Common New Programmer Slow-Downs

[JakeL]

I've only been programming a couple years and I still consider myself a "new" programmer. With that being said, I have outgrown / surpassed many of my coworkers in skill level. I still want to grow and get better but it's a little more difficult now.

Does anyone have any tips and tricks for a faster workflow in Mastercam? I understand this is a very open-ended question. I'm hoping those who have trained other programmers may have picked up on bad habits that beginners are prone to.

For example, I've been bit more than once for not keeping an organized and updated file. When I have to go back to a file I haven't touched in a few months, if it's not organized it becomes a nightmare to sort out. Because of this, I now take a little extra time to ensure everything is where it is supposed to be before calling a project complete.

[neurosis]

I'm hoping those who have trained other programmers may have picked up on bad habits that beginners are prone to.

For example, I've been bit more than once for not keeping an organized and updated file.

When I started programming I worked mostly on one off parts that we never saw again. I developed probably some of the worst habits as we never had to go back through the part files and try to figure out what was going on. I still come across old part files that have very limited organization and didn't realize how important it was until later in my career. 

[JParis]

Yeah, that one will kill you....took over for a guy...I'd open files with 2 levels, 1,000 entities, no toolpath notes but the tool size..

I wound up dumping and re-doing everything as it came back around..

Everything now gets detailed.

[JParis]

Defining tools again & again...

I have seen new programmers pull the same tool, file after file after file and change the settings and NEVER save it back...

Define a good accurate tool library.

Learn how to leverage previous OP's and defined cycles.

Get your post tuned for edit free code.....so many hours per year wasted editing the code after posting.

[JParis]

OP defaults...learn how they function and affect the toolpath...

Set your OP defaults so that your moves are consistent..

[Jeff]

Set up your defaults, change the shitty default ribbon to something that suits YOUR workflow. If you have to create custom tabs for the ribbon then do it. My ribbon is completely different than the default one.
Operation defaults.. make the necessary setting changes for your workflow.

Once you do that, you will be a far more efficient programmer. Then from there it's all just experience. Learn what you don't know, then in a year's time you'll probably redo it all because your habits have gotten better.

[neurosis]

Yeah, that one will kill you....took over for a guy...I'd open files with 2 levels, 1,000 entities, no toolpath notes but the tool size..

My first 'full' time programming job, I was using Cimatron iT.  The level names were limited to 8 characters and you were limited to something like 100 levels.  I used them a LOT, but it was difficult to name something recognizable.   I was also a single programmer programming for 5 machinists and some times I would have to churn out dozens of programs a day so cutting corners was the norm. 

It wasn't until the talent pool for setup guys started thinning that they decided to change over to more production type work. Having to go back and make changes to some of our horizontal part files after not having opened them for a couple of years really kicked my ass in to gear.    Now I try to label as much as I can and even then, find out that it wasn't enough some times.  I use the hell out of viewsheets.

The one thing that I wish we had, was the ability to group and re-organize wcs's in the planes menu. 

[YoDoug]

Yeah, that one will kill you....took over for a guy...I'd open files with 2 levels, 1,000 entities, no toolpath notes but the tool size..

I wound up dumping and re-doing everything as it came back around..

Everything now gets detailed.

I'm not a Mcam user anymore, but years ago at the last place where we had multiple programmers using Mcam we came up with a programming standards manual that defined groups of levels for different types of geometry, parts, fixtures, construction, toolpath, etc. We even had set color ranges for the groups. That way you can open someone else's file and know what you are looking at relatively easy.

Currently we use TopSolid and it handles this way better. It has a feature tree for entities, NC operations, modelling, etc. You can see step by step how someone set up and programmed a file.

[JakeL]

Set up your defaults, change the shitty default ribbon to something that suits YOUR workflow. If you have to create custom tabs for the ribbon then do it. My ribbon is completely different than the default one.
Operation defaults.. make the necessary setting changes for your workflow.

Once you do that, you will be a far more efficient programmer. Then from there it's all just experience. Learn what you don't know, then in a year's time you'll probably redo it all because your habits have gotten better.

I've always been hesitant to customize Mastercam, and this is for two main reasons.

1. When I first started programming our head programmer showed me the very basics in Mastercam. He got stuck a couple times because he couldn't remember where certain buttons were or how to do certain things without his custom hotkeys. Because of this, I always leaned towards no customization because I didn't want to struggle if I had to use a default Mastercam account. Looking back, this is kind of a dumb reason for not customizing.

2. Obviously when I first started programming I didn't know what most of the buttons did. There's still a lot of buttons I don't know the function of. I didn't want to setup a custom ribbon because my workflow was constantly changing. I mean like on Monday I would be doing xyz and on Thursday I realized xayz would be faster.

With that being said, I now have a fairly standard workflow so I'll be looking into customizing the ribbon soon. Thanks for the tips!

[mwearne]

Won't make you faster but if you want to make things easier, get a space mouse. I find it hard to work without one now.

Working faster, look to keyboard shortcuts, macro keys, or even scripting or hooks to make short work of repeat operations.   

[Zoffen]

All great ideas on this thread......

but might be a good time to freshen up that resume/portfolio of work and start looking for something more aligned to help you get where you want to go. Good luck!

[JParis]

I've always been hesitant to customize Mastercam, and this is for two main reasons.

While understandable to a point, the bigger thing it gives you is the ability to alter it to the way "you" work...

I LIVE on my RMB, 90% of all the functions I use are there. Rarely to I even go to the Ribbon bar/Menus...

In my time working for a reseller, one of the owners would "occasionally" attempt to use my setup, he always worked in a default setup...he hated it. He knew though that I could "fly" using that setup...so tune it to your comfort and habits. That's one of the nice things about the level of alreations that can be made.

[JakeL]

Won't make you faster but if you want to make things easier, get a space mouse. I find it hard to work without one now.

Working faster, look to keyboard shortcuts, macro keys, or even scripting or hooks to make short work of repeat operations.   

I worked with a space mouse for a couple months. It was a cool piece of technology and I ended up getting very comfortable with it. What I didn't like was constantly have to move my hand back and forth from the space mouse to the keyboard.

The mouse I worked with had the traditional ESC DEL SHIFT keys on it and a couple programmable keys. But when I needed to type numbers in (which is frequently) I always had to move back to the keyboard. The way I traditionally work is with my left hand always on the keyboard resting on my most frequently used keys.

It just felt like the space mouse was slowing me down so I abandoned it. Maybe it's worth giving it another shot?

[svnmlkdmf]

I worked with a space mouse for a couple months. It was a cool piece of technology and I ended up getting very comfortable with it. What I didn't like was constantly have to move my hand back and forth from the space mouse to the keyboard.

The mouse I worked with had the traditional ESC DEL SHIFT keys on it and a couple programmable keys. But when I needed to type numbers in (which is frequently) I always had to move back to the keyboard. The way I traditionally work is with my left hand always on the keyboard resting on my most frequently used keys.

It just felt like the space mouse was slowing me down so I abandoned it. Maybe it's worth giving it another shot?

Space mouse is good if you are working with a huge work envelope, and need to zoom in and out quickly,
It doesn't mean you have to always use it, the right tool for the job or something

[gcode]

Space mouse is good if you are working with a huge work envelope, and need to zoom in and out quickly,
It doesn't mean you have to always use it, the right tool for the job or something

If you sat me down in front of a PC with no Space Mouse and a default Mastercam install
you'd think I was a rank nOOb and send me packing. I've been using a Space Mouse since 2001
(back when they were Space Balls) and I am incapable of running Mastercam without one.

I don't use it much when doing 2D lathe work but for everything else, it's mandatory