Common New Programmer Slow-Downs

[svnmlkdmf]

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

Thanks for the time warp...
I've never used one myself, found it a bit awkward, a couple of guys I worked with swear by them once you get in the groove...

[JParis]

. I've been using a Space Mouse since 2001
(back when they were Space Balls) and I am incapable of running Mastercam without one.

Yup, 2004 for me

[svnmlkdmf]

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. 

Free fissy

[gcode]

I've never used one myself, found it a bit awkward,

I bought one on my own dime and took it to work. They were called SpaceBalls back then
and were not nearly as good as they are today... and $400 was serious money in 2001.
I could not get the hang of it and it sat on my desk unused for about 6 months.
Finally, I got mad and figured I spent $400 on the damn thing, I was going to figure it out
I turned the sensitivity all the way down and started using it
I dialed up the sensitivity a notch as I got accustomed to it. Now 21 years later, its second nature
and I cannot work without it.


I was so ham fisted that I damaged the mechanism learning to use it.
After about 2 years it was in pretty bad shape, I called 3DC about getting it repaired
and they sent me a brand new one and paid the freight both ways.

One very good reason to learn to use one is that it takes about 50% of the work load
off your mouse hand. I've know guys forced into a career change by wrist injuries from too much
mouse time. As a young man, you don't notice things like this, but over time , it becomes a very big deal

[svnmlkdmf]

One very good reason to learn to use one is that it takes about 50% of the work load
off your mouse hand. I've know guys forced into a career change by wrist injuries from too much
mouse time. As a young man, you don't notice things like this, but over time , it becomes a very big deal

Yeah, I can relate to work injury for sure, I hurt my shoulder on the job working lathe, and i had a lot of wrist pain as well, I mostly just try not to do much clicking or typing when i work on the computer..

[MIL-TFP-41]

I've been using a Space Mouse since 2001
(back when they were Space Balls) and I am incapable of running Mastercam without one.

Its got to be a muscle memory thing. Every time I have tried to use one it felt as uncomfortable as reaching around the backside of a box and then trying to operate it upside down while standing on my head. Yes, that uncomfortable. When I tried my NX gig, all the other programmers were amazed at how well I could drive without using one.

Don't get me started on trackballs. The only thing good about those fucking things is when you superglue the ball into place for an unsuspecting user.

[gcode]

r

with the default orientation settings the motion on the screen exactly mimics what you'd if you were holding the part in your left hand and looking at it.
If you drop the resolution way down and imagine you are holding the part in your left hand,
your brain will figure it out pretty quickly
If you actively think about what you're doing, the part on your screen will be in orbit around Pluto almost immediatey

[Dylan Gondyke]

Great advice here in that you can never be too organized and forward thinking with tool libraries as well as level, plane, and operation structure. Templated or standardized starting points really help here if your work allows it.

There are also quite a few "Tips and Tricks" videos up on the Mastercam Youtube channel that show common practices/workflows that might help you.

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

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

This is going to become much easier and more powerful in 2024...

[svnmlkdmf]

This is going to become much easier and more powerful in 2024...

 

I've heard that before!!

[mwearne]

Its got to be a muscle memory thing. Every time I have tried to use one it felt as uncomfortable as reaching around the backside of a box and then trying to operate it upside down while standing on my head. 

Anyone new to a spacemouse, I tell them to switch the Zoom direction from Fowared/Back to Up/Down (advanced settings). I found this way takes next to no time to adapt to. Only other recommendation, if everything feels backwards mid model movement, use the software to switch back to a Top view, then start over. That usually re-orients you and the software back to 0 and things move smoothly from there.

I've heard that before!!

Legit, what Dylan is talking about will be a game changer. At least in my mind it is.

[svnmlkdmf]

Legit, what Dylan is talking about will be a game changer. At least in my mind it is.

And what might that be?

[Dylan Gondyke]

There's more information on the Mastercam official Tech Preview forums and Betas will be upon us soon, so a brief summary, which is hard to do without pictures-

The save and load defaults buttons within a toolpath now take you to a panel where you can choose to save or load parameters from any operation in any external file you so choose, rather than just enacting a save/load from the single operation that exists in .mcam-defaults. (You can still do this if you want, though.) By default, we point to the mcam-operations file that is defined in Machine Group Setup. This means that you can save multiple configurations for each toolpath straight from the toolpath dialog and then choose which one to load dependent on your work.

Good examples would be saving off multiple Advanced drill parameter sets, for say, a deep bore cycle with coolant, or a back boring setup with a no-rpm entry. Or, for Optirough, a parameter set for side milling only and no stepups, another for small stepups and large stepovers in aluminum, etc. They're all saved as individual operations in your external file and presented to you in a list you can choose from, so you can quickly swap between templates on the fly.

Or maybe you did a complex Morph path last week and you want similar collision control settings. Just choose that toolpath from that file and it loads up the parameter set, all without ever leaving the toolpath you're in. No messing with Import/Export, and no changing your tool, plane, coolant, or other machine specific settings in your current file.

There are some other cool bits to this that'll appear before release that I can't talk about just yet.

[svnmlkdmf]

Cool, thanks Dylan for the extra info!

[mkd]

Does anyone have any tips and tricks for a faster workflow in Mastercam?

switch to topsolid or hypermill

[Programinator]

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

Thats why I came up with a solution for this.  I just bought a programmable numpad and assigned macros/scripts/hot strings to the keys.  That way I can keep my hand on the space mouse and just lift my fingers up to push buttons.  Has been working out slick.

Picture here