Sunday, December 28, 2008
This blog is on the move
2009 is going to be a year of a new beginning, moving in a better and happier direction so this blog is also going to move from this address to www.cadcamstuff.com I will be copy posting on this blog for the 1st week or tw0 of the new year, but if you like what you read, please go to the new site and sign up for feed reader og email subsribtion.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Will James Bond call Solidworks next time?
Sony Ericsson who has supplied James Bond with cell phones in his last couple of adventures announced in the beginning of this month that they have purchased 20 seats of Solidworks Professional in a attempt to shorten product development time.
So maybe next time James Bond is in the situation where a hot girl need to reach him, or he just need to call mom, Q himself could have been using Solidworks.
And with Solidworks I off course would expect a cooler looking phone, especially if it is almost $300.
So maybe next time James Bond is in the situation where a hot girl need to reach him, or he just need to call mom, Q himself could have been using Solidworks.
And with Solidworks I off course would expect a cooler looking phone, especially if it is almost $300.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Software e-newsletter you actually want to read
It seems like every software company just have a lot of joy spamming your inbox with newsletters and such these days, so it was with a smile that I saw Mastercam had stuffed there newest version in my inbox. Just another advertising, flashy big lettered pdf, right?.............nope.
The topics in this "Mastercam Shop Talk" is actually useful tech tips, work around and advice. Here is a example that is in regards to Mastercam and Solidworks.
PDMWorks® and Mastercam PDMWorks—an application for SolidWorks® that is now called SolidWorks Enterprise
PDM—is a security vault that controls access to SolidWorks files. This vault lets you select
a file and open it with a program. If you try to open a file from within the vault with Mastercam, Mastercam crashes while opening the file. You must first check the file out of the vault, and then it can be opened with Mastercam. (TT0408)
PDM—is a security vault that controls access to SolidWorks files. This vault lets you select
a file and open it with a program. If you try to open a file from within the vault with Mastercam, Mastercam crashes while opening the file. You must first check the file out of the vault, and then it can be opened with Mastercam. (TT0408)
Some of the other topics are:
Windows Updates and Google Earth interfere with Mastercam.
Resizing Full-screen Window.
Verifying with multiple stock options.
It is for maintenance customers only from next issue and forward, what should according CNC Software be send out quarterly (looking at there track record in regards to maintenance releases, we might see the next one in June 2009).
This is a great idea, how come you get your latest maintenance upgrade from your Cad/Cam provider and then its like they crawl back in there cave, resellers are struggling finding the answers and forums are crowded with questions and frustrations. This kind of newsletter actually makes you think that someone is alive in the other end, and this is cheap costumer support/service for the Cad/Cam provider to produce.
Link to the whole pdf
Thursday, December 11, 2008
A quick look outside the Mastercam world
We all know it can be hard finding the time to do much between shoveling snow and trying to pay the mortgage. That's why it is nice when someone else will do the leg work for you, just sit back and spend a quick 5 minutes exploring what else is going on a couple of places outside the Mastercam world with a cup of coffee.
1st. thing should be reading Al Deans article in the Develop3D Magazine, Mr.Dean have spend a day at Delcam Headquarters and reports back with a good read, check it out.
For some reason when I start thinking of other Cad/Cam packages beside Mastercam, Siemens always comes to mind. Here is a couple of short videos for you to check out.
CAD Express 6 Feature Based Modeling
CAD Express 6 Model Edit
CAD Express 6 Roughing
Coffee is gone, time to get back to work, but 5 minute break......arhh don't we all feel better now?
1st. thing should be reading Al Deans article in the Develop3D Magazine, Mr.Dean have spend a day at Delcam Headquarters and reports back with a good read, check it out.
For some reason when I start thinking of other Cad/Cam packages beside Mastercam, Siemens always comes to mind. Here is a couple of short videos for you to check out.
CAD Express 6 Feature Based Modeling
CAD Express 6 Model Edit
CAD Express 6 Roughing
Coffee is gone, time to get back to work, but 5 minute break......arhh don't we all feel better now?
Monday, December 8, 2008
Solidworks Hole Alignment needs Re-Alignment
Enhancement request is made, and now the sound of crickets.
I do not want to trash, smack or smash Solidworks.
See this as a warning if you will, if I myself had come across a post similar to this one I would not have 26 assemblies with 518+ components in each, that I now need to revise.
Solidworks makes it clear in there help file in regards to the limitations of the Hole Alignment tool, but in a software geared torch speed and ease by using tools as Copy, Pattern and Mirroring, it is essential that the tools provided to help you check your design is up for the task.
My example of this is 2 blocks on top of each other where the left holes has been pattern in the X+ direction with 1/8 difference, and the Hole Alignment tool do not recognize it.
I hope this post will help raise a flag so new users do not make the same mistake I did, and if you agree with me, do me a favor and make a enhancement request for this tool to be at Solidworks 2009 standards on the Costumer Portal.
Thank you and Sincerely
Lars Christensen
I do not want to trash, smack or smash Solidworks.
See this as a warning if you will, if I myself had come across a post similar to this one I would not have 26 assemblies with 518+ components in each, that I now need to revise.
Solidworks makes it clear in there help file in regards to the limitations of the Hole Alignment tool, but in a software geared torch speed and ease by using tools as Copy, Pattern and Mirroring, it is essential that the tools provided to help you check your design is up for the task.
My example of this is 2 blocks on top of each other where the left holes has been pattern in the X+ direction with 1/8 difference, and the Hole Alignment tool do not recognize it.
I hope this post will help raise a flag so new users do not make the same mistake I did, and if you agree with me, do me a favor and make a enhancement request for this tool to be at Solidworks 2009 standards on the Costumer Portal.
Thank you and Sincerely
Lars Christensen
Friday, December 5, 2008
Call 911 my Hotkeys are on fire!! Part2
Alright, Part2, Mastercam Hotkeys.
I could make a long list of things that I would like CNC Software to re-write or improve, and the "Operator Manager " is defiantly somewhere where I have some wishes.
But if you added a couple of Hotkeys to "Regenerate operations", "Backplot" and "Verify" That might just make things a little better?
We gotta open Explore and locate our *.kmp file in the Mastercam Config file, and open it with something like Wordpad.
Scroll down to the bottom and add the lines circled in red. Then save and close the file (You should make a backup,"really?" well yeah you should".
And BAM! you just added
1)"Verify"=Alt+F6,
2)"Backplot"=F6,
3)"Regen Selected Operations"=F7
4)"Regen Dirty Operations"=F8
That's it, all I got on Hotkeys, hope it helps someone out there.
I could make a long list of things that I would like CNC Software to re-write or improve, and the "Operator Manager " is defiantly somewhere where I have some wishes.
But if you added a couple of Hotkeys to "Regenerate operations", "Backplot" and "Verify" That might just make things a little better?
We gotta open Explore and locate our *.kmp file in the Mastercam Config file, and open it with something like Wordpad.
Scroll down to the bottom and add the lines circled in red. Then save and close the file (You should make a backup,"really?" well yeah you should".
And BAM! you just added
1)"Verify"=Alt+F6,
2)"Backplot"=F6,
3)"Regen Selected Operations"=F7
4)"Regen Dirty Operations"=F8
That's it, all I got on Hotkeys, hope it helps someone out there.
Call 911 my Hotkeys are on fire!! Part1
If you are using more than 10 different Hotkeys on a regular basis in Solidworks or Mastercam I would not blame you for speed reading through this blog post.
However if you are a Mastercam Hotkey user I would pay attention to the part 2 of this blog post. because I might just introduce you to a couple of Hotkeys that might just make your day.
If you do not use Hotkeys on a regular basis, then you might want to take 5 min. and continue reading.
Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts, and most window based programs are capable of using standard Hotkeys. Windows XP has plenty, here is a list Windows Hotkeys.
So why should we pay attention to use them in the CAD/CAM world? There are 2 main reasons.
1) Speed, think about it, if you are one of those people who are "Aim, Point, mouse click" for every thing you do, then your left hand are in your lap while 104 keys on your keyboard are untouched.
2)Your health, if you have made it to a position where you use a computer more that 4 hours a day the statistic is that you are going to increase the use of a computer every year until retirement, you are going to put a lot of wear and tear on the mouse clicking hand.
Here is my trick, when I am working along and I think "Wow I just used that feature 2 sec ago" I know it is time to setup a Hotkey, and both Mastercam and Solidworks has some pretty easy tools to do this, the trick is when you setup a Hotkey to have a word document where you quickly can added the code, then you can print it out and tape it to the edge of the monitor, and maybe also take 30 sec to see if you could clear out some space by might delete an old Hotkey you have not use in a couple of weeks.
Lets start with Solidworks.
Go to customize.
1)Click tap for keyboard.
2)Make sure "Only show commands with shortcuts assigned" is NOT checked
3)Type in you new Hotkey
4) Just want to point out that you can have more than one Hotkey assigned for the same function.
I also want to point out that if you purchase something like a SpaceNavigator from 3DConnexion you will need to use Hotkeys to customize the programmable buttons.
Mastercam
Settings=>Keymapping.
Now this is a little different than Solidworks.
1)You need to pick your Category
2)Pick the function icon you want to add your Hotkey to.
3)Type in you new Hotkey
4)Also here like in Solidworks you can have more than one Hotkey assigned
5)And just make sure you save it, forget it and you have to do it over.
You really need to do yourself the favor and play around with Hotkey's if you haven't, its a little like learning a 7 year old what hand you hold the fork, it takes some practice, but down the road it will pay off big time.
Part 2 is coming up in a few hours.
However if you are a Mastercam Hotkey user I would pay attention to the part 2 of this blog post. because I might just introduce you to a couple of Hotkeys that might just make your day.
If you do not use Hotkeys on a regular basis, then you might want to take 5 min. and continue reading.
Hotkeys are keyboard shortcuts, and most window based programs are capable of using standard Hotkeys. Windows XP has plenty, here is a list Windows Hotkeys.
So why should we pay attention to use them in the CAD/CAM world? There are 2 main reasons.
1) Speed, think about it, if you are one of those people who are "Aim, Point, mouse click" for every thing you do, then your left hand are in your lap while 104 keys on your keyboard are untouched.
2)Your health, if you have made it to a position where you use a computer more that 4 hours a day the statistic is that you are going to increase the use of a computer every year until retirement, you are going to put a lot of wear and tear on the mouse clicking hand.
Here is my trick, when I am working along and I think "Wow I just used that feature 2 sec ago" I know it is time to setup a Hotkey, and both Mastercam and Solidworks has some pretty easy tools to do this, the trick is when you setup a Hotkey to have a word document where you quickly can added the code, then you can print it out and tape it to the edge of the monitor, and maybe also take 30 sec to see if you could clear out some space by might delete an old Hotkey you have not use in a couple of weeks.
Lets start with Solidworks.
Go to customize.
1)Click tap for keyboard.
2)Make sure "Only show commands with shortcuts assigned" is NOT checked
3)Type in you new Hotkey
4) Just want to point out that you can have more than one Hotkey assigned for the same function.
I also want to point out that if you purchase something like a SpaceNavigator from 3DConnexion you will need to use Hotkeys to customize the programmable buttons.
Mastercam
Settings=>Keymapping.
Now this is a little different than Solidworks.
1)You need to pick your Category
2)Pick the function icon you want to add your Hotkey to.
3)Type in you new Hotkey
4)Also here like in Solidworks you can have more than one Hotkey assigned
5)And just make sure you save it, forget it and you have to do it over.
You really need to do yourself the favor and play around with Hotkey's if you haven't, its a little like learning a 7 year old what hand you hold the fork, it takes some practice, but down the road it will pay off big time.
Part 2 is coming up in a few hours.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
MastercamX3 MU1 is ready for download
It was scheduled for October 31st but according to CNC Software they had some things they wanted this Maintenance Update release to include, and if you where current on your Maintenance agreement up to the month of October, you should be good to download from www.Mastercam.com.
Milling enhancement is accordingly to CNC Software.
The new "Arc Filter" that was introduced in X3 is now default instead of 2nd option.
"Feature Based Machining" will now let you sort operations.
Increased spot drill size.
Cutter compensation is added to peel mill.
Lathe enhancement is
VTL Tool libraries in inch and metric
Iscar tool library
The Adobe file at this point to me looks like it jumps over to the old "Whats new in X3" from this point, however I know from beta that a whole lot of bugs should have been taken care of. Lets the games begin so come on lets download and program.
Milling enhancement is accordingly to CNC Software.
The new "Arc Filter" that was introduced in X3 is now default instead of 2nd option.
"Feature Based Machining" will now let you sort operations.
Increased spot drill size.
Cutter compensation is added to peel mill.
Lathe enhancement is
VTL Tool libraries in inch and metric
Iscar tool library
The Adobe file at this point to me looks like it jumps over to the old "Whats new in X3" from this point, however I know from beta that a whole lot of bugs should have been taken care of. Lets the games begin so come on lets download and program.
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