Ugh, solidworks to meshcam...can you help?

[ClemsonGirl]

It seem that everytime I load a STL from solidworks meshcam switches around my planes in meshcam. My top view becomes my front view, and it is on the "mesh" wrong.

anyway, i just learned solidworks and am comfortable. My friend and I are trying to learn how to use meshcam, but are kinda lost. Is there an idiots guide to this?


p.s. i have never used a CAM in my life, and my Taig just came in today!!!!!!

-CG

[ckirchen]

MeshCAM does not work in views. It only cares about the coordinate system (CS). The CS's X, Y, and Z axes correspond to the machine axes.

To get the proper orientation in MeshCAM, the top view in SW should have the CS oriented so that the X and Y axes are in the plane of the screen and the Z axis is coming out of the screen. If the CS isn't in that orientation, you can change it by making a new one that is rotated until the axes are pointing in the right directions. Then, during the STL export, select the new CS instead of the default one.

Since the CS is also the program zero in MeshCAM, you can offset the CS in SW to create a more friendly location, rather that using the defaut. i.e. the default CS might be entirely inside the part, whereas a more suitable program zero might be on the top face of the part.

Just keep in mind that MeshCAM will apply offsets to the CS to make the program zero the top-front-left corner of data's bounding box. To re-align the program zero with the CS, select "CAM>Program Zero" and change the three offsets to zero.

While it might be tempting to offset and rotate the part in MeshCAM into the correct orientation, it's not a good idea. MeshCAM doesn't save the particulars of the model when you close it, so you have to remember everything you did if you want to reopen a part; which is an invitation for errors. It is much safer to make the changes to the CS in SW and keep the offsets in MeshCAM equal to zero and leave the rotations alone.

Chris Kirchen