Best way is to read the WCS tutorial in the FTP site under the "unspecified" folder. Explains everything pretty well.

I use SW to design, I find it much easier than MC solids, I use the solids to manipulate, and generate tool paths in MC once I transfer the file over. Once you use SW for a bit it is very fast, nothing comes close IMHO (well... maybe ProE, on a good day).

Been using the two together for a week now, works great. With that SWdirect add in you can take .sldprt files right into MC.

I know a guy who does CF for radio control planes, uses diamond tools that look like burr router bits, 0.125", goes pretty slow, 4-5 ipm. I think water jet would be a lot cheaper in the long run and give a nicer edge finish. A problem you will run into is de-lamination of the edge when the tool starts to get dull. Also don't breath the dust, it's bad for the lungs, use a nice big vac.

I got an indexing verify and backplot to look right, but when I go to post it I see the inital a axis at 0 degrees, but with the toolpaths on the other faces I do not see the a axis rotating anywhere in the post. I figure it must be a post issue as the backplat has the tool working on my top and front plane. I'm using the standard MPFADAL2 post with q 164 set to yes (turns on the rotary 4th). I don't know what else to look at.

Oh...jeeze that was a dumb question wasn't it I appreciate the answer though. So I can modify the tool table to reflect the centerline of the axis or use a height guage the same height as the centerline. I like the idea of the height guage same as centerline height. So please let me ask one more dumb one before I let this die...after I get my tool offsets set relative to the top of the stock and my part zero set (again centerline and x), all of the subsequent work offsets (g55,56,57 etc)I input in the MC software representing all of the other sides of the part tell the controller how to adjust the TLO and part zero? So I don't need to tough off of all sides of the stock and edge find on all sides of the part?

Dear God there is a lot to look at on that FTP site! Thanks for the file I'll study it. I have that Mattera vid on 4th axis. It is great, but does not cover the basics of machine setup, thats what I'm missing. I got the basics I think of creating tool, construction, planes, and tool paths on those planes. G-code, so I set the machine zero at the rotary centerline, how do I set the tool length offsets? Usually I touch off the part material top, so I'm a little lost there.

So this may be as much of a basic machining question as a MC question. I'm new to 4th axis work, I need some clarification on indexing and TLO, and work offsets. If I set up say a rectangular block on my indexer, with the axis through the X axis (A axis). In MC should I set the part zero at possibly the left X-Y- corner of the part as work offset 0, then subsequent indexings become work offset 1-2-3 and so on? If so do I need to manually rotate the part and edge find all of the work offsets? Or are all of those subsequent offsets dictated by my stock setup in the software? Also in regards to TLO, if I set TLO at the first side (top of part on the machine and in the software), does the software adjust the TLO after the part indexes according to stock set up in Mastercam? Or do I need to perform a TLO for each side and work offset? Sorry for the basic nature of these questions....I'm really green when it comes to the 4th axis, and there isn't a whole lot of info out there in regards to machine setup, and software setup. I have a video tutorial but it does not cover machine setup, just MC issues. BTW the machine is a Fadal in format 2, with a vh65 full 4th axis.

The patch seems to have solved the problem with SW 04 sldprt files. I could have sworn I got all of the updates, that one must have slipped by me. Thanks for your help. Dave

Thanks, no I don't need it, it was just an extruded sketch to see if things would import. Gcode, what is 9.1MR904? I think I have 304, I thought that was the latest? That file should be a watertight solid, it was not made with surfaces.

Yes I saw that post in my search too, that is the exact same error message I got. I wonder if having 2005 and 2004 on the same computer is causing issues? The part I posted was made in SW04 that was after SP2 though, I wonder if the .sldprt version changed at that point? I tried an 05 file without any luck. I saw that CNC is working on a convertor though.

Did you try double clicking it? Thats the same error I was getting. God I hate software issues, at least with a car you can hear the tranny grinding, makes finding the problem easy.

Really really strange....I got it to open, and a few others (04 SW .sldprt files) by double clicking on the file from the menu instead of highlighting and clicking "open". Maybe a bug?

Just bought it last week, ver 9.1 304 The SW file is from 2004 sp2.

OK the file I was using is under "daves junk part" in unspecified uploads.

What I mean is I can't open a sldprt file in MC from solidworks 2004 or 2005. Only .xt or .xb files. From what I understand 2004 .sldprt files should open up in MC. I used file > convert > Parasolid > specified .sldprt, pulled it off the desktop and I get an error message, no solid found etc. I'll try and post it up. It's just a trial part.

I just installed mill3 and solids, I have SW 05, and 04 on my machine. I can't get .sldprt files to come over to MC, no matter what version I use. .xt and xb seem to come over OK. Is this a seperate purchase, to be able to import .sldprt?

I don't suppose it happens to be one of those free add ons does it?

I have mill3 with solids. I can rotate and zoom when I verify using true solid but with the 4th axis it won't allow true solids in verify. When verify is complete it won't allow me to rotate the view or zoom. Is this the way it is or do I have some parameter set wrong?

Hey thanks for the fast answer Mike. That worked fine. Dave

I just got mill3 solids and I'm trying to get going. I cut a 3d model with contour and got told I don't have enough memory. I have 512mb ram, the window said I have to allocate 50k to tool paths to run. I found the mem allocation screen but it says only 18mb is allocated to all groups. What should I set all of these to?