Mill Entry The following features a

Mill Entry



The following features and enhancements are available in Mill Entry. They are also available in Levels 1, 2, and 3.

Work Coordinate System support

Not only is the new Work Coordinate System supported in Design, it is available for Entry users as well. Given the limitation of Entry only creating Toolpaths in the Top view the addition of the WCS makes creating toolpaths in Entry even easier.

Fewer Regens make editing quick

With the introduction of Version 9 users will be able to modify any of the Tool Parameter fields highlighted in yellow without being forced to regenerate the Operation. This change affects all toolpaths and will be a big time saver.




New Compensation controls

Version 9 borrows from an idea first implemented in our Router product, the simplification of compensation controls. Now users choose the type of compensation and the side in 2 controls. Compensation options include Computer, Control, Wear, Reverse Wear, and Off. This change also allows users to turn off compensation and still use entry and exit moves.




Clearance Plane control

Another feature created in Router and added to Version 9 is a new way to handle the Clearance Plane. Now users can choose to have the tool move to the Clearance plane on ever retract or just at the beginning and end of an operation.




Canned Text Added to Drilling

Now users can add Canned Text to drill operations as they are defined with the same interface found in “Change at Point” for Contour operations.

Feeds and Speeds Calculator

The feeds and speeds calculations in Version 9 have been improved to take the tool material into account along with the stock material in calculating the feeds and speeds. The calculator is also available as a right-click option on the tool parameter page to give users access to while a toolpath is being created.




Dynamic Start Positions

Mastercam has always relied on endpoints, and in some cases the midpoints, of entities to create toolpaths. In Version 9 users have the ability to dynamically change the start point of a chain to anywhere along the chains boundary. This can be done during the initial chain selection by selecting the Change Start menu option or by editing existing toolpaths with the Start Point option found in the Chain Manager accessed through the geometry icon in the Operations Manager.


Job Setup – Bounding Box

The Bounding Box option in Job Setup is now identical to that found under the Create menu. The big changes include the ability to create geometry while defining stock.

Job Setup – Safety Zones

Users can now define an optional Rectangular, Spherical, and Cylindrical safety zones around their material. The Safety Zone acts to force the tool outside anytime it is involved in a rapid move between operations. This is useful in situations where the use of a Clearance Plane may not ensure tool safety.




New Filter options

Users can now limit arc creation to specific planes during the filtering process.



Custom Tool Geometry stored in the MC9 file

Now users who require custom tools can create them and save them inside of the Mastercam part file. When using the undefined tool type users can specify if the tool is stored to an external MC9 file or to a level. The benefit of storing it to a level is that the tool will always be with the part, even if used on another system. The definition can then automatically used by Backplot and Verify.
Defer Loading NCI in File, Get

As files get larger and more complex they can take longer to load. We have had many requests to be able to load files quicker, especially if all the user wants to do is view the file for reasons other than toolpath creation. A switch in the File, Get, dialog box has been added that allows the MC9 file to be loaded without the NCI data. Once the file is loaded the user can continue to work on it as they normally would. If any function requiring the toolpath data is invoked the toolpath data is automatically loaded.

Automatic Countersink Depth Calculations

Prior to Version 9 users had to do hand calculations to determine the depth of a drilling operation to give them the desired countersink diameter. A new depth calculator has been added to Drilling operations to automatically calculate the depth based on a user specified diameter. The calculator gets the tool diameter, angle, and tip diameter direct from the tool itself. All the user has to input is the desired diameter. This new feature is not limited to just drills, it works with any tapered tool.