What’s New in Mastercam X MR2
The following links list the new functionality in this Maintenance release of Mastercam X.
AutoCursor
In an effort to improve efficiency, we have made some AutoCursor modifications that emulate more of what users were used to in previous versions of Mastercam.
FastPoint Mode
Some users have requested that FastPoint Mode be the default. This change will allow you to set it and use it exactly the way you want. Since both modes have their advantages, you must have easy access to both. One of the common complaints with releases before Mastercam X was that you had to hit the space bar to put the system into FastPoint mode.
· AutoCursor now has two distinct modes for input – XYZ mode and FastPoint mode. Rather than forcing you to manually switch from the XYZ mode with the spacebar or FastPoint button, you can now force the system into FastPoint mode as the default. The Default to FastPoint mode option in the AutoCursor Settings dialog box controls this state.
· Each mode will have a different effect on the interface in the AutoCursor and in ribbon bars that use hot keys 1, 2, or 3 to manipulate AutoCursor positions of some entities.
XYZ mode
This is how the current X interface works. This includes the AutoCursor and ribbon bar actions. This is the active mode when the Default to FastPoint mode option is unselected.
FastPoint mode
· FastPoint mode will be activated any time you type X, Y, Z, D, or any number on the keyboard.
· When set as the default mode, the XYZ keys normally reserved to put focus in the X, Y, Z, or D fields of the AutoCursor ribbon bar or activate the 1, 2, 3 options on the ribbon bar will open the FastPoint mode, just like in Version 9.
· While FastPoint mode is the default, you will still be able to use the mouse to access the X, Y, Z, or D fields of the AutoCursor ribbon bar and type anything in those fields without activating the FastPoint mode.
· While in FastPoint mode, you will only be able to access the 1, 2, 3, buttons in the ribbon bar by using the mouse. These buttons are used in some functions to redefine the geometry by prompting to select a new position.
Power Keys
This adjustment changes the way AutoCursor positions are accessed, making them available via single keystrokes. You will be able to turn this on or off. Basically, this option allows you to use E for endpoints, O for origin, C for Center, and so on, just like the override modes in prior versions of Mastercam, without forcing you to use an [Alt] or [Ctrl] key combination.
· The AutoCursor Settings dialog box now has a switch to use this option.
· The AutoCursor dialog box and the drop-down list will show the hot keys with an underlined character. Windows 2000 or XP will not show the underlined character in a dialog box unless you first hit the [Alt] key, or turn off your computer’s Hide underlined letters for keyboard navigation until I press the Alt key option (can be accessed by going to the Windows Control Panel and selecting Display, Appearance tab, Effects button).
· The hot keys will not be user customizable but they are translatable.
· When the AutoCursor Power Keys are active, Mastercam X will interpret user input differently when the system is prompting for an AutoCursor position.
· The keystroke will be first run through the AutoCursor power keys to see if it matches one of those settings.
· If a power key match is found, the AutoCursor will then be in Override mode, just as if you clicked it with the mouse.
· If no match is found, the keystroke will be passed down to the ribbon bar to see if it activates any of the controls.
· If no match is found in either place, the keystroke will be treated as it is now.
· There may be cases where ribbon bar controls will not work when Power Keys are enabled. In those cases, you will be forced to use the mouse to access those options.
· The options on the right side of the Settings dialog box will not have hot keys. Angular, Tangent, Perpendicular, Nearest, and Horizontal/Vertical are all new to X and are all “relative” positions, not discrete snap positions.
· The Relative option, which is not in the Settings dialog box but is in the drop-down override list, will not have a hot key even though it had one in Version 9.
· When in an override mode, the rubber band cursor does not appear on the screen or is removed from the screen. This is consistent with Version 9 override behavior. To address this will require more design work for the AutoCursor in a future version.
AutoCursor Locking
Users have been requesting the ability to lock an AutoCursor mode without having to open the Settings dialog box. This change will allow you to choose between setting a single event override or setting a locked mode for multiple events without having to open the AutoCursor Settings dialog. This change will be subtle, utilizing the same right-click cursor indication we are currently using for the Status Bar.
· As you bring the mouse to the override drop-down box, you will see a visual cue that there is an alternate option when the cursor changes.
· When you activate the drop-down to select an override, you will see the new cursor that indicates there is an alternate right-click behavior.
·
Left-click on an option and the system will
work in the single-event override mode. ·
Right-click on an option and the system will
lock that mode so it can be used continually without having to be reset. ·
The override button will be depressed as an
indicator that a specific mode is active.
· Locking the AutoCursor mode will not have any effect on the AutoCursor Settings dialog box.
· You are also able to assign and lock the AutoCursor overrides in the right-mouse menu with the same interaction that is found with the AutoCursor ribbon bar.
· Locking the AutoCursor options from a toolbar is also supported. But it will not be indicated to you with the special mouse cursor that it is available like in the AutoCursor ribbon bar or in the right-mouse menu.
· Locking the AutoCursor mode will stay active for the session or until you do one of the following which will reset the mode back to it’s default behavior:
· Exiting Mastercam
· File, New
· Opening the AutoCursor Settings dialog box.
· Clicking on the selected button in the AutoCursor ribbon bar with either the right or the left mouse button.
· Using a Keymap combination that interacts with the AutoCursor modes
· For MR2, there will not be a way to lock an AutoCursor mode using a keystroke sequence.
The following AutoCursor options cannot be locked and will
only work in the current override mode even if selected with the right mouse
button. ·
Origin ·
Nearest ·
Relative ·
Perpendicular ·
Tangent While in a locked mode, none of the button options on the
ribbon bar will be active. Live entities cannot be edited or even accepted with
the [Enter] key. You must hit [Esc] to exit the locked override mode first
before trying to edit the entity. During the design process of Mastercam X, we neglected to
port this functionality. Many users have noticed this and complained that it
adds more work by not having it. Therefore it is back and will be assigned to
[F2] as it was in previous versions of Mastercam. We have improved it to
remember as many zooms as you make. Here are the function parameters: ·
Changing the view (including rotation) ·
Fit ·
Zoom In/Out ·
Zoom Selected ·
Zoom Target ·
Zoom Window ·
Mouse wheel zoom in ·
Page Up key zoom in 3.
For multiple mouse wheel/Page Up key zoom in actions, only
the first action is processed as described in 2. Multiple actions are
considered terminated when either a function is run or the left mouse button is
clicked in the graphics viewport. We have changed the saving and loading of pre-defined masks
to remember the state of the Maintain
option. Undo has been modified to purge the Redo stack when a new
transaction is added to the Undo stack. This is standard operation for Windows
products. This means if you create 5 lines, then undo 2 and create a new
circle, the last two lines created can not be restored with a Redo command
because the arc creation started a new “branch” in the Undo/Redo thread. ·
The Active
option controls whether it is on or off, active or inactive. ·
When the Active option is selected, the Start,
Increment, Delimiter, and Max Limit fields are enabled. ·
The Delimiter
field uses standard Microsoft® controls to disallow the following
characters as delimiters: \/:*?”<>|. ·
The delimiter is placed between the end of the
file name and just before the MCX suffix followed by a number. This field will only accept 1 character. ·
The default values for these fields are Start
100, Increment 1, Delimiter @, and Max Limit 10. ·
The Start
field allows you to set what the first number will be in the backup sequence. ·
The Increment
field determines the increment between numbers. ·
The Start and Increment fields accept multiple
characters. ·
Every time you save a file while this is active,
a backup copy of the part will be made based on the settings. Using the example of Test.MCX with the values
set to 100, 1, -, and a max limit of 3, the following will occur: ·
Based on user input, we added options to save
the backup files in a user-specified backup directory. Select the Use backup directory option and setting
a specific path for the backup files. If the backup directory is not specified,
the backup files will be saved in the same location as the MCX files. By
default, they will reside in the MCX directory. This version of Mastercam X contains a new option under the
File menu called Project Manager.
Selecting this option opens a dialog that will allow you to easily assign the data
paths of various files related to the current MCX project into the same folder
as the active MCX file. We have provided the flexibility to specify which machine
groups use these settings. You can select one or more groups in the Group settings list box and/or select
the check box called Apply these
settings when adding new machine groups to this part file. By selecting
this option, you can run the Project Manager once and retain all settings for
future operations and machine groups. The Project Manager works on the group
properties of the current MCX file and overrides the data paths stored within
it. This allows you to override data paths for the selected groups without
overwriting any Machine or Control Definition files. Note: The data paths
for translators are still controlled via the Options dialog in the File Open
function as shown below. There are some additional features in MR2 that will make
life easier for people who work on Machine Definitions and related files for
others (i.e., Mastercam Resellers, support personnel, etc.). The new search
algorithms will also make it easier to move MD/CD/Post files around on a
network. Here's how it works when you load an MCX file: If the MD file contains a token for
the path, it is replaced with the default path to MD files for the product
type. A check for the MD file stored with the machine group is carried out. If
the file cannot be found, the following folders are checked in order, and the first
one to contain the file “wins”. ·
Current MCX folder ·
Default MD file folder ·
Current MD file folder 2.
Machine group properties MD - Control definition file The following paths are searched
for the control definition irregardless of the path in the local copy of the
MD, and the first one to contain the file “wins”. ·
Current MCX folder ·
CD path that was actually stored in the local
copy of the MD ·
Current MD file folder ·
Default CD file folder ·
Mastercam install folder The following paths are searched
for the post processor file irregardless of the path in the local copy of the
MD, and the first one to contain the file “wins”. ·
Current MCX folder ·
Post processor path that was actually stored in
the local copy of the MD ·
Current MD file folder ·
Default post processor file folder ·
Mastercam install folder The following paths are searched
for library files, and the 1st one to contain the file 'wins'. ·
Library path that was actually stored in the
local copy of the MD ·
Default library file folder ·
Current MCX folder ·
Mastercam install folder Operation defaults files and operation libraries are not
part of this new logic at this time. The only main difference with tool and
material libraries is the inclusion of the current MCX file folder. Note: When you load
the disk copy of a machine definition, the search path rules in #2 and #3 also
apply. Support personnel will now be able to unzip all of the files
into a single project folder and work with them directly, without editing paths
in the Machine/Control Definitions. We have received many requests to display the Level
Descriptor on the screen. In MR2, there
is an option on the Screen page of the Settings, Configuration dialog that
allows you to display the level descriptor. Even though this functionality exists in the Create, Point,
Endpoints function, enough users struggled with it so that we re-created this
as Screen, Display Entity Endpoints. This function differs from previous
versions of Mastercam in that it does not have options to save the endpoints.
It displays them until the screen is refreshed. It does require you to be able
to run with Hardware acceleration enabled. In the process of creating Mastercam X, we lost the ability
to move the nodes of parametric splines. In Version 9, this was done with
Analyze. MR2 adds this functionality back into the software as a part of the
renamed Modify NURBS function. ·
The ribbon bar appears only when a parametric
spline is selected. ·
To maintain tangency conditions, select the Tangency buttons. Writing out STL models with regard to the active WCS is now
done automatically when the file is written. This will help when using STL
models for stock in Verify. We reworked the interaction of this function to make it
easier to modify the results. There is a problem in the way Mastercam X works when trying
to select solids for machining. Only one solid at a time can be selected - all
other options like Window or even All, Solids do not work. This creates extra
work for the user and makes it too easy for the user to gouge their part if a
solid is missed. With this change, you will be able to use: ·
All, Surfaces and Solids ·
Window or Polygon selection ·
Select only Surface or Solids ·
Select specific solid faces using the Solids
selection activation option Several improvements have been made to this function. These improvements have addressed multiple
defects that had been logged in our database. Most importantly, improvements
have been made to recognizing ID features. Please try this function out and let
us know what you think. We have incorporated a new 2D
offset algorithm to improve reliability in several areas of the software. The
new algorithm is used in virtually all 2D toolpaths (Mill, Lathe, Router and Wire).
Other areas that will be affected by this change include: ·
Stock boundaries in Lathe ·
Analyze Contour ·
Cross Hatching ·
Offset Contour ·
Solids ·
Nesting New settings include: ·
Default
chaining mode options have been added. ·
The Color and Level mask options are to allow
for “quick” masking on those items. If Color
is selected when you chain geometry, the Color mask setting on the Chaining
Options dialog will be enabled. This means that the system will read the color
of the first entity selected and will only see items of the same color. ·
Prompt for window search point. The BackPlot Config C-Hook had a No Front Buffer option that informed
Backplot to expect the setting of the Unified
back/depth buffer option that some nVIDIA graphics cards need to be active.
This setting can sometimes adversely affect the graphics display during
Backplot. The switch has been added to the System Configuration dialog on the
Screen page so you can have Backplot deal with this setting instead of altering
your graphics card setup. Some settings that where previously only available via the BackPlot
Config C-Hook have been integrated into the system. The Opacity settings affect
both the tool and holder (if displayed). The Inactive setting is for inactive tools, such as Block Drill
tools in the “up” position. Settings range from .01 (tool will be invisible) to
1.0 (tool completely solid). Opacity settings have been added to the Backplot settings
dialog boxes as well. In addition to the new Opacity settings, there are new
settings for Wire Backplot: ·
To allow for controlling the Wire Guides
display. ·
Control of the display of the UV axis motion. These same settings are available for adjustment at any time
while in Wire Backplot. Users with many operations find it takes too many keystrokes
to match which operation goes to what toolpath. They have to turn off the display
of all operations, highlight one, press [T] to see it, and then press [T] again
to turn it off. They often have to
repeat this process dozens of times before they find the operation they want.
They also have been asking for a similar mechanism to identify what geometry
belongs to each operation. There are two new buttons on the Toolpath Manager for these
functions: ·
Only display selected toolpaths ·
Only display associated geometry ·
Each button has an up and down state. ·
When they are in the default up state, the
functions are not active. ·
The state will remain modal for the current
session of Mastercam. ·
The states can interact with each other and both
be down at the same time. ·
We changed the way the arrow keys work because of
these new options. Currently they control the position of the insert arrow. The
up and down arrow keys now move from operation to operation. ·
The control of the insert arrow is now tied to a
[Shift-Arrow] key sequence. ·
This function operates on selected operations
rather than just the one with focus. ·
This will allow more than one operation to be
displayed at a time. ·
By default, selecting with the mouse
automatically selects and puts the focus on the operation. ·
When this button is down, the function is active
and only the operations that are selected will display the toolpath. ·
This option will turn off the display of all
toolpaths and force the selected toolpaths to be displayed, even if the display
property is turned off. ·
Because of changes to the arrow key
functionality, you will be able to move from operation to operation with the
keys. ·
This function will operate on selected
operations rather than just the one with focus. ·
This will allow more than one operation’s
geometry to be displayed at a time. ·
By default, selecting with the mouse
automatically selects and puts the focus on the operation. ·
When this button is active, only the operations
that are selected will display the geometry. ·
Because of changes to the arrow key
functionality, you will be able to move from operation to operation with the
keys. ·
This option will turn off the display of all
other toolpath geometry and force the selected toolpaths’ geometry to be
displayed, even if the geometry is: ·
Blanked ·
Not visible because of the Hide function ·
On a level that is turned off ·
If both options are active, then you will see
only the toolpath and its associated geometry on the screen. ·
You will be able to work in Mastercam using all
of the functions while you are in this mode. Users have been asking for an option that will allow them to
manually set feeds and speeds and never have them automatically reset because they
changed tools, material, or default files. The dialog box below shows a new
option added to the Machine Group Properties, Tool Settings page. ·
This option includes entry fields for Feed rate,
Spindle speed, Plunge rate, and Retract rate. ·
The value in the entry fields will be the
default Feeds and Speeds used for every operation created when this option is
selected. ·
Once the operation has been created, there is no
longer any associativity between this setting and the operation. You could change these values and they would
not affect existing operations. ·
If you start with one option and switch to User
Defined, the feeds and speeds of existing operations will not be changed and it
will allow for you to make future manual changes in each operation. ·
If you change tools, materials, or defaults, the
feeds and speeds values will not change. In previous versions when stock was generated from the
toolpath data, we set the top of the stock at the feed height. Then when Verify runs, it often shows it as a
gouge because the tool is making contact with the stock at a rapid feed rate.
Instead of using the feed height value, we are now using the top of stock. We have added a simple way to reset the interface to adjust
the values based on the machining tolerance and the stock to leave from the
selected operations. Starting with MR2, Mastercam will allow you to browse for an
external communications package the same way you can browse for a third-party
editor in previous versions. This allows you to seamlessly integrate virtually
any third-party communications package with Mastercam. The new Mastercam
External communications product is still available without browsing. If you
want to select a different package, you can select Other in the drop-down list and this will launch the standard file
open dialog so you can make your selection. In Mastercam Version 9.1, the user could name the individual
.NC files using several different methods. With Mastercam X, the current MD
group name is applied to all operations and the user can not rename individual
.NC files. We added a page to the System Configuration dialog box
called Toolpath Manager. This page
will provide you with the ability to name the Machine Group, Toolpath Group and
the .NC file. ·
The Machine
Group section will control the name output as the Machine Group name in the
Toolpath Manager.
Limitations
Zoom Previous
Masking
Undo/Redo
MCX Backup Files
Setdirs Functionality for X
Display Level Descriptor
Screen Endpoints
Modify Spline
STL Export
3 Surface Blend
Improved Selection of
Multiple Solids for 3D Machining
Improvements to the
Solid to 2D Profile function
2D Offset Improvements
System Configuration
Chaining
Screen
Backplot
Wire Backplot
Toolpath Manager Display Options
Only display selected
toolpaths
Only display associative
geometry
Both options together
User Defined Feeds and Speeds
Verify
Scan toolpath file for stock
STL Compare Reset
Tolerance and Stock to Leave
Browse for External
Communications
NC File Naming Change
