[Paul Goddard]

Does anyone have any instructions to create a toolpath in Mastercam 3.5?

Friend of mine has asked me to help him. having only used V8-9 I'm finding a few differences.....

[Rekd]

...I'm finding a few differences.....

LOL! I'll say. :cheers:

Are there help files? Perhaps you could sort thru them.

[shawncnelson]

have specific questions? I've used the old versions(4) and found them to be simple, powerful tools. You need to remember how to type file paths though...

[Paul Goddard]

Its editing the parameters I'm unsure about.I select the geometry and the type of cutter path, then a list of editable parameters appear...depth of cut etc. A cursor appears against the line to edit. However sometimes I can't get the cursor to line up with the line to edit, it jumps to the either the line above or below it....I can guess what your thinking...whats this guy on about.

This is just to get my mate working with the thing. Ideally I'd like to get hold of some written help so he can tackle other jobs. I don't want to be tied to his apron strings every time he gets a job. He's not computer literate..at all.

[shawncnelson]

try using the arrow keys on your keyboard instead of the mouse to move up and down the parameter field.

[cadcam]

Have you had him try contacting CNC Software to see if the have some of the old books for that version on say PDF that you can get a hold of.
I know thay have a room full of old computers having old version like 3.1 from back then.

I would try the tap to see if it would move to the next option.
It has been 12 years sense I last touched V3 of MC, I think it was 1994 even thow at that time it was V4 then moved right to V5 with in say under 12 months.

[shawncnelson]

I use V4 regularly, the arrow keys work for me. I love the old version, it's so simple and streamlined, also the old editor is the best! I use V9.1 at my day job and while it has many more bells and whistles, and is a much more powerful tool in terms of the operations manager and the graphic interface, for simple 2d tool paths(90% of what I do), V4 is still very very good.

[Paul Goddard]

Thats a great idea...why didn't I think of that before.

Cheers.

[Mike Mattera]

I have a V3.1 manual around. There was no V3.5.

Mike Mattera

[Prop1]

Does anyone know how I can bring a surfcam file to mastercam? A friend of mine sent me some files and I want to run the parts but I use mastercam, I dont need to use his tool paths but I also dont want to have to re-enter all the geometry if I dont have to.. Thanks, Brian

[cadcam]

Are they Iges file or Surfcam files? if they are surfcam files they cannot be brought in.