Is there a BOOK on this????

[Smitty911]

I don't have hours on end to sit and watch videos, is there a book or PDF that I can download and print. It would save me hours.

I have yet to be able to make a part and cut that part using Dolphin, not mad just frustrated. The videos are not very noobish.

edit - I have Part Master 2 cad/cam

Smitty

[Smitty911]

Ok I spent the last two hours trying to find out something simple like how to change the dimensions on a part. Still looking.

I watch several video and could hardly understand it due to the accent.

The links on http://www.dolphincadcamusa.com/Tutorials.html don't work, so that was out.

How about the Dolphin for Dummies book.

Thanks

Smitty

[Dolphin USA]

Yes Smitty there should be a .pdf manual that came with your package. Did you get the Dolphin Partmaster CD via mail?

[Dolphin USA]

Also, we can make customer videos for yourself, let me know any way I can help.

[Chad_Clark]

Smitty911 - Have you tried to contact Dolphin CAD/CAM Support at all directly? You can always email them at support@dolphincadcamusa.com and I am sure they will be glad to help. Also I am not sure if you have checked, but the help files have everything you can think of and can be printed out as well. There is also a Manual located on the CD that is not in the Download. There was a CD that was mailed out to you and if you haven't recieved it I am sorry and we will ship another right away. Please just let us know and we will be glad to help.

P.S. We didn't realize that the videos weren't working properly and will get that fixed and worked out.

[Smitty911]

Chad,

Thanks I recieved one CD, after looking though it I found a PDF about 5 layers down in a file folder. It seemed to be the one based on video. Didn't really help. I'll take it to work and look though it some more.

I'll also contact support and see what they suggest.

Thanks

Smitty

[Smitty911]

Ok, your website links this as the support forum. So here is the support I need.

1. I have watched all the Milling Videos.

a. When I go to draw my part, I clink on the dimension tool Horizontal and click the line. I move the line up so I can read the dimension box and it places a value in there for how long the line is.

b. I want to change the length of that line to an exact number, How on God's Green Earth do you do that?

c. How do change any angle, I'm sure it's like the above.

2. I went into the Geo Editor, why would I draw my part in CAD and than re-draw it in the Geo Editor to fix the dimensions from straight XY coordinates. That I don't have a firm grasp of and the reason I bought a CAD package.

3. I'll cover the CAM portion once I have a CAD part.

This may be the best software with the most capabilities on earth, but if the documentation and videos don't cover it well, than it won't matter.

FYI - If DolphinUSA wants to sell more of this software to hobby users and manufacturing people, someone might want to do a better job of documentation. I looked up dimension in all variations on how to do the above.

Sorry for the TONE, I'm almost 20 hours into this and still can't do what I need. Frustration levels are high.

Smitty

[Smitty911]

I have attached a PDF of the part I'm attempting to make and get cut.

If someone, at this point anyone can walk me though it I would be eternally gratefull. That just means I can't afford to pay for your help. LOL

I have also included a photo of the part that I made in Alibre, output to MeshCam and Cut. I made a mistake and scrapped the part. I would like to just cut the outline and than turn the part over and cut the remaining material and allowing the part to fall out.

Feel free to contact me, e-mail, PM, etc.

Smitty

[Smitty911]

Dolphin Support, Chad, et al,

I am still waiting to hear from someone regarding the questions I have asked. No e-mail, no pm's, no phone call, etc.

I've sent an additional e-mail, played with this thing, I have imported a DXF from Alibre, still nothing, no video has been supplied that was offered.

How hard should this process be? I get MeshCam to make tool paths, I can get CAMBAM to make tool paths.

Should someone be responding? This is the Dolphin Forum, right?

If this is the level of support that I should expect, please let me know now and I'll quit wasting my time with Dolphin.

Thanks Wes for the help you provided, that was of value.

I guess I could go in "Squeaky wheel" mode, but would prefer to have a solution.

Smitty

[Chad_Clark]

John,

I have emailed to you the info on the parametric stuff that you were asking for including a video. I hope that this helps. I will also send a simple video of creating toolpath, machining and post processing by Wednesday.

Chad

[Smitty911]

Thanks Chad,

Hopefully it will solve/explain how to do what I need it to.

Looking forward to reviewing it.

Thanks

Smitty

[Smitty911]

Well after about three more hours of just getting the contours outlined correctly and few other areas. I may have figured the first steps out. There still seem to be some issues in how a files is opened.

CAD - Opened it and it stayed in Inches
CAM - Opened it and it changed to MM

Figured that out, maybe, we'll see.

Had to remove all the drawing lines from the templated,, leaving only the lines I wanted.

Attempted to set the NC at 0,0,0 not sure if that is being picked up yet.

Made the two contours, One that goes around the outside of the part. The other one should go around the INSIDE of the Hole. Couldn't find where to change that so It became a Pocket instead.

I may be on the right, but slow track now.

The video should be here some time today. This should show me if I'm doing it correctly.

Smitty