You are able to fill some holes in the part once you have it in mastercam, using solid find features. (it still dumb)

The steel I am working on has an irregular shape on top of a trim steel. Then I am projecting a 2-d profile on the shape on top of the steel using the surface project toolpath. Then stepping this down .025 a pass using translate between points. I should have this steel set up this afternoon to see if the tool will follow the surface on top of the steel and also step down, as expected, (the backplot looks good)

All right, I came up with my own solution, using Translate by coordinate between points, and step the original nci down .025 a pass. Thank you BIG DOG for all your help. No thank You BIG DOG for your help.

Hello I am profiling a 3-d shape using surface finish project on a surface. Does any one have an easy way I can step down this type of program in Z? Thanks

I have a sub plate that covers all of the table, we have a lot of ½ taped holes in the center of the plate at a set pattern around .75 wide key slots and alternate with 5/8 and ½ taped holes near the outside of the plate. The plate is 2” thick 28” in Y and 70” in X. Its a lot of work to tap 2000 holes, and a lot of work keeping set screws in the holes we are not using, but I can locate off any of the key slots for program zero ( 7 cross keys ), and can bolt any thing to the table, anyplace. Now if I can only get the designers to use the bolt pattern, any suggestions

I have been leaving the first 2 locations in the carousel open for drills, edge finders, whatever. I leave the same tooling in next 20 locations and have the program call them up using a tool change, in the program. The tools are defined using the tool number as the location in the carousel, when it loads a tool it loads the tool length also. Have the tool offset registers set to from tool on the job set up page. Hope this is some help.

I am glad to see that I am not the only one who has had issues with UG translation. Not that I like to see others in the same pain as me, but to see that I am not alone with my bad solids. I am making surfaces when importing a parasolid and am able to see the bad stuff, and delete it or replace it. What I am doing is making 2 parasolid files from UG, an original file showing all the holes, pocket, and keyways. And another file that I supress everything but the shape. Overlay the files in mastercam on different layers and use the filled solid for 3-D toolpathing, and the wire frame original for 2-D work, pockets and holes.

Thanks for all the help. I called up an old parasolid that gave me trouble. I changed my tolerance, gap settings, advanced settings, not any better. I re-loaded the parasolid as surfaces, and it has a very bad trimmed surface that mastercam was avoiding, that did not show up as a solid. It is a stinkin poor solid to start with. If I import solids as surfaces, I can erase the bad surfaces and go on with toolpathing. Thanks

Hello All I am having a problem, when machining a solid's from UG, it does not happen all the time but it happens enough to scrap a few steels. I bring in parasolids made in UG, and am making toolpaths in Mastercam, and if the tolerance is too tight in the toolpath, (.002) the tool will fall thru the solid, because it cannot see a part of the solid. Some other times it will see a solid that is not there and will leave a lump, over the area, if I relax the tolerance to .003 it will machine fine. A semi lace path with a 1.0 dia ball tool will machine great, But run the same path with a .75 ball, and a nose dive into the steel. Some UG files are better than others. Has any one else had issues with UG files?

Jerry Thank you for your feed back. We have been sitting on the fence, in regards to our software purchaces. I have herd from other sources that Solidworks is a good program, but it is also good to find out from a few more people that are using it for a similar application, and are impresed with Solidworks. Thanks Big Dog

I am not answering any of your questions.(sorry)but I would like to pick someones brain about Solidworks. We are looking at upgrading to Solidworks for our die designs, and thy keep showing us how almost automatic the detail print are to make. Are the detail prints as quick and easy to draw in solid works as they show in the demos? How is the transfer of files from Solid Works to Mastercam? Do the solids from Solidworks transfer over to surfaces in Mastercam very well. Is Solidworks a good tool for you for design? I do like your ideas an making all the holes diferent sizes, for ease of sorting them. Thanks Big Dog

In our cam room we have a nice view of the snow falling today, but we have the shades pulled tight to keep out the light. We have great lighting, but we have unscrewed half the florecent tubes, and only turn them on when we have to look at print with people from the out side world. We use the florecent lighting below our book shelves in our cubes, and I usually ware dark shirts to cut down on any more glare. Is this any way to live? I think so.

It looks like time to create multiple c-plane and t-planes. I am still using MC 7.2 I hope it will work the same way for MC8. When I use them, I create geometry representing the corner of the steel, Then pick the c-plane icon, pick entity, then pick the lines representing the x and y axis, Then a x,y,z icon will show up on the drawing, if it looks good accept it, if not hit next until It is facing the way you want then hit save to accept it. (This will be easier to do in an isometric view). Then hit alt-o and pick the x,y,z zero (endpoint, center, midpoint, whatever) When that is done name the coordinate system, c-plane from the main menu again, next menu, save named, now you have created a named view. When pulling toolpaths set the c-plane and t-plane in the tool parameter menu to your named view. With multiple coordinate systems we can rule the world. (Ok maybe just make less scrap) Have a great day

I have not been running filters, but I am now, with setting that at .005 for roughing paths and it is decreasing the path size about 1/3 thank you Ken. Cycle time Charles has it right about the ROUTINE

Thank you one and all for the replies. I have not been using ram saver but have done it on my current large file and the size change was minimal, is the ram saver suppose to cahnge the file size or make mastercam run more efficient? When I am pulling rough toolpaths, my tolerance is set to .005 leaving on .030 stock for semi and finish paths. does that sound about normal for what you folks are using for roughing paths? If mastercam 8 is more efficient for file size. I may have to start my, HEY GET ME SOME NEW SOFTWARE ROUTINE. THANKS