Hypermill in Inventor issues

[single phase]

Why does Inventor show a mouse arrow with a small plus sign next to it when Hypermill finishes a "Calculate"? The only way I have found to get rid of it is to hit the escape key. When it is in this state, you can't get to any of the normal right click menus and you can't double click the items in the model. What is its purpose? Is there anything productive about the mode it puts you in? Can it be turned off?


Does anybody use a spaceball or any kind of object rotation device? Have you noticed any changes in behavior with Inventor 2008? My ball will now only effect the model when the drawing window is the "current" window. An example would be after I select something in the model or hypermill list I can't manipulate the model until I click back in the drawing window. This issue does not seam to have anything directly to do with Hypermill but it makes hypermill more difficult to use as every click to change something requires another click in the drawing window.


Cheers
SF

[Blowby]

It's just an indicator that you are in the hyperMILL section and if you select any Inventor function (sketch, line, circle, extrude....) it switches you to the Inventer section. It's the same logic that Inventor uses, example create a sketch and draw a circle. RMB and your option to finish the command is - Done or ESC key. So to finish hyperMILL functions hit the ESC key as well.

SpaceBall has no problems in the older versions on Inventor but I did notice the same problem with SolidWorks 2008. Maybe we need to contact 3Dconnexions about this issue with the newer graphics in the latest software.

Hope this helped.

[single phase]

Blowby,

Wow, there is life on this forum!

3Dconnexions no longer supports the spaceball. They went so far as to take all the spaceball drivers off their web site. They clearly want us to spend money on their new product. The question I have is, do their new balls have this problem too?!

Why hit the escape key after every calculate? There is no value in this extra keystroke. Yet you have to do it every time if you want to use any of the normal Inventor RMB menu items or double click on anything in the Inventor Model list. It is a drag because you have to take your hand off the spaceball to do it. I could understand if it added value like, in your example, RMB to end an Inventor line or measure command.


SF

[Blowby]

I'm running the space traveler on my laptop and the spaceball 5000 on the workstation and the newer product has the same issue.

On the space ball 5000 the "A" button is already mapped to use the "ESC" command. You don't have to take your hand off the ball and break a sweat.

[single phase]

good idea!

[SCS]

I checked tis out in SW 2008 and hyperMILL 9.7 using a Spacepilot from within Vista32, and there didn't seem to be any issues. All the latest software and drivers.

Keith

[single phase]

SCS, you are the first person to weigh in with Solidworks. Cool, how do you like it? Do you have Hypermill experience or just starting? Welcome to our forums!

I suspect this is an Inventor only issue that is aggravated by also using Hypermill in Inventor.

Blowby, guess what? The escape key button on my SpaceBall only works if I click in the drawing window first! LOL



Cheers
SF

[SCS]

single phase, I'm just getting started with hyperMILL. I'm along time user of Mastercam and WorkNC....throw a bit of SolidCAM, CAMworks exposure into the mix. How long have you been using HM? I plan to weigh in a lot as my exposure ramps up.

Regarding Inventor, hyperMILL and your 3Dconnexions....have you been to 3Dconnexion's forum and or queried them regarding driver. Granted the "SpaceBall" is getting a little dated and drivers may not be openly availiable. But for the asking....one nver knows.

[single phase]

SCS

I have the last official release for my spaceball 3003 FLX. However the issue in front of us seams to be a change in Inventor 2008. 3Dconnexions is going to have to address this for every ball they make. When they do I will be the first in line to get a new ball cuz I do not like this new behavior, it disrupts my thought too much. The thing that amazes me is that Autodesk could allow this to happen in the first place! At the very least they should have put in a switch to allow the old drivers to still work with a warning that changes are in the air. Would that have been too much to ask? If it is not Autodesk's fault then who's fault is it?

I used a few CAM programs way back . . . back in the early Autocad days of LISP CAM programs. YUCK. I built my first CNC mill in 1985 using a 386 PC and microsoft BASIC and I modded several CAM utilities modules to gt it to do the stuff I wanted. I have been using Hypermill for almost 10 years. Started in MDT V2.0 and switched to Inventor soon after OM created a release for it ( no idea when that was).

If you need anything just give me a ring.


Cheers
SF

[single phase]

I am happy to report that the SpaceNavigator solves the problem in Inventor 2008. It only cost me $50 on ebay too.

It works nice and is a USB interface. Only taking a little to get accustomed to the new shaped handle.

Cheers
SF