just wondering if anyone else has problems with this...when doing a 5ax drill cycle, the time estimate does not work. Granted, its not a huge deal, but when I adjust toolpaths trying to cut down runtime the time estimate thing is very helpful. Mastercam V9.1 MR0904 Thanks all!

Glad it worked out for you. I remember the thing I was trying to achieve....I wanted the toolplane to be rotated 90 deg so my "Y" would be my "X"...I needed to do this due to travel limitations. I still have not figured out how to rotate the toolplane 90 deg (on the first operation), thankfully it is not something that I need to do often.

David, have you tried messing around with mi4? (Misc Integer 4) A while back I had a different issue with this post & after communicating with the post department at CNC software, I recieved this explanation.. quote: When programming a part to be used with an MPGEN5X generation post, you can't follow the same approach that you use with an mpfan generation post ('mpmaster'). With an mpfan post, all rotation happens in one axis. The rotation is controlled by setting the appropriate toolplane. With an mpgen5x post, the post must calculate multiple rotations to bring the current toolplane perpendicular to the tool. In most cases, there are two correct sets of rotations, each 180 degrees apart. The post 1st makes a decision as to which set of rotations is best, it then rotates into that position, and finally it re-maps the toolpath (if necessary) to correctly orientate to toolpath onto the part. When programming your part, you may use mi4 to suggest to the post your preference. By setting mi4 to zero, you are turning it off, in other words, you are letting the post make the choice on it's own. If you enter an integer between 1 and 360, the post will choose the position that is closest to your choice. Keep in mind that a setting of zero means "off" and it does not mean zero degrees. When a toolplane is used that aligns the primary axis perpendicular to the tool, (such as in your example) there is an infinite number of acceptable choices to rotate the primary axis into. in other words, you can realistically rotate the table into any position, and then map the toolpath onto that rotation. In this case, the post narrows it down to two choices and then checks mi4 to see which of the two choices you would prefer. The first choice is equal to the same primary orientation as the previous operation. The alternate choice is 180 degrees from the first choice. Back to your example, because it is the first op, your choices will be zero and 180. If you want the part to cut along "X", then you need to draw it along X. Best Regards, Ed Partlow Jr.

quote: I just think that if some of you guys would wipe the little brown spot off the end of your noses and speak up nice one....tho I tend to compare some of the posters here to a mac user....try going to a mac forum & saying ANYTHING bad bout a mac... people can be way to sensitive. Unless you own stock in CNC software, then why would you care if someone finds a problem/has a dislike bout Mcam???

more often than not, after importing in a STL file (or MC9, parasolid, ect) I get the following error quote: LW has found the STL file not to be closed and watertight. An approximation will be used as stock. MC does convert the file into a STL, no matter what you import. when I do bring a model in and I get that error, the "approximation" is exactally that...a rough one anyway.

show me an easy way to import custom stock (not a STL file...too slow & not very accurate) and I will agree that verify does not suck.

for modeling...mastercam is "fuctional" at best in my opinion. Perhaps with the updated interface in X it will be easier to use, but too much clicking the way it is now.

just wondering....has anyone got the new translators "November 04 Translators" to work on a windows 98 machine? I seem to recall a problem with the last translator release (that is...it didn't work on 9x) This version get almost all the way through the install process but then comes up with a regestering a .dll error. Thanks!

Trimming toolpaths in Mastercam does have limitations...if you trim out your lead in/lead out moves...no more cutter comp. quote: I would rather get the opinion of people that use the software who have nothing to do with making money from the sale of the software. Good idea...but be warned. this forum is full of mastercam fans...

Mastercam 9.1 MR0904 just yesterday & today I have been running into a problem with my construction planes. When calling up a part, for some reason, mastercam is switching all of my construction/tool planes. For example, one part I am working on (5axis) I am using the top, front, back, left & right side planes. When I call the file, all of the sudden it creates 5 more planes seeminly at random and I lose the original 5 planes (system views no less ). even worse, all of the geometry goes somewhere...tho the level manager says all of it is still there. (masking is NOT on) Closing mastercam & restarting it a couple of times seems to clear up the problem....yet that does not make it any less frustrating. Any Ideas??? Thanks

When I first commented on mastercams shortcomings...and yes...I agree they are many, I was flamed early on in this forum. I do experience random crashes....and I firmly believe there is a bug in a graphics engine. I can import a parasolids file & walk away for an hour or so...no one touches the puter...and it seems to get caught in some sort of memory loop. This happens on 98, 2000 & XP. The being said, I also believe that some of the people on this forum are more sensitive about negative things being said about mastercam than a macintosh user is about their hardware. Look, the ony way CNC is going to improve/do bug fixes is for people to complain.

just curious....I finally finished up a part & have 172 different operations, along with 23 different c-planes (a 5 axis part with lots of funny corners to reach to) just wondering what everyone else's record is.

I have run into this also on several different computers...using Win 98, 2000 & XP. Seems to happen to me when I have some sort of model rendered up in mastercam, no other programs running. What appears to happen is that a bug in the program creates some sort of memory loop...that is it keeps using all the memory till its maxed out....the it uses the HD swap file till its full, then crash. I have Analog X's program, maxmem (clears out memory occasionally) & you can see when this problems start to happen....all memory resources get used. Very frustrating problem....

the war on software piracy is as futile as the war on drugs. People dumb enough to sell illegal copies will always pay in the long run...just my thoughts......

aye...it is Solidworks 2005. For the time being I am gonna have to go to our solidworks seat to convert it to an older version of parasolids.

just got a solidworks file today that Mastercam did not want to open....I am at the latest & greatest converters (at least I think I am, dated 6/28/2004), yet I get the old "cannot find parasolid data in Solidworks file". Anyone else run into this yet? Any new patches I have missed? Thanks!

quote: Trimmed toolpaths fit existing operations within chained boundaries relative to a selected construction plane. This toolpath is available in Mastercam Mill by choosing Main Menu, Toolpaths, Next menu, Trim and in Mastercam Wire by choosing Main Menu, Wirepaths, Next menu, Trim. click, click, click, click....this is my biggest frustration with mastercam....too many mouse clicks....but from what I have been hearing, X is supposed to get away from alot of that.

as far as 5 axis toolpaths, Delcam has the lead (note---gouge checking on swarfing toolpaths!!!) I don't like Delcams idea on having one modeling suite & another cam suite.

quote: My plan is to wait and buy it just before X comes out. That will get me X for free and maximise the maintenance time. my plan exactally. As far as my thoughts on the maintenance as a whole...undecided. Paying money for bug fixes just seems wrong wrong wrong. The whole reason you buy something is because its supposed to work....if the maintenance contracts are used to resolve problems it almost (exactally) makes it seem like you are paying for CNC Software's mistakes. However, if maintenance contracts are used to roll out "new" (not fixing old ones) features then I can understand the extra cost.

hey all, I was just wondering what everyone elses preference on colors are. typically, for edge curves & basic wireframes I use the standard mastercam green, color #10 Solids...I like color 101, a light blue, also 136, a creamy orange, & #150, kinda like an oxidized copper color. what others have you all found that is easy on the eyes??

in my experience, the Hurco is a much better machine. more rigid, better built, ect. Their controller on the conversational side is among the best out there, very easy to use. You might find yourself doing simple tasks on the conversational Hurco rather than offline in mastercam, it is that good. I would get the Hurco.

how bout a little more colorful version of the display axis (ala Cadkey). Even better would be to have 2 display axis, one for your graphics view and one for the C-plane (once again Cadkey) This would make life much easier, especially when working with different C-planes & tool planes.

I don't know if this has been brought up before, but I did not find anything on my searches. Quite often when working with a 3d c-plane, when I change views, the cplane button will change to Top...yet when I try to trim stuff on different z heights I get an "lines don't intersect" error. As soon as I click back on the c-plane button it goes right back into 3d mode. This is especially frustrating when I think I am creating geometry at a particular z depth, only to find out that I am in a 3d c-plane.

I have been working with a 840DI for about 6 months now. Yes, it does have its little quirks, but then so does Yasnac, Fanuc & everything else I have tried. The high speed software that is uses is second to none. The thing that I hate..HATE, HATE about fanuc/yasnac it the puny amounts of memory they use...128k or 256k. To upgrade the memory costs a fortune. Get out of the early 1980's and get with the times Fanuc!!! Our 840 has a hard drive built in, memory is not a problem. For a post I use a modified version of MPGEN5X.

Dave, that was quick!! works great, thanks a bunch