surface or solids

[daisydog]

When I try to start creating an nc program in madcam I get the select solids or surfaces message. I can find nothing in help or any place else that instructs on how to select surfaces or solids. I have tried to follow the few instructions that are included word for word but evidently I am missing something. Can anybody give me a quick explanation.

[turmite]

Daisydog send me a pm with a contact email address and I will help you.

I'm in the process of becoming a US reseller for Madcam and am going to be helping what I can with support.

Mike

[turmite]

I went back and read your post again. Once you open Madcam in Rhino you have to have a model opened that has to be either surfaces or solids. A wire frame won't work.

Go ahead and pm me and we will set up a support session.

Mike

[dcd121]

When you do select a surface or solid and it is a box like object and you have shading on the green box madcam uses to show the surface or solid is selected does not show up very well. You may have made the Madcam selection and you can't see it. Turn of the layer you surface or solid is on and see if there is a green box visible.

Dave

[daisydog]

It seems that madcam will not use wireframe to produce an nc program, only surface or solid. Now the question is how can a wireframe drawing imported from keycreator be converted to a surface in rhino 3d version 4?

[turmite]

daisydog I have to disagree with you, but Madcam can and does use curves, lines, splines etc for creating code. It does require a surface to be present to activate the program.

For instance, if you wanted to machine an outline of a square 4" per side, draw the square like you want it, then offset that square by .5" or whatever you would like and use the offset curves to create a surface by using the corner point selection in the surface command. Once the surface has been created, click on the Madcam surface icon and select that surface. Once that has been selected you can now select the 4" square box and machine it either as a profile or a pocket, our choice.

Why don't you post a 3dm of what you want to machine and I will do it for you so you can see what I am talking about. I learned early on that it is easier for me to learn something when I can "see" it.

Mike

[daisydog]

Thanks for the tip on the surfaces now I'm stuck at the next step picking a cutting tool. In cutters how do I change to inches, and how do I save in a convenient area.

After the cutter was picked 2-d was selected and the option to pocket selected, but MadCam would not respond to pocketing or any of the other machining options offered.

Any sugestions on these new problems.

I would gladly buy a manual if there is one available, the instrucions that come with it are not adequate and at times sentences are ran over by illustrations blocking out important dialogue....maybe.

I admit to being a beginner but I have been able to do programming in both Mastercam and Rhinocam so this should be very doable.

Thanks for all the help.

[turmite]

Hi daisydog,

First of all there is no need to apologize for being new or for lack of understanding the help files. I have actually mentioned the illustrations blocking some of the text to Joakim and he said he would take care of it. Joakim is sending me his total help file and I will be attempting to help in the rewriting of them shortly. If you will pm me a private email I will send you my ph # and I will talk you through this..

Now to your cutter problem. After you have opened Madcam with the sel surface icon, open a 3d or 2d file in Rhino. Make sure there is a surface of some sort to select and select the surface to start Madcam. You will now see the green materials box pop up. Now you can select a cutter. Click on the cutter icon and the menu will pop up. The first thing you will see is a bar that says name, which will be the name of the cutter. To the right of that bar you will see 4 icons....a yellow square, a red X, a 3.5" floppy disc and a square with .... The last square will allow you to find the path to the cutters folder.

Click on that last icon and the select c drive. Once that is open select program files, then select Madcam 3 or 4 whichever you are having problems with. Once the Madcam folder is open you will see a cutters folder. Open that and you have two choices. Metric (mm) or inches. Select inches and hit enter. You now should have inches as your std dimensions for your cutters. There may not be the correct sizes there unless you have already created tools and saved them.

Again, pm me with your info and let me talk you through this. I promise you it is painless!

Mike

[dcd121]

If your Rhino file is set to inches the inch tool library comes up as the default.
Same with metric.
Dave