Tangent lines joining two arcs

[yongchiprsnapr]

bought a mastercam 10 book a while ago, still cant figure out how to join two arcs by tangent lines. asked a few guys at work(familiar with 8 or 9) we can click the first line endpoint. the autocursor kicks in and joins the second arc tangent. i cannot figure out how to start the line at the tangent point on the first arc. any help is very appreciated.

[Mike Stevenson]

click on Help....works every time.

[Mike Mattera]

Well if your using 10 (X) and no one has turned off the auto cursor, It should be easy. The problem is that people tend to turn that off because "It didn't work that way in V7. So I dont like it".

If Autocursor is on.... When you move near an object, it will show you the options for attaching the new geometry.

So, If you have an arc on the screen, and you select the Line command, and then move your cursor around the arc slowly, you'll see the icon next to the pointer change to different options.

Mike S. is right Look in the help for AutoCursor.

BTW: Books are one way to go... But Video training make the process a little more obvious. Consider looking at the link below.

Mike Mattera

[yongchiprsnapr]

help file doesnt help(ive looked through the help section, also the manual that comes with the program). they are very basic. only one other guy in my company using 10, and he's in our other plant. the autocursor wont click on the first point. im to the point of figuring it out mathematically then inputting the angle in. but there has to be a better way. mc8, is easy, a co-worker showed me how to do it, in that version in seconds.

[dpark1]

create-line-tangent-2 arcs-select the 2 arcs works simple and easy for me,but i am running version 9.1.

[Mike Mattera]

So your using X ? Is the Autocursor On?

I cant see why this is so hard for you.

In X: If you pick Create Line and pick the first arc and then pick the second, you cant not make it tangent. Make sure your not picking an end point or center point. You you specifically pick an end point, you get the end point. If you just pick the arc (any where that's not an endpoint, Midpoint or center, and then grab another arc, it will work.

If that doesn't work: Check the icon on the Ribbon bar that shows a line with a Tangent arc. Is that selected? It's on by default. You would have had to turn it off for it not to work.

Might I suggest this....
http://www.tipsforcadcam.com/product/TFM-CDStartX

Mike Mattera

[Mike Mattera]

Watch this video..

http://www.tipsformfg.com/bin/X_Line_Tangent.wmv

Mike Mattera

[cadcam]

I would like to add a short video to .I give a brif thought on auto curser and this option.
http://www.mastercam-cadcam.com/crea...20tangent.html

[yongchiprsnapr]

for some reason the arcs dont highlight like they do in the vids. and i cannot drag the line around the arc. maybe something wrong with some settings in my mastercam. even though i watched the tangent disabled in autocursor, and still draw a tangent line. something must be wrong with the mastercam im using

[Mike Stevenson]

How is your Auto-Cursor set? Do you know what the AC is? How do you turn it on and off? How is this thing set? (see pic) It should be set to Single.

[cadcam]

the auto curser does not effect the create line tangent mike and it should not be set to single. his Auto high light might not be set.Also what version of MastercamX are you using Mike is showing the first mastercamX release are you running a later version?

[Mike Stevenson]

Originally Posted by cadcam the auto curser does not effect the create line tangent mike and it should not be set to single.

Then what is his problem Jayson?