I was just wondering if someone could help me get started and maybe give some tips with programming parts. Eg. Which settings to use: Surface, Parallal, Contour? I also seem to get sharp corners when trying to cut a path for this part. Does anyone know why? I was wondering if you guys could help me with this part courtesy of JFettig a.k.a. Jon I guess :). I asked him before putting this on the post.
Thank you all very much for your time.
I really appreciate it.
:D :D :D :D :D :D :rainfro:

Oh yeah,
Also, what are the units in Mastercam?
Thanks. :):):):):):):):rainfro:
Thanks.

What version of MC are you using and are you haveing trouble with the radial surface in the center area of the Solid, Do you have solids.
I am asking to know what to give you for a file.

What do you mean to give me as a file. Like which extension? Anyway, Mastercam V9.
Thanks. :):):):):):):):rainfro:

I was having trouble with the contours of the solid, they would come out very blocky, but when I scaled them from inches to mm or something like that the solid got bigger and there was no more blockynes. Is there any other way around this? Will this create a toolpath that is way bigger than what the finished product should be?
Thanks again. :):):):):):):rainfro:

When I open it, it's just a 2d drawing.Just select contour then chain and pick lines.Offset tool to which side you want and go.

There should be a 3d Solid in it, also what units is Mastercam in?
Thanks. :)

Ok I can do this later to day and send you my MC9 file.
do you need this in MM for it does not matter?

And DLMachine if you are running V9 when you bring in the DXF it contains a 3d solid model.

I was wondering if MasterCam writes for Mack and would it post like a Windows Platform? also, I would like to know the most suitable Windows Platform for MasterCam, 95,98,2ooo professional or xp? I am looking for fine line finishing also I use multiple layering for artistic rendering. I would appreciate any advice on this subject.
Thank You,
Jim Mill
Sorry, I almost forgot. How much memory and hard drive for the ideal combination?

Sanghera,
Possibly I am mis-reading your post but the carbintake00.zip file is a .dxf which is only 2D and does not support surfaces or solids.

Ken

No, I'm pretty sure that a dxf. can be 3d. I opened it up and you can pan it around in a three dimensional view. I'm not sure, maybe there is something wrong with the file, did you make sure that you used zoom extends to see the whole picture?
Thanks. :)

You may be able to move around in apparent 3D wire frame but that is not the same as surfaces or solids. It is a 2D only I am sure, could be wrong, would not be my first time :D

Ken

Some how I seem to miss the file.As for DXF supporting solids and 3d yes it does.
I have had a few files this way.

Ken you are right this was the way for years but has changed over the last few years.

I have looked at your file and would suggest saving your models in STEP format as you will get the surfaces to be better. DXF constructs a wire frame with surfaces between the wires.

I could not tell if the surface was spherical or angular. You might be getting sharp edges because the DXF translator is outputting the geomoetry that way and when you import into mastercam the software is only seeing these sharp edges.

I forgot that I was able to open this file a while back. when I bring it in to mastercam it has wire and a solid model in 3d.

Would you like the MC9 file back.

I also can give it to you another format.
Or not as a solid but as clean surface data.you do not have to go to step.

What is step anyhow?
Thanks. :)

STEP is an ISO standard format consisting of a series of application protocols (APs)

Do you need the file by the way?

The file isn't mine. I'm not sure.
Thanks. :)