MasterCAM post

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mcsteve
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MasterCAM post

Post by mcsteve »

I am hoping someone has a post for MasterCAM to run their Shark. I have MC installed for a machine at work and would like to use the added features on it for some of my more complicated Shark projects. Specifically, I have been trying to cut bowls with my shark and VCarve is lacking some of the capabilities for me to output these easily.

Thanks for any help.
Stephen
CNC Shark Pro Plus - 12/2014
VCarve Pro, PhotoVCarve, Cut3D
ViaCAD 3D, AutoCAD, Sketchup
BobCAD V28

Rando
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by Rando »

How familiar are you with writing MasterCAM posts? If you are, I can post my Vectric or BobCAD post files. BobCAD posts are significantly more complex (thus more precisely controllable) than the Vectric ones, but neither are particular complicated if you're familiar with these kinds of things. Would that help?

(I'll presume you've already looked on the MasterCAM sites/forums).

Regards,

Thom
=====================================================
ThomR.com Creative tools and photographic art
A proud member of the Pacific Northwest CNC Club (now on Facebook)

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mcsteve
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by mcsteve »

Thanks Thom. I have not looked at any MasterCam forums as this is not my usual area but I have been given access to MC. I'll do a search to see if I can locate them.

I have the vectric post from VCarve. I will try sending that to our programmer to see if he can use it as a starting position for me. I am starting some MC training in May so that might help as well.

Thanks for replying.
Stephen
CNC Shark Pro Plus - 12/2014
VCarve Pro, PhotoVCarve, Cut3D
ViaCAD 3D, AutoCAD, Sketchup
BobCAD V28

dennis123
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by dennis123 »

Did you ever get a good post for MasterCam? I too would be interested in trying it.

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mcsteve
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by mcsteve »

I did not get the post. I was able to find some people who could create it but the cost just did not make sense for me. I purchased BobCAD for less money. I have been using VCP and slowly learning BobCAD as they had a post for the shark and purchasing their program allows me not to worry about loosing access to the software.
CNC Shark Pro Plus - 12/2014
VCarve Pro, PhotoVCarve, Cut3D
ViaCAD 3D, AutoCAD, Sketchup
BobCAD V28

Rando
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by Rando »

mcsteve wrote:I did not get the post. I was able to find some people who could create it but the cost just did not make sense for me. I purchased BobCAD for less money. I have been using VCP and slowly learning BobCAD as they had a post for the shark and purchasing their program allows me not to worry about loosing access to the software.
Welcome our tiny BobCAD-on-Shark club! I'm an avid user; what version/edition did you pick up? So far I'm sticking with V29, but V30 looks like it has some fantastic new features.

If you already have the VCarve software, I'd recommend keeping that around. There are some things BobCAD isn't very good at, and fitting/arranging text is one of them. To make matters worse, because exporting from AutoDesk and others uses STEP files, they do the engraving completely wrong from an engraving/v-carving standpoint, since it creates a faceted-groove, instead of just a vector. You can probably manage to select the right vector eventually, but it's just much easier to produce the engraving toolpath in V-carve.

Here's a bit of odd, unsubstantiated but repeated rumor: the guys who started BobCAD and Vectric are in fact brothers, or related in some close way. That's why you'll sometimes see features exchanged between the two that are eerily similar in configuration features and options.

Also, toolpath-file management is a different beast in BobCAD, in that it's perfectly happy putting out all toolpaths into a single .TAP file, even when they use different tools. You can either be careful (and come to love/hate the toolpath-order dialog), or you can use a software tool like I built, that splits the GCode into separate "step" files, and then lets you stitch them back together around which tool is being used. If you at some point find yourself hating how you're dealing with a million small files, or constantly having to re-enter the machining order in BobCAD, give me a call (three six zero, five nine one, two five eight seven). It has totally changed for the better how easy it is to get complicated toolpaths out of BobCAD.

Also, yeah, if you have BobCAD questions, their forums would be a better place. But, I'll be honest: the times I've been there the traffic is so little that I don't feel confident there's anyone there. If you ask questions there but don't get a useful response, feel free to send me a PM here. I've been using it for about two years now, and really do enjoy it. But, like all software, it's got it's undue and unreasonable issues, so I've had to put in some time to beat it into submission.

E.g., if you look at this post, you'll see I've created a 10-channel power-controller that uses a modified BobCAD post-processor file to use the built-in "Coolant Type" drop-down list in the BobCAD tool/F&S definitions to actually control switched peripherals from the shark controller box, without that box even knowing the extra 10 channels of control are there. It's run by an Arduino board and some custom circuitry, with remote-switching units that live near, say, the compressor, and are controlled by low-voltage current-loop sensing across simple alarm-grade two-conductor wiring up to about 1km (theoretically ;-) ).

http://www.cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5303

Cheers! And again, please do feel free to contact me about using BobCAD with your shark, if you have any questions, or even just to share ideas. We're here for you...as long as you're using a Shark. ;-)

Regards,

Thom
=====================================================
ThomR.com Creative tools and photographic art
A proud member of the Pacific Northwest CNC Club (now on Facebook)

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mcsteve
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by mcsteve »

Thanks Thom. I picked up V28 in one of their "blowout" call campaigns and am still in the process of working through the instruction videos. Time has been pretty short so I've found the process of doing a little bit here and there much more difficult that I did with VCP. With VCP I was able to watch a few short videos, work on some projects and be productive for a few weeks (months?) until I found some more time to do some more learnings. Having said that, I should be up to speed by Christmas and be able to try some complete projects in BobCAD over the holidays. Based on what I see so far it will give me the ability to do the 3D designs that I am looking for.

Thank you very much for the offer to reach out with questions and I will take you up on that offer if/when I run into some hiccups. The guys at BobCAD really pushed their forum as a benefit when I purchased but I did notice a very low volume of traffic as well. Knowing there is someone, such as yourself, with a large amount of Shark/BobCAD experience on this forum definitely adds a great deal of confidence for me. I have really liked using the VCP product along with PhotoVCarve and Cut3D so this will (hopefully) help me get to a more productive level with this machine.

Off topic, I have been watching YouTube videos this week of carving pumpkins with CNC and stripped down the bed on my shark last night so I can give it a try. I'm making an extended tool holder for the router to provide more forward reach because the pumpkins are much deeper than the table depth allows. I'm planning on using the Lythophane techniques to do the carvings. If all goes well I'll be posting some success pics. If it doesn't, well, It will be a learning exersize :)

Stephen
CNC Shark Pro Plus - 12/2014
VCarve Pro, PhotoVCarve, Cut3D
ViaCAD 3D, AutoCAD, Sketchup
BobCAD V28

BrianM
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Location: Vectric HQ, Alcester, UK

Re: MasterCAM post

Post by BrianM »

Rando wrote:
mcsteve wrote: Here's a bit of odd, unsubstantiated but repeated rumor: the guys who started BobCAD and Vectric are in fact brothers, or related in some close way. That's why you'll sometimes see features exchanged between the two that are eerily similar in configuration features and options.
I can assure everyone that there is no relationship between anyone at Vectric and BobCAD either now or in the past.

I believe that possibly the BobCAD and Vectorcam founders were related which may be the source of the rumour.

Brian

Rando
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by Rando »

BrianM wrote:
Rando wrote:
mcsteve wrote: Here's a bit of odd, unsubstantiated but repeated rumor: the guys who started BobCAD and Vectric are in fact brothers, or related in some close way. That's why you'll sometimes see features exchanged between the two that are eerily similar in configuration features and options.
I can assure everyone that there is no relationship between anyone at Vectric and BobCAD either now or in the past.

I believe that possibly the BobCAD and Vectorcam founders were related which may be the source of the rumour.

Brian
Thanks for the clarification, Brian. I could see how the name similarity could cause that confusion.

It's just so odd, given some of their features have exactly the same implementation "issues", for example not slowing down plunges after tabs. In V27 (?), BobCAD didn't even have tabs, then in V28 they showed up, duplicating the same bad implementation Vectric uses, just with the selection and display methods BobCAD has. I was truly excited that BobCAD would finally do them right, but they were nearly identical in how they're configured, and the same implementation deficiency exists in both: they plunge vertically at the full horizontal feed rate, resulting in a part gouge at every pass on a non-perfectly rigid machine. Heck, I even called Vectric support and was told they WANTED it that way. One way or another, they are clearly "sharing" in the sense of getting ideas from each other, even if it's in the aggressive-competitor mode and not the cross-market partner mode.

I suppose it's possible that two independent groups could come up with the same wrong answer, in the same way that independent researchers often corroborate their research to compare results.

Thom
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ThomR.com Creative tools and photographic art
A proud member of the Pacific Northwest CNC Club (now on Facebook)

BrianM
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Re: MasterCAM post

Post by BrianM »

Hello Thom,

I have never seen a live version of BobCAD or even read their feature set so I couldn't comment on any similarities, I don't think we have many common customers.

The 2D tabs in Vectric software do use the plunge feedrate to return back to cutting depth after the tab is complete.

If you are referring to the 3D tabs these do maintain the 'normal' feed rate and this was overwhelming requested by our customers. When the initial implementation was tested with the return ramp of the tab being done at plunge rate, users stated that they were using 3D tabs to allow their machines to maintain high feedrate while cutting profiles which required tabs and categorically did not want the feedrate slowed for this tab type.

Brian

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