Friday, December 31, 2010
Friday, December 24, 2010
Seasons Greetings!
We want to wish everyone Happy Holidays from CNC Software! We will be closed on December 27 and 28. We hope you have a happy and fun holiday!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Toasting the Toolmaster
Mastercam helped Bob Taylor (Taylor Guitars) carve out his future, so when Mark’s daughter got married, Bob helped her celebrate hers.
During Taylor’s factory tours, people often ask which big-name artists were the “early adopters” who helped lift the company from relative obscurity to the radar of public recognition. A handful of names are usually trotted out — Neil Young, John Denver, Prince, Alabama’s Jeff Cook, and Leo Kottke, to name a few — but if you ask Bob Taylor, he’ll cite a different kind of key player, one whose name is far from any venue marquee, yet whose impact on Taylor’s success is greater than all of the above names put together. His name is Mark Summers, and he’s the co-founder and president of CNC Software, Inc., whose flagship product, Mastercam, enabled Bob to revolutionize the way that Taylor guitars are made.
It was 1989 when Bob took the plunge, purchasing his first CNC mill and Mastercam software after seeing how his friend, fellow luthier Tom Anderson, had embraced CNC technology to make his electric guitars. At the time, Taylor was making about seven guitars a day. Between the CNC mill and the software, the investment was more than $100,000.
Bob vividly remembers learning to use the Mastercam software on his IBM AT computer. “I would work all day, then sit in my little office at night, put on the Nanci Griffith album Storms, and load Mastercam,” he says. “That’s the only album I played — it was Nanci, Bob, and Mastercam — I could totally zone away. I must’ve listened to that album 150 times learning to use the program.
“It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t hard,” Bob recalls. “What was great was that it made sense. It had the best user interface; the menu structure meant something, as opposed to other CAD programs where you’d have to learn what every word meant. The next thing you know, just through figuring it out, I’d drawn a guitar bridge like I’d drawn on plans, except, when I said six inches, it was six inches, not six inches and the width of a pencil lead. When you’re making a guitar and you’re trying to be accurate, lines have weight because they have dimension.”
Once Bob had a drawing of his bridge, Mastercam allowed him to use the dimensions to generate the tool paths for cutting and shaping it from wood.
“It would memorize the shape of my bridge by zooming around the line I drew,” he explains. “So, now it has a tool path, and then another screen comes up, and it asks you all these things that it needs to know: What’s the diameter of your cutter? How fast do you want to spin the spindle? Which direction, clockwise or counter-clockwise? Which side of the line do you want to cut on? And then you click it and it spits out G-code that the machine can read. I’d go back and forth between my office and the machine at night and figure it out. And then I’d push the button on the machine, and it would start feeding and cutting, and when it was done I’d pick the thing up and I’m like, whoa, I just cut this piece of wood into the shape of a bridge on this machine! I can do this. It’s like learning the first three chords on your guitar; it doesn’t ever get more fun than that.”
Bob says that Mastercam marked the first time as a guitar craftsman that he was able to get the precise shapes and slots he really wanted.
“The cool thing was, when I was done with that, I could say to one of our employees, ‘Hey, push this button for the rest of the afternoon, and put this wood on, and take this wood off and make bridges.’ Pretty soon they’re learning to run the machine and they’re setting it up and changing the tools, figuring out how the programs work. Meanwhile, I’m using Mastercam to draw a fingerboard and a guitar body. So, our guitars got more accurate, and more people in the shop could make more accurate parts.”
Many Taylor innovations, such as the NT neck®, would never have been possible without the precision and consistency of Mastercam software. The ever-evolving marriage of quality and efficiency that Mastercam has made possible is now deeply entrenched in much of Taylor’s everyday production process. Taylor currently operates 26 CNC mills in its main factory complex in El Cajon, California, and will soon be adding its 16th computer mill to its plant in Tecate, Mexico.
“Without Mastercam, Taylor wouldn’t look like we do at all,” Bob reflects. “You have to stop and appreciate someone like Mark, who had his dream, which nested with mine, and allowed me to grow Taylor.”
And yes, Mark plays guitar. He owns three Taylors: an 814ce, a Jewel signature model, and a slot-head 30th Anniversary Grand Concert XXX-RS.
“I’ve been playing for about 35 years, but I always tell people three months because that’s about how good I am,” he quips.
Despite the fact that Mark and Bob have known each other professionally for years and have talked at trade shows, Mark hadn’t actually visited the Taylor factory until this past March. He says he was surprised to discover how big Taylor’s operation truly was.
“I had no idea it was so involved. It seemed very well organized and well run.”
Mark made the trip with Meghan, who came with a special agenda: She wanted to spec out a Build to Order guitar as a wedding gift for her fiancé Brendan, who has played guitar most of his life but had never owned his own.
“I wanted to do something really special, and a guitar was the best thing that came into my mind,” she says.
Bob gave Mark and Meghan a personal tour, showing them the many aspects of production at Taylor that involve Mastercam programming, after which Bob and Taylor’s Joe Bina helped Meghan design the guitar, starting with wood selection. When Meghan learned that koa was an option, she got excited, since she and Brendan had lived in Hawaii for three years while attending school, she for her graduate degree in management, he for his bachelor’s in psychology.
“Our relationship really fell into place in Hawaii,” she shares. “And a lot of our friends were musicians, so whenever we had parties it would be a circle of people playing guitar or ukulele and people singing. We later bought a dog together, a yellow lab we named Koa, which was a big step. So, for the guitar, koa was perfect.”
Meghan selected a spectacular master grade set, with a koa top as well. She opted for a GS body with a Florentine cutaway, mother-of-pearl tropical vine fretboard inlay, rosewood binding, black and white purfling, an abalone rosette, and Gotoh tuners.
Bob wanted to do something extra special in honor of the occasion, so he asked Taylor’s marketing group to coordinate with production to shoot some photos of the guitar in various stages of being built. The photos were later incorporated into a printed iBook that would accompany the guitar as a special memento for Meghan and Brendan. The finished guitar and iBook were shipped in advance of their wedding in June.
“When I first got the guitar and opened it up, the wood was absolutely spectacular,” Meghan says. “It took my breath away.”
She surprised Brendan with the guitar the night before the wedding, prior to the rehearsal dinner.
“I gave him the book first because I knew if I handed him this big guitar case it would be pretty obvious,” she says. “At first he was really confused, then he started flipping through the pictures a little bit, and he kept looking up at me going, ‘I’m not really sure what’s going on here, but I think I’m about to get excited,’ and then finally says, “Is this mine?!’ He was just shaking. And I’m through the moon, smiling. And I was like, ‘You know what, I forgot something outside.’ In the meantime, my dad had put the guitar there for me, so I brought it in. Brendan was shaking as he opened up the case, and then he just stared in amazement, going, ‘I don’t even know what to say.’ It was a really, really special moment for us.”
A special thank you goes out to everyone at Taylor that could make this possible.
Article by Jim Kirlin, Taylor Guitars. Wood & Steel Magazine. Volume 65 Fall 2010
During Taylor’s factory tours, people often ask which big-name artists were the “early adopters” who helped lift the company from relative obscurity to the radar of public recognition. A handful of names are usually trotted out — Neil Young, John Denver, Prince, Alabama’s Jeff Cook, and Leo Kottke, to name a few — but if you ask Bob Taylor, he’ll cite a different kind of key player, one whose name is far from any venue marquee, yet whose impact on Taylor’s success is greater than all of the above names put together. His name is Mark Summers, and he’s the co-founder and president of CNC Software, Inc., whose flagship product, Mastercam, enabled Bob to revolutionize the way that Taylor guitars are made.It was 1989 when Bob took the plunge, purchasing his first CNC mill and Mastercam software after seeing how his friend, fellow luthier Tom Anderson, had embraced CNC technology to make his electric guitars. At the time, Taylor was making about seven guitars a day. Between the CNC mill and the software, the investment was more than $100,000.
Bob vividly remembers learning to use the Mastercam software on his IBM AT computer. “I would work all day, then sit in my little office at night, put on the Nanci Griffith album Storms, and load Mastercam,” he says. “That’s the only album I played — it was Nanci, Bob, and Mastercam — I could totally zone away. I must’ve listened to that album 150 times learning to use the program.
“It wasn’t easy but it wasn’t hard,” Bob recalls. “What was great was that it made sense. It had the best user interface; the menu structure meant something, as opposed to other CAD programs where you’d have to learn what every word meant. The next thing you know, just through figuring it out, I’d drawn a guitar bridge like I’d drawn on plans, except, when I said six inches, it was six inches, not six inches and the width of a pencil lead. When you’re making a guitar and you’re trying to be accurate, lines have weight because they have dimension.”
Once Bob had a drawing of his bridge, Mastercam allowed him to use the dimensions to generate the tool paths for cutting and shaping it from wood.
“It would memorize the shape of my bridge by zooming around the line I drew,” he explains. “So, now it has a tool path, and then another screen comes up, and it asks you all these things that it needs to know: What’s the diameter of your cutter? How fast do you want to spin the spindle? Which direction, clockwise or counter-clockwise? Which side of the line do you want to cut on? And then you click it and it spits out G-code that the machine can read. I’d go back and forth between my office and the machine at night and figure it out. And then I’d push the button on the machine, and it would start feeding and cutting, and when it was done I’d pick the thing up and I’m like, whoa, I just cut this piece of wood into the shape of a bridge on this machine! I can do this. It’s like learning the first three chords on your guitar; it doesn’t ever get more fun than that.”
Bob says that Mastercam marked the first time as a guitar craftsman that he was able to get the precise shapes and slots he really wanted.
“The cool thing was, when I was done with that, I could say to one of our employees, ‘Hey, push this button for the rest of the afternoon, and put this wood on, and take this wood off and make bridges.’ Pretty soon they’re learning to run the machine and they’re setting it up and changing the tools, figuring out how the programs work. Meanwhile, I’m using Mastercam to draw a fingerboard and a guitar body. So, our guitars got more accurate, and more people in the shop could make more accurate parts.”
Many Taylor innovations, such as the NT neck®, would never have been possible without the precision and consistency of Mastercam software. The ever-evolving marriage of quality and efficiency that Mastercam has made possible is now deeply entrenched in much of Taylor’s everyday production process. Taylor currently operates 26 CNC mills in its main factory complex in El Cajon, California, and will soon be adding its 16th computer mill to its plant in Tecate, Mexico.
“Without Mastercam, Taylor wouldn’t look like we do at all,” Bob reflects. “You have to stop and appreciate someone like Mark, who had his dream, which nested with mine, and allowed me to grow Taylor.”
And yes, Mark plays guitar. He owns three Taylors: an 814ce, a Jewel signature model, and a slot-head 30th Anniversary Grand Concert XXX-RS.
“I’ve been playing for about 35 years, but I always tell people three months because that’s about how good I am,” he quips.
Despite the fact that Mark and Bob have known each other professionally for years and have talked at trade shows, Mark hadn’t actually visited the Taylor factory until this past March. He says he was surprised to discover how big Taylor’s operation truly was.
“I had no idea it was so involved. It seemed very well organized and well run.”
Mark made the trip with Meghan, who came with a special agenda: She wanted to spec out a Build to Order guitar as a wedding gift for her fiancé Brendan, who has played guitar most of his life but had never owned his own.
“I wanted to do something really special, and a guitar was the best thing that came into my mind,” she says.
Bob gave Mark and Meghan a personal tour, showing them the many aspects of production at Taylor that involve Mastercam programming, after which Bob and Taylor’s Joe Bina helped Meghan design the guitar, starting with wood selection. When Meghan learned that koa was an option, she got excited, since she and Brendan had lived in Hawaii for three years while attending school, she for her graduate degree in management, he for his bachelor’s in psychology.
“Our relationship really fell into place in Hawaii,” she shares. “And a lot of our friends were musicians, so whenever we had parties it would be a circle of people playing guitar or ukulele and people singing. We later bought a dog together, a yellow lab we named Koa, which was a big step. So, for the guitar, koa was perfect.”
Meghan selected a spectacular master grade set, with a koa top as well. She opted for a GS body with a Florentine cutaway, mother-of-pearl tropical vine fretboard inlay, rosewood binding, black and white purfling, an abalone rosette, and Gotoh tuners.
Bob wanted to do something extra special in honor of the occasion, so he asked Taylor’s marketing group to coordinate with production to shoot some photos of the guitar in various stages of being built. The photos were later incorporated into a printed iBook that would accompany the guitar as a special memento for Meghan and Brendan. The finished guitar and iBook were shipped in advance of their wedding in June.
“When I first got the guitar and opened it up, the wood was absolutely spectacular,” Meghan says. “It took my breath away.”
She surprised Brendan with the guitar the night before the wedding, prior to the rehearsal dinner.“I gave him the book first because I knew if I handed him this big guitar case it would be pretty obvious,” she says. “At first he was really confused, then he started flipping through the pictures a little bit, and he kept looking up at me going, ‘I’m not really sure what’s going on here, but I think I’m about to get excited,’ and then finally says, “Is this mine?!’ He was just shaking. And I’m through the moon, smiling. And I was like, ‘You know what, I forgot something outside.’ In the meantime, my dad had put the guitar there for me, so I brought it in. Brendan was shaking as he opened up the case, and then he just stared in amazement, going, ‘I don’t even know what to say.’ It was a really, really special moment for us.”
A special thank you goes out to everyone at Taylor that could make this possible.Article by Jim Kirlin, Taylor Guitars. Wood & Steel Magazine. Volume 65 Fall 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
What is a C-Hook?
Do you ever find yourself wondering, “Gee, it would be nice if Mastercam did ____” ? [fill in blank some feature that would be really handy] Well, there’s a good chance that it already does. That feature may be available as a C-Hook.
For those of you who don’t know what a C-Hook is, it is a utility program that is designed to extend Mastercam. C-Hooks are basically apps for Mastercam—except we’ve been doing it since the 1990s (before apps were so hip). There are many C-Hooks available from 3rd-party developers, but the Mastercam install also includes a large library of C-Hooks. Mastercam even lets you add your favorite C-Hooks to the right-click menu or a toolbar.
Click here to download a complete list of the C-Hooks (Apps) supplied with Mastercam, including instructions on how to run them.
An example of a Mastercam C-Hook is our Gear App. You can use this Gear C-Hook to create a single tooth or all teeth of an involute spur or internal gear. It also computes the roll measurement for checking the gear.
The values are saved in the parameter file referenced in the dialog box so that they will persist between Mastercam sessions. Change the name to recall parameters from a different gear.
For those of you who don’t know what a C-Hook is, it is a utility program that is designed to extend Mastercam. C-Hooks are basically apps for Mastercam—except we’ve been doing it since the 1990s (before apps were so hip). There are many C-Hooks available from 3rd-party developers, but the Mastercam install also includes a large library of C-Hooks. Mastercam even lets you add your favorite C-Hooks to the right-click menu or a toolbar.
Click here to download a complete list of the C-Hooks (Apps) supplied with Mastercam, including instructions on how to run them.
An example of a Mastercam C-Hook is our Gear App. You can use this Gear C-Hook to create a single tooth or all teeth of an involute spur or internal gear. It also computes the roll measurement for checking the gear.
The values are saved in the parameter file referenced in the dialog box so that they will persist between Mastercam sessions. Change the name to recall parameters from a different gear.
Friday, December 17, 2010
New Power Library Format in Mastercam X5 Wire
In addition to Mastercam’s current POWER libraries, Mastercam X5 adds new TECH power libraries. These new database files make it easier than ever to select the correct power settings based on your machining needs. A TECH library is machine control-specific. For example, when you load an EDM machine definition such as the Mitsubishi or Makino supplied with Mastercam X5, it also loads the control-specific TECH-based library.
When you are creating a wirepath using a TECH-based machine/control definition, the power library settings can be accessed through the Wire/Power page of the wirepath dialog boxes.
For more information on Mastercam X5 Wire, please visit www.mastercamwire.com.
Agie-specific controls offer a familiar working environment.
Streamlined settings help speed programming.
When you are creating a wirepath using a TECH-based machine/control definition, the power library settings can be accessed through the Wire/Power page of the wirepath dialog boxes.
For more information on Mastercam X5 Wire, please visit www.mastercamwire.com.
Agie-specific controls offer a familiar working environment.
Streamlined settings help speed programming.Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Mastercam & Stewart Haas - First to the Finish Line
Stewart-Hass Racing depends on team members Mastercam and Haas Automation to drive them to the finish line.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Mastercam X5 Design Offers Many New Enhancements
Whether your shop gets files from an outside source or designs them in house, modeling tools is an essential element in prepping a file for machining. Mastercam X5 Design delivers efficient new tools to the entire Mastercam product line.
Assigning Colors to Solid Faces
Mastercam X5 introduces the ability to assign different colors to individual solid faces or features. You can select the color you want on the color grid, followed by selecting what feature you wish to shade. Once you have assigned colors to solid faces and features, you can use those colors to make selection easier for surface toolpaths. In addition, Mastercam now highlights solid faces in the current selection color when selecting for machining.
Solid Patterns
Mastercam introduces Solid patterns with X5. You can create a pattern of solid features by selecting source geometry and producing multiple copies of it on a part in a grid (rectangular pattern) or around a center point (circular pattern). You can also click in the graphics window to place copies (manual pattern). This feature greatly streamlines the design process. You can create the desired amount of copies of the feature, and also remove any of the resulting instances from the circular pattern.
Analyze draft angles and curvatures of a surface to identify undercuts and minimum radius with two new Analyze functions: Analyze Draft Angle and Analyze Curvature. These new functions shade areas of the model with user-specified colors and support both surfaces and solids. Draft angle analysis shading helps you identify problematic draft conditions with color coding on complex models. Draft shading provides flexible display options, allowing total display control of the different draft conditions, while still allowing you to change the target draft angle in real time. By toggling the surface buttons in the Analyze dialog box, you can select your own colors or turn certain faces off all together (Vertical, Horizontal, Negative). You also can change the “Positive angle less than” field.
Curvature Analysis is similar to Draft Angle Analysis in that it allows you to change the radius in real time and get instant feedback. Curvature Analysis shading identifies the curvature of the model relative to a user-defined radius. When that part is displaying color coding that indicates different types of curves, you can toggle with your radius and zoom into the red areas that show where material could be left behind when your toolpath uses a tool with a corner radius larger than the internal radii in your part geometry. X5’s new analysis shading makes it easier to quote new jobs more effectively and aids in making more accurate tooling decisions.
You can specify diameters quickly and without consulting paper drill charts. Standard letter and number drill and tap sizes have been added to all Mastercam calculable fields.
Improved Bolt Circle Creation
Bolt circle has been enhanced to give you the ability to create bolt circles:
- in a 2D plane or wrapped around a diameter.
- about a full circle or along a total sweep angle.
- preview and, if desired, flip the results.
- remove individual circles.
- create a center point.
This is just a small portion of the overall enhancements with the release of Mastercam X5. For more information on Mastercam X5 Design, please visit www.mastercamdesign.com.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Holiday Shopping with Mastercam: Special Savings Extended
The Black Friday sale was a big success and in response to customer requests, we have added a new sale for December. Enter 10HOLIDAY at checkout and get 10% off your entire order excluding shipping and taxes. Offer valid through 12/31/2010. And we've added a few new items perfect for the gift giving season, including a few for women. If you have any questions, please email imastercamstore@mastercam.com.
Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays!
Reminder - Mastercam at PRI
Just a reminder that from December 9-11, CNC Software will be at the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) trade show in the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The PRI show has over 1,000 exhibiting companies this year, allowing you to preview the latest advances in racing technology and products.
CNC Software will be showcasing the newly released Mastercam X5. In booth # 4591, attendees will get to see how Mastercam can get their shop ahead of the competition with features like:
- New toolpaths specifically designed for gouge-free head porting operations.
- Enhanced Dynamic milling toolpaths that ensure the most efficient cut possible.
- A new, easy, work-flow-oriented Multiaxis interface.
- Fast, aggressive, intelligent roughing that focuses on removing large amounts of material quickly and maximizing tool life by utilizing the entire flute length.
If you're in the racing industry, stop by the booth to enter into a drawing to win a free Mastercam sponsored Cunningham Motorsports racing shirt! And visit www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow/ to find out more information about the 2010 PRI show.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Top 10 Considerations When Selecting a CAD/CAM Representative
Last week, we discussed the top 10 things to evaluate when looking for CAM. This week, we’ll take a more in-depth look at one item on that list – your local software representative.
Your CAD/CAM representative plays an important role in your use of the software. They will offer you technical support, answer your questions, and make sure you are productive as quickly as possible. Therefore, it’s important to evaluate them when choosing a new CAD/CAM system.
Here's s a quick list of the top 10 things to consider about your CAD/CAM software dealer:
1. What is the dealer’s history?
How long has the dealer been in operation and how long have they been selling the software? If they’ve been successfully selling and supporting the software for years, chances are they have a strong company based on a good product, and will be there when you need them.
A newer dealer may also have a lot to offer. Do they have previous experience with the software or a good background in the manufacturing or CAD/CAM industries? Look for evidence that a new dealer is willing to go the extra mile for you.
2. Does the dealer offer local support?
Training and support are crucial to a smoothly running shop. A good dealer will make sure that you have the support you need. This can be done through support contracts which let you call whenever you have a question. Most also offer training either on or off-site.
3. Can your dealer offer you additional training options?
You may want training on a schedule that is different than the one offered by your dealer. Schools and colleges often offer training classes in specific CAD/CAM systems, and your dealer may be able to put you in touch with these facilities. They will also be able to recommend books, DVDs and websites to fill the need.
4. What is the dealer’s territory?
Some CAD/CAM developers will assign a specific territory. If the territory is small, the dealer may handle all sales and support through his company. If the territory is large, they may have their own network of sales and support staff to ensure proper customer service.
5. Is the dealer dedicated to the CAD/CAM software?
Top-notch dealers, just like NC programmers, try to find the best CAD/CAM package and stick with it. One who sells several competing CAM products may have their time and skill spread across too many packages.
6. What is the dealer’s skill level?
When you schedule a demo, ask them to program a part that is similar to your work. The representative should be proficient enough to program your part while explaining the process in a way that is clear and easy to understand.
7. What is the dealer’s reputation?
When you’re investigating CAD/CAM systems, it’s often a good idea to ask other shops for their recommendations. The same is true for a CAD/CAM dealer. A dealer with a reputation for prompt service and reliable support is better than one who is out to make a fast profit without the long-term commitment to your satisfaction and success with the product.
8. Does the dealer demonstrate computer literacy?
Your dealer should be able to help you choose hardware with the correct system requirements to get the most from your CAD/CAM system. Some dealers offer computer hardware as well as CAD/CAM software, while others may be able to recommend a hardware dealer.
9. Is the dealer familiar with your industry?
A good dealer will have a working knowledge of your industry in general, as well as local issues that may affect you. He or she may also be able to give you direction, advice and industry contacts such as machine tool dealers and suppliers.
10. How strong is the dealer network?
Is the dealer part of a strong worldwide sales and support network? This is useful for you because dealers often rely on one another for tips and advice from around the globe. In addition, other dealers in the network may develop add-ons to the CAD/CAM package and may know of software utilities that can help you in a highly specialized application. If they are in contact with others in the network, they will be able to let you know about these specialty tools.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Updating Your Files to Mastercam X5
The Update Folder function in Mastercam X5 processes your previous version files into the new X5 formats and file structure.
With Update Folder, you can convert an entire folder of files to the current version of Mastercam. For example, you can convert all of your tool libraries and/or machine definitions at one time. It does not matter which Mastercam product you are running or which machine definition is active.
IMPORTANT: Only files supported by the products enabled on your SIM will be updated.
1. Select File, Update Folder to open the Update Folder dialog box.
2. Choose Update specific file types.
3. In the File types section, choose all file types except Part files.
IMPORTANT: Converting part files with Update Folder can add significant processing time. We strongly recommend that you update parts to Mastercam X5 individually, by opening them with the File, Open function and saving them to the .MCX-5 file type.
4. If your source folder contains files from multiple versions of Mastercam X, and you wish to update only files from a specific version, select Update specific versions to activate the Versions section. Then, select the desired versions.
5. In the From this source folder box, enter (if necessary) your previous Mastercam installation’s root directory. (You can use the Browse button to navigate to the desired folder.)
6. If the Search sub-folders option isn’t already active, select it.
7. Keep the default path shown in the To this destination folder box.
With the exception of part files, the file types converted by Update Folder are generally shared between multiple Mastercam users. By default, these converted files are copied to the Shared mcamx5 folder.
8. Click OK.
Mastercam converts all the files found in the source directory, including both metric and inch files.
As of Mastercam X5, a Mastercam version number is appended to most file extensions. In most instances, Mastercam file name extensions are formed by appending a hyphen followed by the Mastercam version. As it processes them, Update Folder changes the file extension of these files.
This table shows the files that Update Folder processes and their X5 file extensions.
When you select the Post files option in the File types section, Update Folder automatically runs the UpdatePost C-Hook. Your converted posts are automatically output to ..\shared mcamx5\\Posts and the C-Hook produces a log of the process, which displays in the Mastercam X Editor. The log file lists every error generated during the conversion, plus any other instance where Mastercam could not determine how to convert the original post. Use this log to troubleshoot errors in your posts.
Note: Each time you run Update Folder or UpdatePost and save posts to the same directory, the log is overwritten. To keep a post log for troubleshooting, print out or save it to a different file name, and close the Mastercam X Editor.
As Update Folder processes your files, it displays an overwrite alert when it encounters another version of an updated file in the destination folder.
With Update Folder, you can convert an entire folder of files to the current version of Mastercam. For example, you can convert all of your tool libraries and/or machine definitions at one time. It does not matter which Mastercam product you are running or which machine definition is active.
IMPORTANT: Only files supported by the products enabled on your SIM will be updated.
1. Select File, Update Folder to open the Update Folder dialog box.
2. Choose Update specific file types.
3. In the File types section, choose all file types except Part files.
IMPORTANT: Converting part files with Update Folder can add significant processing time. We strongly recommend that you update parts to Mastercam X5 individually, by opening them with the File, Open function and saving them to the .MCX-5 file type.
4. If your source folder contains files from multiple versions of Mastercam X, and you wish to update only files from a specific version, select Update specific versions to activate the Versions section. Then, select the desired versions.
5. In the From this source folder box, enter (if necessary) your previous Mastercam installation’s root directory. (You can use the Browse button to navigate to the desired folder.)6. If the Search sub-folders option isn’t already active, select it.
7. Keep the default path shown in the To this destination folder box.
With the exception of part files, the file types converted by Update Folder are generally shared between multiple Mastercam users. By default, these converted files are copied to the Shared mcamx5 folder.
8. Click OK.Mastercam converts all the files found in the source directory, including both metric and inch files.
As of Mastercam X5, a Mastercam version number is appended to most file extensions. In most instances, Mastercam file name extensions are formed by appending a hyphen followed by the Mastercam version. As it processes them, Update Folder changes the file extension of these files.
This table shows the files that Update Folder processes and their X5 file extensions.
When you select the Post files option in the File types section, Update Folder automatically runs the UpdatePost C-Hook. Your converted posts are automatically output to ..\shared mcamx5\
As Update Folder processes your files, it displays an overwrite alert when it encounters another version of an updated file in the destination folder.
Click the second option to replace the original file with the converted one. Select Apply this action to all subsequent conflicts to continue processing without further interruption.
Friday, December 3, 2010
Mastercam at the PRI (Performance Racing) Show
Next week, December 9 - 11, the Performance Racing Industry trade show will be held in Orlando, FL at the Orange County Convention Center. The PRI show has over 1,000 exhibiting companies this year, allowing you to preview the latest advances in racing technology and products.CNC Software will be showcasing the newly released Mastercam X5. In booth # 4591, attendees will get to see how Mastercam can get their shop ahead of the competition with features like:
- New toolpaths specifically designed for gouge-free head porting operations.
- Enhanced Dynamic milling toolpaths that ensure the most efficient cut possible.
- A new, easy, work-flow-oriented Multiaxis interface.
- Fast, aggressive, intelligent roughing that focuses on removing large amounts of material quickly and maximizing tool life by utilizing the entire flute length.
Visit www.performanceracing.com/tradeshow/ to find out more information about the 2010 PRI show.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Getting Started Tutorials Updated for X5
The Getting Started Tutorial Series is designed to get a new user started with Mastercam X5. The series currently includes seven books that introduce general Mastercam functions and teach basic skills. Each tutorial is packaged in a ZIP file that contains the tutorial book in PDF format, together with Mastercam parts and other accessory files, such as sample posts.- Welcome to Mastercam
- Files and Mastercam
- Working in the Graphics Window
- Basic 2D Design
- Basic 2D Machining
- Basic 3D Design
- Basic 3D Machining
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