[cadcam]

want pictures of Bike what are we testing?

[Skin]

Whose am are we talking here

As in AM USA tomorrow?afternoon UK here ?

Have fun teaching and I'll catch up with you all tomorrow then

J

[Skin]

pictures? Umm, I think there are a couple of the bike from the weekend...

I'll see if I can post something, its kind of under development, 7

http://www.xtreme-images.co.uk/Round..._IMG_7448.html

It is difficult to explain but we amke engines, this thing is a Frankenstine marrage of another friends engine and an old type of racing frame, basically sticking a 4 stroke in the middle of a lot of smokers, great great fun.

We as Evolution designed the first 4 stroke motor for racing minimotos, (not the Chinese things) basically designed a 4 stroke to sit int he same space as a 2 stroke. Now we're at the part where it is tiem to cut metal after anout 3 years toyinjg around with this, we've bought our own mill, I've sold the house and quit the day job to work on this....

and we are so tantalisingly close, and yet so far

So we're having a board meeting tomorrow and blowing away some cobwebs int he process.

Oh by the way I can't claim credit that isn't mine, I'm nto the spanner, I'm the CAD Munkie, I design, Andy the dude in the helment with the checker around the base, is the genius that builds these Credit where it is due

Enjoy

James

[Skin]

I was a bit naughty today and in my frustration I called MasterCAM, naughty as the copy I'm using isn't entirely legitamate, please don't hate me...

but there we go, and the dude was saying that in the basic version of MasterCAM you cannot mill from different directions, you cannot set up different workplanes?

Is this the case with any of you lot? could this be the reason it is only on my copy that I cannot do this and you can on yours?

Anyway I've spent the day saving off all my SolidWorks parts in three different versions, Top Bottom and side, and the same for the Jogs I want too make, my eyes are square and mastercam is a very frustrating sketching program I've found, especially if you get something wrong and want to change a diameter or the position of a line!!!!


LOL

Anyway I didn't make it out on track as I was working on this but the boys had fun. If we could come up with an answer to this I'd be really appreciative as I'd really like to get out now

Looking forward to your replies

James

[Steve Arteman]

naughty as the copy I'm using isn't entirely legitamate

James, not legit you didn't buy Mastercam? You may make the Mastercam most wanted list. They know your company and have your file get ready for the men in black suits to come knocking at your door. Whatever you do don't put up a fight they got you just run man.

[Mastercam User]

"I was a bit naughty today and in my frustration I called MasterCAM, naughty as the copy I'm using isn't entirely legitamate, please don't hate me..."

CNC Software via the BSA aggressively pursues companies that use illegal software and have collected large fines from companies like West Coast Choppers that had illegal seats.


" mastercam is a very frustrating sketching program I've found, especially if you get something wrong and want to change a diameter or the position of a line!!!!"

It's not frustrating when you use Analyze / Entity. Very easy to change a diameter or position of a line. You can also use XForm / Translate.

[Skin]

I'm using a 30day assessment, after which we're going to make our decision to buy.

Sorry for the confusion.

We are a small company, and for a purchase of this scale, i need to know that the software. W dont have a budget for training so this is why I;m on here asking you guys as its just me on my own here trying to learn this.

I couldn't ask the MasterCAM people to help as I don't have a contract whilst I'm deciding whether to buy, and at the moment, I'm not erring on the side of yes. When this 30 days is over I plan to try a couple of other packages to see if they do the job better, but I liked MasterCAMs ability to nest OP Sequences into one part file thus not having to douzens of confusing files OP1, OP2 OP3 which need to be updated every time you need to make a change to a part.

MasterCAM was teh software used by my university 'back in the day' is used by our suppliers adn also the company that had done out machining for us when we've subcontracted.

Sorry again for the confusion

James

[mactec54]

Hi skin
There is nothing special in doing this It is done in most cam packages the same way if your part is 3D and you are machining in 2D face by face is normal & it can all be in one program, Mastercam is ok but there are others that are easer to do this it's all to what you get used to & have to work with

[cadcam]

mactec 24, is right that allot of the softwares have the options for WCS and working with tool planes. Some might be easer. But allot of people don't take the time to learn more about the systems. so they try and lay it out best as they can with 6 different files to do a simple 2d part and this can become cumber sum.

Mactec54 so do you do this in Gibbs or do you save a copy on another levels or use another file for the next op or face?

[Skin]

Well My journey is 4 days old now so I'll see where the rest of my journey gets me before giving up on this package.

Ideally I'd like one that would integrate seamlessly with SolidWorks, for me, but then we'd need a version to stand alone to run beside the Mill too, so cost is strong consideration.

For its stand alone ability and the fact that the companies we deal with MasterCAM has been the first choice, and the one that we will benchmark the other packages.

So any advice is still welcome, and especially if anyone can figure out why I can't use differetn WCS's in on e part model that would be greatly appreciated too

Thanks

James...

Jay you ARE up early!!!!

[cadcam]

(if anyone can figure out why I can't use different WCS's in on e part model that would be greatly appreciated too) James i have proven that it does work and on your file. some thing is happening over there.
if you review almost any of my help videos on this site you will see me using the WCS to cut and locate the parts I barely use the Xform or rotate to set my parts these days.

if you can get some understanding of Mastercam. then towards the end of the year you can get Mastercam that runs inside of SW.

there is more control and power then most know in MC. But I will say looking at other softwares is alwas good. But I do suggest that you get the dealers to come do a Demo so you can see how some of it works before jumping in with both feet.

I have done more demo then I can speak of it makes a difference to customers.

PS good morning. of to get ready to go to the office.

[Skin]

Ok my last post for a while on here.

I understand the use of WCS's now, I think, but dont seem to be able to get them to work, so could anyone clear this up for me, is there a basic version of MasterCAM that does not let you use WCS's to mill from successive directions, and could this be the key to why Jay can and I cannot do the same operation from different machines, or could there be something more fundamentally set wrong in my particular version of MCX?

Thanks and have a good Morning Jay

James

[cadcam]

All mill levels of mastercam have the WCS and can be setup it multi side. what level are you e-vealing?

[Skin]

I have no idea what level of mastercam I have on this disk, is there an easy way of telling?

James

[Mike Stevenson]

Yes in Mastercam hit ALT + V and it will tell you.

[Skin]

looks like it tinks it is level 3?

what am I looking for when I press "Alt+v"?

[Mike Stevenson]

The VERSION in the lower left hand corner of the screen. You may also access this info by clicking Help then About.

[mactec54]

Hi cadcam
In theory this is a good idea in practice it is not, Unless he has lost's of tools, work offset's & fixtures set up, This will be a crash waiting to happen for him, In his process he should just do face by face & save it all in (1) folder OP1/OP2 Etc as each operation he is doing is a single setup I don't think he is making lots of parts, Another way if he is doing a lot of parts & have all the fixtures/tooling setup is to do it face by face and paste it to gether in MS word this is the easy way if he or his cam system can't get it done.

[Mastercam User]

(Applying 2D tool paths on a complex wire frame model ) do you have a model shape in mind. are we talking like a housing or some thing else?

Do you believe, like I believe, that a great Mastercam training video transcends the product (Mastercam) and at its core is really teaching-sharing good machining methods?