[john1285]

I just installed the cad and cam programs yesterday and I only have a couple of hours of sitting in front of the screen. I have watched the installation videos and the introduction videos. I am trying my hand at drawing a very simple part with a center hole, several slots with round ends and a large radius on one end of the part.

Pretty simple i'll admit but i have to start somewhere. Now the question is there a trim command that I can't seem to locate. I drew two circles and connected them with two lines but I want to just get rid of the excess lines so that I wind up with a slot. Or do I just have to learn a whole new way of doing things?

Are there more videos somewhere or possibly a manual that I could look through? I realize that this has a steep learning curve and at this point its all uphill.But I need just a little help.

Is there anybody in the St. Louis, MO area that could help?

Jack

[stucapco]

What cad/cam proggy? Need more info, mastercam, dellcam, bobcad, a generic? Where are we here?

[john1285]

Well since this was originally posted in the Dolphin Cad/Cam sub forum I assumed that it was obvious that I am struggling with Dolphin Cad/Cam, it seems like every time I have a go at it somewhere along the line I get a different error, ex. When I set up a .375 Dia end mill I get an error saying that size end mill is not suitable for this operation of trying to cut around a simple square.

When I tried to run the simulate operation I get an error saying that portion cannot be found try reinstalling the software again.

I will get it eventually but it is a little frustrating

Jack

[Dolphin USA]

Is it in Dolphin, or ModuleWorks simulation? If the problem persists, could you please email us with a screenshot and the file you are working with? We will see exactly what is going on.

It's [email protected]

[keith20mm]

You can, instead, draw two arcs, and join the arc ends with lines.

Or draw the two circles, join with the lines (using the quadrant snap, for instance, so that the circles and lines actually intersect), then use the Intersect tool, with the Split Items option (4th option down, on left side, after selecting Intersect, from toolbar).

Once the Split Items is selected, click on the line and the circle, and the other line and the same circle.

Now click on the line and the other circle, now the other line, and that circle.

This creates a pair of arcs for each circle, which are now split at the intersection of the lines ends, and the circles.

Now select the Delete tool, right click on the work surface, select Delete Arc option (it'll be checked once it has been selected).

Now click on the part of the circle (an arc) that you want gone, and it'll be deleted.

Do for the other circle's arc that you want deleted.

[john1285]

I played with the Intersect Tool Tutorial and that did help quite a bit but it all hasn't sunk in just yet, but if I keep at it enough something has got to stick between my ears. I just haven't done it enough times. This is definitely not an old mans game but at my age almost nothing is. I wish that I had someone sitting next to me to guide me, besides watching the videos on youtube that I found, I am pretty much trying to figure this out by myself.

The program does seem to have a few little quirks and a lot of it is calling everything by a different name from what I am used to with manual machining.

I guess I will just have to keep asking questions. I was able to draw a few simple parts and transfer them over to the cam side, setup an end mill tool and see the tool path but I haven't got the simulator thing working yet maybe with a little luck I might be able to actually cut some metal by the end of the week.

Jack

[keith20mm]

I understand what you mean by quirks...

The tutorial list here might be of help... I went through all of the a while back, and it helped immensely.

Tutorial list:
Nothing found for Education Tutorials Cad Videos Http: Dolphincadcamusa Com Education Tutorials Cad Videos

Milling:
CAD-CAM Milling Videos by Dolphin CAD-CAM USA | Dolphin CAD/CAM USA

After you use this thing for a while, it'll become second-natured... like Cubify Design or Vectric Aspire, CamBam, etc... you get used to it and just whip out parts, extemporaneously.

[john1285]

I finally got everything working (sort of) including the Simulator which was the most troublesome, but now I want to engrave some text around a bar in my fourth axis and it wants a STL file of the shape of the bar, where do I find that or if I have to create it how do I do that?

Yes I did watch the video of working on the fourth axis but he sort of casually mentions the stl file thing but doesn't go into much detail about that important step.

I do have the simulator working for regular small contour parts X, Y, and Z that I want to cut and it is way cool as the kids say.

Am I just trying to go to fast in trying different things that this cad/cam software will do?

Jack

[andre-dolphin]

Hello,
When using the 4th axis in the simulator you don't need to create a STL file for the stock - on a very early version you did.

When you run the simulator from within PartMaster - you will see a panel that shows the max, min values, and tool info - from the top row of tabs choose the Stock tab and choose to define stock - then click the Bar radio button and enter your sizes.

The system will create a STL file of the stock so that you dodn't have to re-enter the values unless you change them.

ATB
Andre

[john1285]

I tried again this morning to set up the simulator to cut around a bar when I select Bar from my dimensions, I put in the diameter and length and I don't know what is meant by face but it gives me an error message and won't create the bar. If I try to cut the usual way it rotates but its not a round image its rectangular. I must still have one little setting not set correctly. I still need help.

Jack

[keith20mm]

The CAD tutorials appear to now be on this URL: CAD Design Learning Videos by Dolphin CAD-CAM USA. | Dolphin CAD/CAM USA

and not where I pointed before...

I understand what you mean by quirks...

The tutorial list here might be of help... I went through all of the a while back, and it helped immensely.

Tutorial list:
Nothing found for Education Tutorials Cad Videos Http: Dolphincadcamusa Com Education Tutorials Cad Videos

Milling:
CAD-CAM Milling Videos by Dolphin CAD-CAM USA | Dolphin CAD/CAM USA

After you use this thing for a while, it'll become second-natured... like Cubify Design or Vectric Aspire, CamBam, etc... you get used to it and just whip out parts, extemporaneously.