Blade Expert video

[mkd]

I was just having a chat about software with a division director. Told him mastercam is garbage on the posting side, because it is garbage. User configuration could be a simple spreadsheet like Hypermill, or an idiotic post language to force the reseller model, if someone has the gall to change a coolant code.
 CAMplete is the only thing that makes MC competitive.
 CAMplete doesn't have a direct translator for hypermill for those reasons you cited, but it does just fine translating all the data needed tools, holders etc just from their POF files. So mastercam nci will not win that contest.
 A post through Hypermill is breathtakingly more expensive than MC because it is breathtakingly more capable without the other unreliable cobbled together simulation implementation from module works.
 Price is what you pay, value is what you get.
 

[neurosis]

I failed in epic fashioned with neurosis a number of years ago, It happens. That is by far the exception  and not the rule.

It really wasn't that big of a deal. I only called you out on that because you were being a turd to me over something I won't bother to mention. To be honest, it wasn't worth bringing up and I definitely wouldn't consider it to be anything epic. The fact that it bothers you enough to bring it up shows that you have integrity in your job. It was pretty childish of me to give you shit about it. Apologies for what it's worth.   

[CNCAppsJames]

Hundreds of billions of dollars worth of parts have been made with Mastercam over the years. Maybe even trillions. I would hardly call it "garbage". It has it's issues just like any other software. 

Maybe you're just trolling or maybe you've never seen HyperShill's simulation fail. I've see it with my own eyes and it cost a customer a 20,000 RPM spindle. It failed  for 2 reasons; 1) Because HyperShill walks on water and never fails so he threw caution to the wind and 2) Because the "programmer" couldn't read a C-Axis move in the G-Code. It was plain as day to me. He looked right at the line and didn't see it. "value"... not so much that day. That day was ALL cost. 

That isn't the only issue I've seen with HyperShill either just the most costly one. They ALL have issues. Anyone that says otherwise is a fool, is being dishonest and is... a shill. PowerMill has some transition move stuff when you're doing impeller work that if you're not careful can bite you. They ALL have something.

All that said, the VAST majority of functionality in CAM and machines fir that part is driven by the programmer. At the end of the day, the  more skilled the programmer is the better the tool is going to perform, it's just a fact.

 One man's garbage is another man's fortune. Kinda like the FANUC control  arguments. 

For some the FANUC control "sucks", but for many skilled people it can do anything. And maybe just maybe people's opinion about FANUC and it's capabilites amd interface was formed in the 90's and they don't have the necessary recent experience to make an informed opinion about what it's user experience is today. FANUC is never going to be the newest and flashiest on the control side. They just aren't. They are a conservative Japanese company who's core focus is MTBF. And in that arena, there is no equal, nor is there a better performer. 

[mkd]

Not trying to win any smartest guy in thee room contest because that won't end well, for me.🤣🤣🤣
If I was smarter I would be quietly running some other software and not using MC as my mainstay, or not being a grunt digging ditches. Possibly retired on the coast of the Mediterranean. ❤️
The garbage comment is focused on the shit sandwich that is MC posting and associated programming language bullshit.
Every cam system does it better.
Every
Single
One.
All these popular toolpaths, Hypermill guys still preferring mastercams 3 axis paths...and the best CNC software can offer is a shit posting configuration language?
Hasn't postability developed their own interface to save themselves from the dumbness of munching on MC's post language? Maybe I imagined that part. 
Couple years on a modern FANUC, I might be a convert. Seems they have a lower latency than controls that run on a PC operating system. Think I heard a similar thing comparing MACH3 to Linux CNC.

[mkd]

I'd venture a guess, Fanuc parts on Ebay, etc, could keep about any machine afloat. Not true for any other control out there. Dead reliable, unlike any other out there, not to mention legacy support. germany has warranty laws. If they offer an optional upgrade or the sort, the warranty period resets, so that blows up legacy support.
 Heidy recently sunsetted the 530s for this reason. Support then needs to be through the MTB, good lucjk with that.

[CNCAppsJames]

FANUC guarantees 25 year MINIMUM parts availability  after a product's end of development life. For all of FANUC's shortcomings, for lack of a better term, parts availability for decades after the product has been discontinued is not one of them. 

[CNCAppsJames]

I believe both IHS and Postability chose to add to Mastercam's capability because they could, because they wanted to and because they saw a need, decided they could meet that need and have met that need. Some people see that as a weakness in the software, personally I see it as a strength of the software. Their 3rd Party Developer program is unparalleled. We have a developer amongst us. His company had a specific application that had a need.

JM2CFWIW 

[Jeff]

Stupid question time:

Can blade expert be used for other things besides impellers? What about Port Expert, is that only for ports?
I know they are specifically designed for those uses, but would it be a waste of $$ to buy them if you don't do ports or blades?

[Dylan Gondyke]

Stupid question time:

Can blade expert be used for other things besides impellers? What about Port Expert, is that only for ports?
I know they are specifically designed for those uses, but would it be a waste of $$ to buy them if you don't do ports or blades?

Blade expert is fairly specialized in terms of geometry selection, but Port Expert is a little more flexible. It's valuable on any interior volume. Check out this example of geometry you might not immediately think of being a "Port":

[CNCAppsJames]

I'm with @Dylan Gondyke ... Blade Expert is pretty specialized.  I did use it on a thin-wall part demo that more closely resembled car wreckage than an actual part, but because it gave me some controls that were helpful I went with it. Port Expert is more versatile. I like it for certain types of interior cavity type topological shapes  because of the ways I can constrain the tool and path motion.

[TSmcam]

I believe both IHS and Postability chose to add to Mastercam's capability because they could, because they wanted to and because they saw a need, decided they could meet that need and have met that need. Some people see that as a weakness in the software, personally I see it as a strength of the software. Their 3rd Party Developer program is unparalleled. We have a developer amongst us. His company had a specific application that had a need.

JM2CFWIW

I agree with James here. Having third party post processor developers available to the customer, albeit down here through the local stealer *cough* dealer, is an advantage and definitely not a weakness. The only drawback was the post being binned, which made sense to stop fat fingered fiddlers from making stupid mistakes that were dangerous, but for those of us who knew what we were doing meant we had to go through the dealer for pretty much any change.

Sometimes (although thankfully not too often), I have felt the need for a TS third party post developer. But for the most part, our needs are served well. Oh, and our simulation works well. Kinematic awareness baby! 

[TSmcam]

I've just finished evaluating TS's Blade/Impeller machining module. Talking as a user, I have to say, I was pretty impressed. Within an hour, I had quality NC code that was running in Vericut. Autodiff showed a variation of no more than .04mm so I was happy with that.

[Aaron]

I've just finished evaluating TS's Blade/Impeller machining module. Talking as a user, I have to say, I was pretty impressed. Within an hour, I had quality NC code that was running in Vericut. Autodiff showed a variation of no more than .04mm so I was happy with that.

Top Solid's impeller module is the same as Mastercam's

https://www.moduleworks.com/company/partners/

[TSmcam]

Top Solid's impeller module is the same as Mastercam's

https://www.moduleworks.com/company/partners/

I wondered wether that was the case

[Brian]

Top Solid's impeller module is the same as Mastercam's

As far as I know, the multi-axis deburring and port/tube machining is also Moduleworks stuff....