[PATTSUPV]

Since the folks in this forum seem to be more knowledgeble than my Software provider I will throw this out there.

I just installed X4 MU1 (X4 was comlpetely unusable before the MU1 patch)
I am running an HP XW4600 workstation with an intel duo core 2.8 GHZ and 3.5 GB Ram. Also have an Nvidia Quadro FX 1800 graphics card and am running XP sp3

I have two almost identical machines and both had exacty the same issues which were:

Would freeze randomly (every few minutes) until i disabled the hardware acceleration and the back depth buffer in Mastercam. I am using the default 3D application profile on my Nvidia card and disabled the back depth buffer in there as well.

These changes allow the program to run pretty well but my verify would not display the stock at all. I applied the new .dll file from mastercam but that is only to fix the lighting - it did not work. I got it to work by turning down the hardware acceleration 3 positions in windows.

Mastercam recommends running full acceleration. I know there are better computers than mine but it is a pretty darn good system. Any one know of settings I can tweak to get my acceleration back up? It also still struggles to display toolpaths. For such a fast system the program seems pretty finicky to have to adjust all those setting just to get it to function. Literally before I tweaked those settings it was completely UNUSABLE!

Thanks for taking the time to read.

[fizzissist]

Along the same lines, I've noticed that the MU1 seems to want a different grade of hardware. What gives?

X4 runs just fine on one box with dual AMD 1.5Ghz cpu's, but when I went to upgrade with the MU1, I got a pop-up that warned me I didn't have sufficient processing.

[PATTSUPV]

It is frustrating. I had a single CPU 2.5 GHZ with 2 GB Ram for X2 and it ran flawlessly - except toolpaths were a little slow to calculate. It even had onboard graphics, then I installed X2 on my new dual core with the Nvidia card and it was completely unusable. I thought X4 would improve but it didn't until i applied the MU1.

I get very little support from my dealer. Most of my issues have been resolved by countless hours of reasearch by myself on the internet and by trial and error. I know there are other people with the same issues.

[Mike Mattera]

I assume you downloaded the latest video drivers and installed them.

"I have two almost identical machines and both had exacty the same issues"

I've been running X4 since Beta 1 and I've been pretty happy with the stability. It really sounds like a problem with your graphics card. I haven't been keeping up with GCard models, so I dont know where yours fits in with the performance vs. price question. I have always used and recommended NVidia for their reliability.

I would have to say try a different card.

It's impossible for Mastercam to test with every hardware combination out there. Just because it's an nvidia chip set, doesn't mean it's made by a quality company. Any company can take a good chip set and do crap with it.

I'm running a GeForce 9800GT made by Marvel (Who the #e!! is Marvel. I dont know). But Id rather have a low cost card that works, than a bleeding edge card that works sometimes.

Start with the new drivers.
Keep us informed with your progress.

Mike Mattera

[PATTSUPV]

When I was running X2 it was having a lot of problems with displaying the toolpaths. We went to a seperate graphics card on the recommendation of my Mastercam dealer but I left it up to my IT guys to decide which one. They bought an ATI for gaming. It made the problems worse! I did a lot of research and the conclusion I came to (partly from this forum) was that the Nvidia Quatro FX series of graphics cards were the best. I eventually got X2 to run pretty well thought it would still freeze occationally when trying to toggle the toolpath display on and off. I went to the workstation with duo core processors to reduce calcualtion time but they seemed to run the software with more glitches and hiccups.

I was hoping X4 would correct those issues and for now it does seem to be running better but it still struggles to display the toolpaths and as I mentioned before I can't use verify unless I turn windows acceleration down past halfway. It is frustrating to say the least with the money you pay for the software the lack of support.

And don't even get me started on the post processors! I had to figure everything out myself on those.

[PATTSUPV]

I forgot to add to my lengthy post, yes I have all the lastest drives. Coincedentally, there was a new driver for my card released two days ago - so they are very new.

[Mike Mattera]

It seems like a lot of people with Quattro cards have problems. Anyone with Quattro's happy with their systems?

Mike Mattera

[weirdharold]

I use a FX 1500 with no problem's . No X4 yet. X3 & using older driver's, not new. Version 6.14.11.8246 , I believe. Thought I would be smart & found new work station pull , FX 1700 on E-bay, & tried that one & had lot's of problem's. Went back to the FX 1500. Go figure.
Regard's ,
Harold C.

[thebowman]

Running a Quadro FX580. Very happy with it. Running both X2 MR2 and X4

[PATTSUPV]

Intersting. I have always had better luck with older systems also. They are more stable but slow... I guess that is the trade off. I am running an FX1700 and an FX1800 and both are running the same.

[jeffrey001]

I'm not sure about video card, I have two main system.

One is Dual Core 2.8G with an ATI FireGL V3300.

The other is Dual Quad Cores 3.4G with a Quadro FX4500.

Both system have their own graphics issues. Not the same but both have problems with Graphics.

Jeff

[PATTSUPV]

Everything I have read states that ATI has big problems with open GL, that is why I went with the Nvidia Quattro FX series. However, the most stable systems I have run actually used on-board graphics. They were just slow to process toolpaths.

[GTRacer]

I'm on my second Dell Workstation and I hate MasterCAM. My company bought several brand new Dell Precision T3500s with XP 64bit, 4gigs of RAM, twin Xeon 2.4ghz dual core processors, and 768MB Quadro FX 1800 video cards. They run Solidworks beautifully, all my 3D work in AutoCAD 2010 performs flawlessly. Then there's X4, I can't use hardware acceleration period, so then my large sheets of 3D solids bog everything down and even a single part with many features slows MasterCAM way down.

This isn't new to me though as my last machine was a 2 year old Dell Precision workstation with twin Xeon 2.33 quad cores, 3gigs of RAM, and a 128MB Quadro FX 570, same exact issue, no resolution from my software provder either, just the same canned response from them until I simply gave up asking them for any support.

If anyone can offer an explanation or solution you'd be relieving 2 years of irritation and annoyance from myself, but from the mass of google results, many other people's issues with the circus act that is MasterCAM.

[Mike Mattera]

(asking the obvious question) Did you get the latest video drivers?

How big (on average) are your Mastercam files and your NC toolpaths?

Sounds like a really nice PC.

Mike Mattera

[tobyaxis]

I'm on my second Dell Workstation and I hate MasterCAM. My company bought several brand new Dell Precision T3500s with XP 64bit, 4gigs of RAM, twin Xeon 2.4ghz dual core processors, and 768MB Quadro FX 1800 video cards. They run Solidworks beautifully, all my 3D work in AutoCAD 2010 performs flawlessly. Then there's X4, I can't use hardware acceleration period, so then my large sheets of 3D solids bog everything down and even a single part with many features slows MasterCAM way down.

This isn't new to me though as my last machine was a 2 year old Dell Precision workstation with twin Xeon 2.33 quad cores, 3gigs of RAM, and a 128MB Quadro FX 570, same exact issue, no resolution from my software provder either, just the same canned response from them until I simply gave up asking them for any support.

If anyone can offer an explanation or solution you'd be relieving 2 years of irritation and annoyance from myself, but from the mass of google results, many other people's issues with the circus act that is MasterCAM.

What O/S are you running in your Dell Precisions?

[tobyaxis]

It seems like a lot of people with Quattro cards have problems. Anyone with Quattro's happy with their systems?

Mike Mattera

Everyone I know runs MC with Nvidia Quadro FX Cards without any issues until X3 and X4. Some are running Dells others HP's.

I keep hearing that V9 MR2, and X2 MR2 SP1 were stable than X, X3, or X4.

[PATTSUPV]

I ran V9 for years and it was very stable. Ran on everything from a PC built custom for gaming, an IBM thinkpad (an old one), an emachine to a dell laptop. Only the custom PC had a graphics card, all the others used onboard. It is pretty good for a laptop with onboard graphics to run a program like Mastercam.

[GTRacer]

(asking the obvious question) Did you get the latest video drivers?

How big (on average) are your Mastercam files and your NC toolpaths?

Sounds like a really nice PC.

Mike Mattera

Thank you, it's a pretty robust computer, I'm not a fan of Dell, but they definitely build nice workstations.

I'm on my third set of Nvidia drivers, presently I'm using the latest, 191.66 I believe. The problem with fiddling with things though is that my other software, like AutoCAD 2010, run perfect the way the computer is right now.

A full 4'x8' sheet of parts is running between 3-7 megs for the MCX file, depending on features. I think the bogging down issue has to do with the fact that each part is a 3D solid, a stp file converted from a Catia model.

tobyaxis

What O/S are you running in your Dell Precisions?

The first workstation was running XP 32-bit and this new one is running XP 64-bit.

[tobyaxis]

Thank you, it's a pretty robust computer, I'm not a fan of Dell, but they definitely build nice workstations.

I'm on my third set of Nvidia drivers, presently I'm using the latest, 191.66 I believe. The problem with fiddling with things though is that my other software, like AutoCAD 2010, run perfect the way the computer is right now.

A full 4'x8' sheet of parts is running between 3-7 megs for the MCX file, depending on features. I think the bogging down issue has to do with the fact that each part is a 3D solid, a stp file converted from a Catia model.



The first workstation was running XP 32-bit and this new one is running XP 64-bit.

The only suggestion I have is that you would have to set up a specific Nvidia Work Environment for MC and when using MC use it alone. This means that you would have to Reset The Custom Settings back to ACAD or SW every time you want to use them.

I have the same problem with Predator Virtual CNC and Alibre Design. Predator likes specific settings the Alibre does not.

In the settings Nvidia Quadro FX Cards have Specific Settings for ACAD, EdgeCAM, Pro/E, Catia, SW, etc.

In a way having to do this is IMPO, BS, but it is one of the drawbacks of working with High End CAD/CAM Software. It isn't like Quickbooks or Quantum that will run on any PC as you already know.

[GTRacer]

I tried playing with the Nvidia application specific settings, but X4 would still lock up, so I've given up and just disabled the hardware accelaration.

Now I have larger issues anyway, such as the fact that I thought I'd try Nesting and of course it doesn't work at all. I was thinking this morning that I wish I had of come with the idea of creating broken software, somehow convince people that it's one of the premier CAM programs, charge a bunch of money for it, and then charge more for every little add-on.