Parasolids

[qnet2]

What is the real value of working with a Parasolid?
anybody know?
I just backread a few pages here and found a video to learn how to use the WCS features in MC and Parasolid was not fully explained?

thanks

[WallyL7]

Parasolids are awesome. They are really clean solid models, in essence. The value of working with them is you can use them to define stock size, working coordinates, getting tool path from faces, edges, using the lines/arcs for contours, etc.

In my opinion, they are the cleanest format to deal with. I use the .x_t format a lot and have always been able to get clean toolpath.

The only negative I see is that they don't bring in the thread size on threads like you'd get if you brought in the design tree from like a Solidworks part directly, and if you did want to manipulate the model like suppress things for machining, you can't do that.

[qnet2]

hmm been playing with making solids/editiing them saving as para's
had two files tell me when i tried to save a solid as a para

solids need regeneration you may not be able to reopen this file again
yada yada :>

kinda strange wonder what i did wrong

but using the WCS is way cool that's the best thing ive learned in mc in a while

[WallyL7]

All that warning is telling you is that you have changed some things in the model that need to be repaired or rebuilt.

Check the solid tree to see where the question marks (or exclamation points possibly) are. They are the features that need work. If you hit the Regen All tab and there are still features with question marks or exclamation points, then you need to fix them before saving.

Once they are all cleared up, you will be able to save without the warning and the model is stable.

[qnet2]

Thanks man
ive had mastercam for a while now but have not had much time to learn the finer points.
but without the helo's rolling thru here at 4-5 per month , in the last quarter ive had some time to learn more without hurting production

[Mike Mattera]

Water tight. Not like surfaces. Easier to modify things like fillets and sizes.

Mike Mattera

[Mike Mattera]

Some videos...

Created by Camtasia Studio 6

YouTube - TFM - Mastercam Solid Modeling - Extrude
Mike Mattera