, and the checkbox still doesn't stick and work offsets are not generated in a way I understand. For instance- the first operation is to take material off the front, so I get the G54 A-90 that I want with T plane = Front. The next bit is to take material off the top, so I get G55 A0, with T plane = Top. later, I take material off the back (had to create the view, since MC isn't set up for a rotary on a vertical by default), and I get G54 A90 (???). I am baffled by this, all three ops have the same WCS, the display relative to WCS doesn't stick for any of them, and I am getting different outputs. Incidentally, MC just crashed and I am almost certain I hadn't saved since getting it to come out, so I get to try this again. Hopefully, it goes quicker this time.

For those of you who have made this switch, has it noticeably improved Mastercam behavior? I have been on XP64 for a while and generally been happy with it, but I am finding it is hard to find 'knowledgeable' people to say much nice about it. I am wondering how much of Mastercam's crankiness is due to OS, how much to my installation, and how much is just part of the MC experience.

I fumbled around and clicked enough buttons and got the output I wanted. I ended up with -edit selected operations- renumber work offsets- I set initial and increment to 0, and renumber any offsets already assigned. Somewhere along the way, I manually set all the offsets to 0 in the view page. I still don't know why the 'display relative to wcs' checkbox doesn't stick. I really wish I knew what I was doing. Things like this kill a lot of time.

So, my understanding is the way to use 1 work offset and just get A moves is to use 1 wcs, different toolplanes will invoke the angular moves, and checking the 'display relative to WCS' checkbox will keep everything at G54. So I check the checkbox, close the parameters dialog, reopen the paramaters dialog, and the checkbox is unchecked. When I post, I (naturally, I think) get a new work offset with every angular move. What the heck am I doing wrong?

Others may laugh, but I have found that a coating of PAM or similar cooking spray applied to the toolholders helps enormously...

Experience gained is proportional to equipment destroyed. I am not being helpful, just throwing that out there.

I was thinking EDM or laser, I was hoping someone could recommend a shop that could do it and tell me what is possible. I am going to get some circuit board drills and give that a shot to the limit on length.

I am working on a design that will have .2mm dia hole in various depths, up to 10mm (we are aware that we may be dreaming). Think of a series of nozzles, and you get the idea. I can probably handle up to 2mm deep, but will need help beyond that. If anyone has a direction to point me where I can get this done, I would appreciate it. TIA

I just downloaded the new driver and played with it for 30 seconds. Completely sick. Not only does it automatically select the center to rotate around, it gives a little icon showing where the center of rotation is. Also, to continue on our previous tangent, in SW, go to the 3D control pulldown, select properties, and select "Part movement on select" under Assembly. This auto selects 'sub part movement' anytime you select a component that is not fully constrained.

Matt H IF the part is sufficiently unconstrained, there already exists a 'toggle sub-part movement' that does what I think you are asking. I think it is pretty demanding on the hardware, though, and doesn't work as smoothly as I would like. Even though I have that mapped to a button, I don't use it that often. Also, I am talking about inside Solidworks, I would guess that this functionality is not available inside Mastercam.

So, I was doing something like resetting a drilling depth, and when I went to select the new depth, MC switched to the other monitor and covered up the point selection box (I think) and is unresponsive now. There is a yellow 'select point' left on the original monitor, The ops manager has shrunk to the 'x' box, although if I select the edges, the entire outline becomes visible but doesn't come back. Does anybody know how to pull the point selection dialog box back to the front, or otherwise handle this situation, because it looks like I am going to have to 'end process' otherwise and lose a bunch of work. After returning from Solidworks World and seeing some other packages, I am questioning why I tolerate this kind of graphical crankiness.

I will likely be there. Don't know which day, yet.

Public thanks to Josh and Jesse for helping me get pointed in the right direction and giving me some tips. The part (done in SW) is initially a loft between two pentagon profiles, with end conditions set as "normal to profile", and the connector ball things moved to give it the twist. The pockets were a bit more work, although there may be a simpler way that I don't know about. I reworked it a bit to add some interest, here it is in it's current form:

OK, I finally got my 4th axis up and running, and I am trying to teach myself to use the multiaxis toolpaths. I have successfully used the swarf and drill 5x, but am now trying to figure out how to do the pocket on this part. I have been trying to use Multisurface, but can't seem to get it to behave the way I think it should, and not like some of the example files. This is just a mythical part I drew for the purposes of learning, the centers of the pentagons do not line up (on purpose). Any help appreciated. I can't access the FTP here at work, but can email it.

Well, this is the job I am working on right now, Nylon 6/6, about 1.5" tall. I am planning on profiling with a 1/2" 2fl hss end mill, 1" flute length. This is leaving .01 on the walls, should I just cut to 0? Haas MiniMill, 6000 rpm max. I have never cut faster than 150 ipm, some of the numbers I see being talked about are frightening, frankly, but also exciting. These two parts are being cut out of a single block, I am going to do them in Delrin as well. I was going to use Peel Mill on the slots between the wells.

-Semi hijack alert- Seeing this is making me motivated to upgrade to X4. Seeing this also makes me think that maybe I should be approaching simple contours differently. I usually use 50% stepover, 50% depth until I get to the final contour. Should I consider going up to full flute length, reduced stepover, increased feed?.... I just opened up the 2D HS toolpaths, it looks like some of the strategies are there. Another problem I have found is what are the correct parameters for loops and such, it looks like there is some good info in this thread. Would those be good starting numbers?

Well, it is working this morning. It hasn't worked in months. FM. Hopefully, it keeps working.

That should read "level names in different columns". There isn't that much to do to a .csv that I know of. I work at Vertex Pharmaceuticals, like in the siggy. Hopefully, jumping up to X4 will fix this. I just need to get my dance card cleared. On a tangent, I found that you can window select stuff, do "analyze entities", and it will highlight an individual entity and tell you what level it is on, along with a button that will allow you to name (or rename) the level, or change the color, etc. The dialog includes buttons to scroll through the selected items. Hopefully, I am not the last to learn this.