Store your scribble and notes in Solidworks

My reseller told me that it is rare he see people actually using the Design binder, and checking some Solidworks file I have received, it is true that people are defiantly not writing there life stories in them, (what might be all good), however new Soldiworks users should know its existence(it can easily hide on you).
You can say that the design binder is like one of those old metal filling cabinets, but before we are going into detail, lets make sure it is turned on.
Go to Options=>System Options=>Feature Manager and set the drop down menu next to "Design binder" to "Show". This should make the Design binder visible at the top of the feature manager tree.
When hitting the '+' sign on the design binder you will find it contains a design journal that is a Microsoft Word document that is intended to be used as a engineering journal. The Design Journal contains heading for File Name, Description, and Material, you can also paste an images of you model. The rest is a place you could scribble your thoughts and prayers doing the design process such as "Check valve pressure before AX226 is added"or "check supplier for package material".
The Journal is customizable, mine is located
C:\Program Files\Solidworks\lang\english=>journal.doc
By placing the cursor where you want your link and go "Insert"=>"Field"
You will get the Field Manager where if you scroll to "DocProperty" in Field Name, you will get a list of Field Properties there are linked back to your Solidworks Custom Properties.
The picture below is just a basic Design Journal, with a image pasted on there.
Another cool thing about the Design binder is the capabilities to attach or link documents right to your Solidworks file. Right click on the binder and choose attach.
As you can see on the picture above this works for all file types, and double click will actually open them, even your Mastercam file. This is a good way to organize and keeping handy the different documents and files that belong in relation to your assembly or model.

Mastercam do not currently offer anything like this, however there is a company named Verisurf that have made a free add on that lets you store notes inside a file in style with "notepad" it can be downloaded from emastercam.com if you register (You have to provide Sim number to join).
It is never a bad idea getting in a habit of leaving yourself or better yet people who is going to fellow up on your work some notes, and the Design binder could be a perfect place to start, now off course the next step would actually be getting people to look in it.

MastercamX3 MU1 to be released next week

CNC Software has announced that MastercamX3 Maintenance Update 1, that was due back in October is on schedule for release next week, and promises that a lot of issues has been fixed even a few enhancements have been added. The MU1 will be available for download on mastercam.com If your maintenance expired in October you will still be able to run MU1.

Who dare talking about money?

Me, fact is that many bigger companies have a budget running from calender year to calender year, and that means time is almost up, and before I show you what I purchased this past year let me just say that I work in a company where the IT yearly budget is calculated from leftover quarters in the coffee can, well that is not true (Its work in progress) but a few years back I was talking about graphics cards and got a list of $50 to $100 graphics cards and was asked which one I wanted, if I back then had said what I really wanted there would have been a lot of laughter, not so much more but I still don't have it, yep work in progress. So when it came to do minor IT purchases this past year, I took matter in own hands, 1st of all I was sick and tired of using a $15 Dell mouse so I bought the mother of all mouses, thinking that I am the one using it every day, and if I got fired I would just take it with me. Well SAVE YOU RECEIPT because the next day when the boss saw this awesome mouse he crapped his pans and told me that he hoped I had the receipt because he would gladly pay for it, not claiming that this will work for you, but hey if not then at least you have the cool gadget.
So here is what I bought, and I tell you ........ if you buy these and are not satisfied I'm almost willing to buy them back from you. I can not explain how happy I have been with these 3 items I am going to show you, they have really made my work day with Mastercam and Solidworks so much better.

1) MX Logitech mouse, this thing has 5 programmable buttons, I got like "S" key in Solidworks, Isometric and top views in both Mastercam and Soldiworks, I can jump to "Desktop"....... pure awesome.
Here is the link to MX Mouse

2) 3Dconnection SpaceNavigator, this thing is just as awesome as the mouse, wow you are like working in another universe, this model has also programmable buttons, I got "Measure" in bought Mastercam and Solidworks, again the "S"key in Solidworks and "Level Manager" in Mastercam.
Here is the link to 3DConnection

3) Last thing is the mouse pad for true CAD/CAM guy, not those cheap once with a kitty on them. Kinda funny that you don't realize how importen this thing is until you have tried this one.
The link to Razer

I realize that the picture I stole from the web do not do these product justices., but in my opinion they are every dollar worth.

Hinge Mate, I don't use hinges!

Well me either, but I sometimes do add toolbox components in a assembly and here this feature could safe you some time. By the way this is a SW2009 feature so if you have not upgraded, well why not?.
There is a restriction to this feature, you can not mate your component to two different features, but since I have the feel that this hinges-mate went a little under the radar at the roll-outs and I wanted to also add Solidworks stuff to this block, I am hoping that if I'm not showing, then at least remind you of this feature, enough talk lets go.

1) A block with a counterbored and an a toolbox component.
2) Open the Mate menu as you normally would, but choose mechanical mates and then hinge.

3)Purple and green, so pretty colors, somehow I really would like to see mate do something similar to this hinges feature in the future, where you could pick 3 different sides and then execute on the green check mark.4)No doubt this is easier, maybe something in works for better mates in the future? beware that in the feature tree under mates it does show "hinge"
So there was my 1st blog post strictly Solidworks related, not earth breaking I am aware, but hey gotta crawl before you can walk, right? so until next time, please stay tuned

Use your Solidworks file to verify in Mastercam

If you import Solid models into Mastercam and you are not using them for verify, then you are missing on a cool feature, more than once this has saved me the hassle of re-programing a part because I forgot to drill a hole or clear a feature.
1st. picture is just a preview of the solid and stock display turned on.
Next step is to verify our program and save the *.STL file.
Now we need to setup the stock definition to use the saved STL file as stock, and turn Display on.
You will clearly see where the 2 pockets are machined and where stock still is remaining, my blue square is a typical example of me saying "oh yeah I need to clear the corners ;-)".
Try it, it is pretty easy habit to get into and you can not have enough tricks up in your sleeve to get the job done right the 1st time.

2 Mastercam Users and 1 Computer

So you work in a place where you have to share you Mastercam seat with another user, and he do not share very well?
It is not uncommon especially in smaller machine shop, though that this trick is not fully customizable, it maybe stop a fight from breaking out. We are going to setup 2 icons on the desktop.
We have in this example 2 users, Dora and Pete. Dora like her background purple and Pete like his gradient plus also he likes the grid turned on.
So basically all we have to do is making a new config file and tighten that into a shortcut on the desktop.
1) Go setting=>Configuration (Alt=F8) Then Start/Exit and then press the save button in bottom left corner.
2)Type the name you want to save your config as (look!Pete has already saved his).
So now we have two new named config files in our config folder in our Mastercam directory (In case you want to know where they are).
3)Last thing we need to do is make 2 shortcuts on the desktop, right mouse click and pick "Properties" and type the names in "".
Try it, it might make the day less stressful.

Solidworks 2009 into MastercamX3

Not many hours goes by from I realize that a new download is available from Solidworks or Mastercam before it is installed on my work PC, not because I am a dare devil but because I kinda have sold myself to the boss as the "latest and greatest" type of personality.
When MastercamX3 and Solidworks 2009 was installed I started importing files, and found the same problems I had reported as bugs to Solidworks back in MastercamX2 (Did not expect these fixed because I handed them in late) some of the pattern features would not show up in Mastercam.
I found out that a lot of people have had serious problems with MastercamX3 and Solidworks 2009 running together, and supposedly the statement from Mastercam is that Solidworks 2009 actually official do not run inside MastercamX3 (Guess my little Dell Dimension 1 GB Machine, just felt sorry for me).
But it can be fixed, it just take 5 min of manual labor from your side.
When you installed Solidworks 2009 SWDocumentMgr.DLL was installed on your hard drive(This is the file MastercamX3 needs), you want to copy this file
and paste it into you Mastercam folder (rename the old one just for security matters)
That should do it, you have now done what Mastercam is going to do in there next maintenance release, pretty easy right?

Lego upgrading to NX6

Mastercam is pointing out that Siemens NX is the 2nd in the world of installed seats for CAD/CAM software (Mastercam is off course #1), so in a attempt to be a little serious I have to admit that I have been following some blogs of Mastercams enemy number 1.
This interview is with Lego's Klaus Gorm Jensen, where he explains how Lego is doing there move from one version to another, interesting to hear how a big company deals with that kinda stuff.
Lego clicks with NX6

Sir, we have discovered the black box!!

Mastercam X3 has now been installed on my work and home PC for about a month, I have played with "Feature Based Machining", Imported solids from Solidworks 2009 and programmed new parts for our production department. I have to say, that the software has been running pretty smooth.....................I kinda wish it would CRASH
Nuts? Yeah I know, but see about 10min after I had installed version X3 something caught my attention in the lower right corner of the screen, "Mastercan Event Log".
To say this thing is the best thing in the new version makes me feel ridicules, but I got to say that I have been wondering why I have not come across something like this with other softwares, I do not believe it is just because I have been locked in a cave for the past years, this is something that all major softwares should have..........a black box.
This event log is just so darn simple, nothing fancy and that's cool. Mastercam keeps a log of events that include error messages and executed functions, timing information, part names, and more. The log runs independent of Mastercam, which means that if Mastercam closes suddenly due to an unexpected error, you still have a chance to do a little investigation on what the heck happened. The log will be stored for 7 days before "destroyed". The nice thing is it runs unnoticeable in your task bar, just make a "right" click and a simple information window opens up.
Question is, should other programs take this idea? Solidworks? does other programs have this already?