@Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc. Toolpath data is NOT stored in the ge3. The ONLY way he's got any toolpath data is if he's got the NCI file. There [i]may[/i] be a link from the ge3 to NCI but that's a developer question IMHO. There was no integration of toolpath and Mastercam file until V7. HTH

Theoretically G68.2 should work as long as the parameters are set correctly for the type of machine.

I use the method Ron Branch showed me. Make a stock model of the selected paths and let it generate. Tighterntolerances are better. Activate a new empty level and set as main level. In the ops manager right click on your stock model and create a mesh. It will save that mesh to your main level. Go into the stock model op for stock, select the new mesh. Deselect all the toolpaths associated to it. Regen. Create the next stock op, the previous mesh will be your current stock model, select toolpaths to machine that stock model. Let it generate. Rinse. Repeat as often as necessary.

Any arguments required on G2201? What's in #921?

AND machine capabilities as well as programmer skills.

Because the right tool for any given job is usually the simplest one. There's ALWAYS a price to be paid for making machine porn. Sometimes it's cycle time, sometimes it's orders of magnitude more complex tool path strategies, sometimes it's a combination of the two, and other times it's a half-dozen other things. Just because you can do things certain ways doesn't mean it's the most effective, or that it's the way you should do it.

I left Farcebook in October 2020... or maybe it was October 2018. I don't recall. Anyway, I didn't make any announcements to anyone I just quietly closed the profile and allowed it to delete after I think 30 days or something. Never looked back. For me personally, it outlived it's usefulness, and I need fewer time sucks in my day not more.

Free fiss.

You mean like this; And this?

That's the only place I've seen 'em too best I can recall... CMM's. Driving a dot matrix printer that's older than my two youngest kids too (1998 and 2004) ... FTMFW...

That thing is a relic. Prolly ought to put it in a museum.

I think I've only seen two computers with a parallel port in the last 10 years best I can recall. And they were add-on cards, not part of the motherboard AND they were in QC attached to ancient CMM's. Arrrrrrrrrrrr...........

Mastercam V8 feedback...

Yeah, stop "moving" your geometry, do like @Colin Gilchrist says and just create a new WCS plane however you want it oriented. Oh, and use Viewsheets. Easy Peasy. I stopped moving parts years ago. Wherever they are in CAD space is where they stay. Then when/if Rev. changes come it's no big deal to pull in the new part and compare models. JM2CFWIW

I just pulled in a few PDF's with no issues also.

There are two ways; 1)Send me the following files from your machine; SYS-CONF.TXT System Configuration Data CNCIDNUM.TXT CNC ID Information (Options, functions, etc…) CNC-PARA.TXT Parameters (axis configuration, center of rotation parameters, etc…) With these files I can tell all the options your machine has and what your available G-Codes are. 2. Press the Offset/Settings hard-key, right arrow soft-key and look for FACT-OFS (or somethign remotely similar) "Standard" is not easily defined. Each machine tool builder adds a specific suite of functions that they make "standard" for their machines. For Example, a Matsuura 5-Axis machine purchased within the last 10 years or so has the following g-codes as "standard"; G00, G01, G02, G03 G04 G04.1 G05, G05.1, G05.4, G08 (covered by G131) G09 G10 G10.8 G11 G17, G18, G19 G20, G21 G27, G28, G28.2, G29, G30, G30.2 G31 G38 G39 G40, G41, G42 G41.2, G41.3, G41.6, G42.2, G42.6 G43 G43.4, G43.5. G43.8, G43.9 G44 G49 G52 G53 G53.1, G53.6 G54-G59, G54.1P1-G54.1P300 G54.4P1-G54.4P7 G61 G63 G64 G65, G66, G66.1, G67 G68.2, G68.3, G68.4 G69 G73, G74, G76, G80, G81, G82, G83, G84, G85, G86, G87, G88, G89 G90, G91 G92 G93, G94, G95 G98, G99 With some additional hardware like 1GB Dataserver and a few other items. That is a "standard" configuration. [rant]A number of our competitors do not make this a standard, in fact they hide it and whan the customer goes to use their machine they find out the hard way (i.e. a a hefty quote from FANUC), then the competitor has the audacity to blame FANUC and the customer that doesn't know any better also blames FANUC and then FANUC gets the bad rap meanwhile the Machine Builder/Dealer comes out smelling like a rose in the deception. All so they could beat another company on price and the customer was not educated enough to compare apples to apples.[/rant]

Depending on how the machine was set up the actual machine positions for center of rotation and top of pallet could be #19700, #19701, and #19702 in a FANUC 30i/31i Series Control. To access them by MACRO variable is pretty simple; #900=PRM[19700] #901=PRM[19701] #902=PRM[19702] X, Y, and Z could then be in MACRO variables #900-#902. They will be in mm units so you'll have to convert them if you need inch units. You could do it like this; #900=[PRM[19700]/25.4] #901=[PRM[19701]/25.4] #902=[PRM[19702]/25.4] or like this; #900=PRM[19700] #901=PRM[19701] #902=PRM[19702] #900=[#900/25.4] #901=[#901/25.4] #902=[#902/25.4] Lots of options.

That will depend on your machine's control and your post processor. On a FANUC your cycle is as follows; When the cycle runs you start the spindle at RPM, position (XY) the tool above the hole (G98 initial position), command the G87, then the spindle stops, orients, shifts(Q) moves to R, shifts back to center, starts the spindle, feeds to Z, Dwells (P if commanded), rapids back to R, spindle stops, orients, shifts(Q), moves back to initial position, restarts the spindle. Repeat at next position if desired. HTH

@?Mark I need a favor... I'm working on some stuff with a customer and CAMplete for their NMV 5000 DCG and it's just not as easy pull out as the customer or I would hope. Do you by chance happen to have a procedure that you can part with to get the following information out of the machine? SYS-CONF.TXT System Configuration Data CNCIDNUM.TXT CNC ID Information (Options, functions, etc…) CNC-PARA.TXT Parameters (axis configuration, center of rotation parameters, etc…) Or.... anyone else that knows I'd be grateful.

In multi-axis cutting there's usually a minimum of 3 things in play BEFORE you even get to running a part on the machine; 1)Surface/Solid/Wireframe creation tolerance 2)Cut Tolerance 3)Point Spacing In my experience (mostly FANUC), both 1 and 3 individually have a bigger influence on finished part quality than 2 does. Tightening 2 and doing nothing with 1 does nothing but hold you closer to what is already bad. HTH

There are two ways to handle S/F with tools. From Tool and from Material. You specify this in the Job Setup. There is far more granularity there. You set up your base/general data in the tool then in material you can do more, by operation type and condition. I don't use material much because generally what I do... it would not help my efficiency. Give it a look. It may help you.

I just took a scroll through the whole topic... some good stuff in here. Some really good stuff from Tim Markoski (RIP brother...). I captured some of his stuff a number of years back. I wasn't able to get it all. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/kh7kswuqtgdtxv6/AACbR17-y0hbbUV0a0CbrOnka?dl=0 Using the wayback machine some stuff may still be able to be accessed. https://web.archive.org/web/20130611010812/http://www.mtbtech.net/blog.html

#100=1. WHILE[#100LE60.] DO1 (DO THE THINGS) #100= [#100+1.] END 1

In "engineer's" favorite corner radii... 1/8 and 1/4... metric tools are your friend. 6mm and 12mm respectively.