[skipper]

Hi All,

I am teaching myself SolidCAM. I am using SolidWorks 2007 and I think SolidCAM 2007 R11_2. I am following the 2.5 tutorials in the SolidCAM 2007 R11_2 tutorial and they call out setting the ramping, what the tool should plunge at. I am attaching a screen shot from the tutorial.
The problem I am having is that my version on SolidCAm does not have the ramping dialogue box. Am I missing something or do I not have the ramping opption?

Thanks,
Skipper

[Carl Ekblom]

Hello

I´m a newby but I think you may find ramping under the links area.

Carl

[Brakeman Bob]

Try the "Z-Entry" button

[CNC_USER]

Skipper,

The other posts are probably right, but if you do a screen grab, I'll check it against some of my older versions to see for sure. As with many software these days, they keep tweaking the interface to make it better. While I'm no big fan of "musical dialogue boxes", I really like the direction SolidCAM is going.

[skipper]

Hi Guys,

Here is a screen shot of my software. I do not see a "Z-Entry" or a "links" tab on my version?

Skipper

[skipper]

Hey Guys,

I do see that I have the "Z-Entry" in the Profile Operation. I do not seem to have the ramping in the Pocket Operation.

Thanks,
Skipper

[Brakeman Bob]

In a pocketing operation, ramping is hidden in under the "Lead In" button which has options for linear (ramping) and helical (ramping). There is also an option for picking the point where you want the cutter to descend.

[CNC_USER]

Hey Brakeman, don't you ever sleep? I'm always onestep behind...


I did go back to see what version you had and had to dust off my monitor afterward. Ok, no more smileys today.

SolidCAM has changes a lot since the "old days", but I beleive that since your pocket method is set to "clear". This was the old way of facing, so the ramping changes to "leadin", so that you could do a tangent extension for the tool to plunge in air. If you changed your style to hatch or contour you should see the ramping option appear. I know, BB beat me to it.

I hope this helps,

Shaun

[Brakeman Bob]

Hey Brakeman, don't you ever sleep?

I'm sorry Shaun, it is the time difference between the UK and the US. I check the forum at 07.45 UK time which is between 5 and 8 hours ahead of the US depending on your time zone.

Changing the subject, do you like the user interface adopted in R12? SolidCAM had it for years in the 5 axis and HSM modules and rolled it across the 'older' parts of SolidCAM when R12 was released. Someone I know who uses VisiCAM from Vero says that SolidCAM is now a dead ringer for that. I wonder if they have a tie up? I didn't like the new interface at first, but now it has grown on me and I understand the logic of making the programming of a job sequential.

[CNC_USER]

BB,

Thank you for the info, this does explain your latenight posts as not being a symptom of insomniatic time to fill. There's a nobility in always being second and I will take solace in that.

As for the interface. When I first saw the changes, I resisted it almost as much as the legions who despised MasterCAM X when it first bowed. After a few hairpulls (not much left to go), I am now much faster with it than I was with the old one. I am now willing to admit that it dovetails closer to SolidWorks as well.

I still don't get certain things like why Indexing is called "Indexial", and why I have to enter the previous diameter of my tool for rest machinng (deosn't it know?), but I can live with it.

I don't know if the interface is close to Visi as I am not familiar with it, but as long as it is on the right path and it doesn't morph into MasterCAM X, I'm good! Cheers,

[Brakeman Bob]

I still don't get certain things like why Indexing is called "Indexial", and why I have to enter the previous diameter of my tool for rest machinng (deosn't it know?), but I can live with it.

I agree with you on the rest machining thing and previous tool diameters, though personally I prefer to use the rest machining option under the "Define Working Area" button, then tucked away in the top right corner is a little check box called "Cut only the rest material". This technology relies on the STF files generated by SolidVerify so to avoid the long wait while SolidVerify does its stuff, I set Stock Model Update to manual and save the stock model after every tool change. It is then easy to pick the model left by the previous tool and SolidCAM only calculates it once, not every time you alter a parameter in a previous job.

I really like this method and it is a redeeming feature of the other execrable SolidVerify, which is my least favourite part of SolidCAM but I know it is no better in any other package as nearly all CAM packages (including VeriCUT) use MachineWorks for solid verification.

[mattpatt]

I prefer the R12 look compared to previous. It's just less cluttered and easier to deal with in a sequential way, as Bob says.

I too use the cut only rest material option in the work area. But do use the "rest material" option as well.

Interesting about your stock model updating. That drives me insane on some jobs. I go and make a cuppa......still not ready.....make some phone calls......almost there......etc etc. I'll have to look at the manual update option.