MCAMX2 Art Tutorial
MCAMX2 Art Tutorial
MCAMX2 Art Tutorial
Art Tutorial
(Inch version)
March 2007
Mastercam X2 MR1
2007 CNC Software, Inc.
i
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial (Inch version)
Date: March, 2007
Copyright 2007 CNC Software, Inc. - All rights reserved.
Software: Mastercam X2 MR1
ISBN: 1-883310-63-6
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iii
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iv
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial v
Table of Contents
1 Introduction......................................................................... 1
Hardware requirements ........................................................................ 2
Compatibility with other Mastercam products................................... 3
If you need more help ........................................................................... 3
Resellers .......................................................................................... 4
Technical support.................................................................................. 4
Additional resources............................................................................. 6
2 Mastercam X2 Art Overview............................................... 7
Frequently asked questions................................................................. 8
Mastercam X2 Art terminology ............................................................ 9
The Mastercam Art process ............................................................... 12
2D Art to 3D Surfacea short example ............................................ 16
Basic features...................................................................................... 17
New toolpaths for Art surfaces.......................................................... 24
Whats Next ........................................................................................ 26
3 Mastercam X2 Art Quick Start ......................................... 27
Parts used in the tutorial examples................................................... 27
Geometry sources and creation ........................................................ 28
Exercise 1 Starting Mastercam X2 Art ........................................... 30
Exercise 2 Starting the design process......................................... 31
Exercise 3 Creating the base surface ............................................ 33
Exercise 4 Creating an organic surface operation ....................... 35
Exercise 5 Viewing options............................................................. 39
Exercise 6 Saving the file ................................................................ 47
Exercise 7 Creating an elliptical organic surface ......................... 48
Exercise 8 Creating multiple surfaces ........................................... 51
Exercise 9 Creating swept surfaces............................................... 57
Exercise 10 Challenge ..................................................................... 61
4 Introduction to Mastercam X2 Art ................................... 63
Exercise 1 Exploring Mastercam X2............................................... 64
Exercise 2 Starting Mastercam X2 Art ........................................... 71
Exercise 3 Opening a file................................................................. 72
Exercise 4 Creating an Art base surface ....................................... 74
Exercise 5 Creating an organic surface......................................... 78
Exercise 6 Saving the file ................................................................ 88
Exercise 7 Exploring Art base surface parameters...................... 89
Exercise 8 Exploring organic surface parameters ....................... 95
Exercise 9 Challenge ..................................................................... 104
vi Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
5 Machining and Verifying Organic Surfaces.................. 105
Exercise 1 Opening a saved file.................................................... 107
Exercise 2 Selecting the machine type ........................................ 108
Machine type and machine definition ............................................. 108
Machine group properties ................................................................ 109
Exercise 3 Defining the stock boundary...................................... 115
Exercise 4 Changing levels and views......................................... 120
Exercise 5 Creating the medallion toolpath ................................ 122
Exercise 6 Creating a contour toolpath ....................................... 135
Exercise 7 Simulating machining (Verify).................................... 140
Exercise 8 Exploring with Verify................................................... 147
Exercise 9 Holding the part ........................................................... 148
Exercise 10 Challenge ................................................................... 150
6 Using Art Manager.......................................................... 151
Exercise 1 Modifying a convex arc shape ................................... 152
Exercise 2 Modifying the parabolic cross section...................... 157
Exercise 3 Using Undo and Redo................................................. 162
Exercise 4 Changing a parabolic shape to an angle .................. 165
Exercise 5 Documenting surfaces................................................ 172
Exercise 6 Examining Art Manager in detail................................ 174
Art Manager functions ...................................................................... 175
Art Manager history tree................................................................... 179
Art Manager right-click menu........................................................... 182
Editing in the Art Manager................................................................ 185
Exercise 7 Challenge ..................................................................... 188
7 Reshaping Surfaces ....................................................... 189
Exercise 1 Defining the Art base surface .................................... 190
Exercise 2 Creating and stacking base surfaces........................ 192
Exercise 3 Stacking surface details (Celtic knot) ....................... 200
Exercise 4 Modifying the Celtic knot model 1.......................... 204
Exercise 5 Modifying the dish surface......................................... 207
Exercise 6 Modifying the Celtic knot model 2.......................... 209
Exercise 7 Reversing changes...................................................... 219
Exercise 8 Challenge ..................................................................... 222
8 Integrated Design, Border and Plane Surfaces............ 223
Exercise 1 Converting a file with Trace Image............................ 224
Exercise 2 Dragging to position ................................................... 232
Exercise 3 Scaling geometry......................................................... 233
Exercise 4 Working with levels..................................................... 235
Exercise 5 Creating Border and Plane surfaces......................... 236
Exercise 6 Creating the parts base ............................................. 245
Exercise 7 Using the Blend application style.............................. 248
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial vii
Exercise 8 Smoothing surfaces.................................................... 262
Exercise 9 Adding textures ........................................................... 266
Exercise 10 Modifying a texture.................................................... 270
Exercise 11 Converting a part to a mold...................................... 272
Exercise 12 Setting Art base surface top to Z0........................... 274
Exercise 13 Exporting to STL format ........................................... 277
Exercise 14 Challenge: translating a bounding box................... 279
Appendix A Machining Practices ...................................... A-1
Factors affecting cutting conditions............................................... A-1
Tool selection .................................................................................... A-5
Cutting ...................................................................................... A-5
Preparing to machine...................................................................... A-10
About cutting tools.......................................................................... A-11
Tools used in Mastercam X2 Art.................................................... A-17
About chips .................................................................................... A-18
Tool holders .................................................................................... A-23
Workpiece/work holding................................................................. A-26
Tool offsets .................................................................................... A-32
Tramming the head ......................................................................... A-33
Aligning the vice.............................................................................. A-39
Locating part positions................................................................... A-41
Machining square and parallel....................................................... A-44
Challenge .................................................................................... A-48
viii Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Introduction
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 1
1
Introduction
Mastercam, the world leader in CAM software, brings its power and
experience to artistic relief design and cutting with Mastercam X Art.
Mastercam X Art is CAD/CAM software designed specifically for
specialty wood crafters, sign makers, cabinet makers, custom shops, ring
makers, and anyone else who needs to add artistic flair to their work. With
Mastercam X Art, you can create machinable models by eye,
experimenting until you get the exact look you want. Specifically, the
Mastercam X Art process takes you from flat art to a beautifully sculpted
piece. The result is a complex and detailed image that took only minutes
to produce, saving time and money.
You can import designs from a scanned bitmap, illustration program, another
CAD/CAM package, or you can create them in Mastercam X Art.
With Art, you can bring 2D sketches, clip art, photos, and CAD files to
life, by crafting them on screen and cutting them with specialized
toolpaths. What would have taken a sign maker, custom cabinet maker, or
other artisan weeks to do, you can do in minutes.
Chapter 1
2 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Mastercam X Art eliminates many of the problems of creating machinable
artwork. An add-on option to Mastercam Mill or Router, Mastercam X Art
delivers a robust set of fast and easy-to-use toolpaths that have been
developed specifically for cutting artistic, finely detailed surfaces. Once
you have modeled your project, Mastercam X Art provides a wide variety
of fast cutting techniques to ensure the part comes off the machine exactly
as imagined.
With Mastercam X Art, you can easily go from a graphic file to cutting this 3D
part.
This tutorial is designed to help you learn Mastercam X Art quickly. After
completion of the tutorial, you will have a good introduction to common
Art operations in Mastercam. (Note that the tutorial does not try to cover
every Mastercam X Art feature.)
Hardware requirements
The following are minimum performance specifications. To increase
performance, we recommend that you first increase the processor speed,
then the RAM, and finally the graphics card memory.
Introduction
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 3
Operating systems: Windows XP or Windows 2000
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or better
Processor: Intel Pentium 4, 2 GHz processor or better
Memory: 512 MB memory or better
Windows-compatible mouse
Monitor minimum resolution 1280x1024 or better
Graphic cards: 64 MB memory with 1280/1024 graphics mode or
better (NVIDIA has been a very successful graphics card for
Mastercam.)
Compatibility with other Mastercam products
Mastercam X Art will open files created by Mastercam Design, Mill, and
Router.
If you need more help
Online help
Online help contains the latest and most up-to-date information about
Mastercam. Use it as a reference for specific How to or Whats
this questions, like How do I delete an operation?, Whats an
Organic surface?, or How do I create a new Art Base Surface? This
brief tutorial shows you how to use online help.
Chapter 1
4 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Click the help button in the current dialog box or ribbon bar to learn more
about that user interface element. You can also press [Alt + H] at any time
to open the online help.
Resellers
If you have a question about Mastercam and have not been able to locate
the answer in this tutorial or the online help, contact your local Mastercam
Reseller. You can locate your local Mastercam Reseller through
www.mastercam.com.
Technical support
If your Reseller is unavailable, you can contact CNC Technical Support
Services by phone Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.5:30 p.m., USA
EST at (860) 875-5006 or by e-mail at support@mastercam.com.
In a help topic, click
on the underlined
words to get more
information or
display related
topics.
Introduction
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 5
When calling CNC Software, Inc. for technical support, please follow
these guidelines:
Be sure you have already tried to contact your Mastercam Reseller.
Provide the serial number of your SIM HASP or NetHASP.
Be ready to describe the problem in detail. Write down what
happened, particularly if you cannot call immediately after the
problem occurs.
Be in front of your computer when you call.
If possible, try to duplicate the problem before calling. Our Support
Services technician may require you to duplicate the problem while
you are on the phone.
Have ready a complete description of your hardware, including your
operating system (OS), central processing unit (CPU), mouse, and
memory.
You can also leave a message for CNC Support Services twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week via our e-mail or Web site addresses.
Please include the serial number of your SIM and a telephone number and
contact information where you can be reached. Keep the following
information on hand in case you need to reach us:
Important Information
Address CNC Software, Inc.
671 Old Post Road
Tolland, Connecticut, 06084-9970
USA
Phone (860) 875-5006
Fax (860) 872-1565
Internet Address http://www.mastercam.com
E-mail support@mastercam.com
FTP Address ftp://ftp.mastercam.com
Chapter 1
6 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Additional resources
For information on training, contact your Mastercam Reseller.
For an ongoing discussion of Mastercam-related topics, visit the
Mastercam online forum at http://www.emastercam.com.
Mastercam X2 Art Overview
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 7
2
Mastercam X2 Art Overview
With Mastercam X2 Art, you design by eye and get great results without
worrying about precise mathematical dimensions. You can enter precise
values, or use the mouse to dynamically enter values based on selected
geometry, surfaces, planes, or positions. Mastercam Art provides iterative
editing, letting you experiment with different settings until the model
meets your specifications. At any point, you can undo and redo your
modeling steps.
The Art Manager is a central place where you work with the Art model. It
records and displays a historical list of operations for every Art model.
Undo and Redo functions let you view the change history and, with a
single selection, roll back or restore one change or an entire series of
changes.
Chapter 2
8 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Once you have modeled your project, Mastercam X2 Art offers a variety
of cutting techniques to ensure that the finished part is exactly as you
imagined it. The software features a robust set of ultra-fast and accurate
toolpaths developed specifically for cutting artistic surfaces. Our tests
show that to create a toolpath on a complex model of 1,350,000 STL
patches (a measure of complexity for a CAD model) takes under one
minute. These toolpaths support flat, ball, and bull cutters.
This chapter gives an overview of Mastercam X2 Arts main features. The
subsequent chapters in this tutorial show how to make practical
application parts, step by step. By building these parts, you learn how
Arts functions interrelate.
In this chapter, you explore:
Frequently asked questions about Mastercam X2 Art
The Mastercam X2 Art process
Specialized terminology
Basic features
New toolpaths for Mastercam X2 Art surfaces
Hardware requirements
Frequently asked questions
What is the purpose of Mastercam X2 Art?
Mastercam X2 Art allows you to bring your 2D sketches, clip art, photos,
and CAD files to 3D life, by crafting them on screen and cutting them
with specialized toolpaths.
What skill level is required for Mastercam X2 Art?
Mastercam X2 Art is appropriate for all skill levels, from the beginning
artist to the experienced CAD/CAM user. Beginning users can create their
first complex models by defining shapes from clip art or their own
scanned artwork. Experienced users have a full range of modeling tools to
create even more sophisticated pieces.
Mastercam X2 Art Overview
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 9
What type of industries is Mastercam X2 Art suited
for?
Mastercam X2 Art is suited for artistic design and manufacturing
applications in many industries. It can simplify processes and reduce
production times in many areas. The following table highlights some of
the many Mastercam X2 Art applications.
Woodworking
Industries
Metalworking
Industries
Miscellaneous
Industries
Sign making Artistic electrode
production
Paper embossing
Furniture making Mold making Coining
Cabinet making Prototyping Sculpting
Jewelry making Toy production
Mastercam X2 Art terminology
Because Mastercam X2 Art surfaces differ from standard Mastercam surfaces,
you need specialized terminology to describe them. Following are definitions of
specialized Art terms.
Art model The entire Mastercam Art part.
In the Art Manager, the model represents the
top level of organization. Each Art model can
include one or more Art base surfaces and, for
each Art base surface, one or more Art surface
operations. The Art Manager provides the
historical record of all events that have
occurred since the model was first created.
Chapter 2
10 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Art base surface (ABS) A 2D point grid that
defines the extents of the Art model surface
area. Each Art model can contain one or more
Art base surfaces. The first step in creating an
Art model is to define an Art base surface. You
then apply Art surface operations to this base
surface.
Art surface operation Manipulations applied
to the ABS to add details or features. Many Art
surface operations use geometry as contour
boundaries. A cross section defines its 3D
profile.
Art surface operations can be stacked (added or
subtracted from each other) to create sculptural
models.
Mastercam X2 Art Overview
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 11
Art Manager Provides access to functions
and displays a hierarchical and historical tree.
This tree is used to organize the Art base
surfaces and Art surface operations contained
in the Art model. The Art Manager displays in
the Operations Manager pane with the
Toolpath Manager and Solids Manager.
Resolution Defines the number of grid
points displayed per inch or millimeter.
Resolution controls the crispness of the image
displayed and the speed at which the screen
redraws. A low resolution permits rapid
redraws, which allows for experimentation. A
higher resolution shows fine detail but
increases the redraw time.
Low resolution
Higher Resolution
Chapter 2
12 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
The Mastercam Art process
The following illustration shows the flow of a design concept, from a
raster image through Mastercam X2 Art to a finished piece of jewelry. The
following section describes the steps in more detail.
Mastercam X2 Art Overview
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 13
Import the art
You can import clip art, a CAD file, or a scanned sketch. Mastercam
X2 Art then converts the artwork into flat, machinable geometry. The
conversion is done with an automatic converter that allows lines, arcs,
and splines (the most efficient form). Mastercam X2 Art connects
converted splines automatically, eliminating unconnected boundaries.
You can also import and convert photographs.
The Mastercam Classic Design Library, which is distributed with
Mastercam X2 Art, gives you over 5,000 classic artistic elements to
place in your model.
Build a 3D model
To create a full, 3D sculpture from your 2D artwork, you select
elements of your flat art that Mastercam "puffs up" using a cross
section you select or create. You can add or remove one surface from
another, and modify the model by eye to make sure it represents
exactly what you want.
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Create a toolpath
Choose one of Mastercam X2 Art's specialized toolpaths to cut your
project. You can experiment with these fast, reliable cutting
strategies, trying a variety of cut techniques to get the perfect result.
Mastercam X2 Art Overview
Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 15
Machine your art on screen
Solid-model verification provides an on-screen simulation of your cut
part before you put stock on the machine. You can zoom in and
inspect this model, ensuring it is exactly what you want, and so avoid
wasted time or stock. If you see an error here, the error will be on the
part as well.
Output code to your machine
Select the correct postprocessor for
your CNC machine, and Mastercam
X2 Art generates the NC code from
your toolpaths. Then, upload the code
to your CNC machine.
Machine the part
Clamp the part securely, shut the
safety enclosure, press the start
button, and machine the part. In a
production setting, you may want to
make custom jigs and fixtures first.
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2D Art to 3D Surfacea short example
The power of Art is its ability to create complex organic surfaces with a
few mouse clicks. Once you have selected the basic outline of your
project, you can quickly "puff it up" by applying a cross section to the
outline. You can create your own cross section or use a dynamic cross
section from the included library.
For the ant graphic below, we selected an organic surface from the Art
menu, and then selected the 2D geometry.
2D drawing becomes a 3D surface
To use an organic surface, the selected 2D geometry must consist of
closed boundaries. The boundaries can comprise lines, arcs, and splines,
but must not have gaps. (Other operation surface types can handle open
chains. For example, a swept surface can use both open (unconnected) and
closed (connected) chains.)
To define the profile of the puffed up surface, we selected a cross section
from the cross section library, entered the dimensions, and the ant took
shape.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 17
Basic features
Organic surfaces Mastercam X2 Arts backbone
The organic surface is the most used surface in Mastercam X2 Art. You create
an organic surface by selecting a closed chain of geometry and applying a
cross section to it. You can scale and manipulate the cross section for perfect
results. Shown below is the Organic Surface Parameters dialog box, along with
definitions of parameters that define the organic surface.
Presets You can save your dialog box
settings with Mastercam X2 Arts presets.
When you need those settings again, pick the
preset from the list, and all the dialog
parameters repopulate with those settings.
Dynamic Cross Sections Mastercam X2 Art
includes a cross section library. You can
choose a cross section and dynamically
manipulate it by adjusting the handles to create
the desired shape or by entering dimensions.
Custom cross sections can also be drawn and
selected from Mastercam, as well as stored to a
library.
Application Styles The Application Style
drop-down menu lets you select functions that
add, subtract, intersect, and blend surfaces.
Adjust Ridge The Adjust Ridge drop-down
menu lets you reshape or smooth your initial
surface into a new shape.
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Application Styles
Mastercam X2 Art's application styles let you add, subtract, intersect, and
blend multiple organic surfaces.
You can test different results by choosing various application styles for
each shape. The following figure displays a few of the most-used
application styles.
Add Blend
Add Cut Sub
Stacking surfaces
Art operations can be stacked (added or subtracted from each other) to
create sculptural models. The following example illustrates how you can
add and subtract surfaces to create the surface you want. Each element is
added to or subtracted from the other elements thus stacking up to make
a sculptured image.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 19
1. Subtract the inner dome.
2. Add the ring, dog body, and skull.
3. Add the ears, snout, eyes, eyebrows, and the foot stepping out of the
dome.
4. Add the nose.
5. Subtract the pupils and nostrils.
6. Add the fur detail.
Nested chains
Nested chains are boundaries within boundaries. For example, a triangle
inside a circle inside a square has three individual chains nested two deep.
Mastercam X2 Art understands nested chains, allowing the creation of
multiple complex surfaces in a single operation. Art can see all the chains
and identify which chain lies within which. It then puffs the first boundary
up, and the next boundary down.
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In the dragon example below, we selected, in a single widow, the 2D
geometry that makes up the dragon. Then we chose a single cross section
to describe the shape of the dragon surface. The selected geometry
consisted of over 100 individual boundaries/chains, some nested six deep.
Mastercam X2 Art puffed the dragon image in one operation, in under 30
seconds. This powerful function can save considerable time when working
with complex geometry.
Tip: If you get the reverse of what you want with nested chains, simply add or subtract an external
boundary to reverse the logic.
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Art Manager
Similar to Mastercams Solids Manager, the Art Manager is a history tree
that tracks your models creation step by step. You can select a surface
operation and adjust, reorder, or edit it. The Art Manager gives you the
flexibility to change your design, fix mistakes, and try new design
strategies. You can also disable and enable individual surface operations.
This ability allows you to have multiple design options and/or machining
options in a single file.
Undo/Redo
Experimentation is productive if you can undo and redo your modeling
steps. You can create a base surface, view it, and then undo it or redo it.
Mastercam X2 Art saves a list of operations, so you can undo or redo
many operations at once. (Undo/redo is a linear process, so undoing or
redoing an operation also affects the operations that depend on it.)
Mastercam Classic Design Library
The Mastercam Classic Design Library comes with Mastercam X2 Art.
This library contains over 5,000 pieces of classic art in Mastercam spline
format.
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To view the library, choose Art, Browse Classic Design Library. Select
a directory and then a piece of art from the viewer. The geometry will be
imported attached to the cursor, ready to be scaled, rotated, mirrored, and
placed.
Single-click mold creation
With Mastercam X2 Art, you build your model as positive so you can
visualize what it will look like. Then with one click, you can convert it
into a clean mold with no undercuts. You can also round sharp edges with
a filter.
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Photo-to-surface conversion
The New Art Base Surface from Image function lets you create a 3D
model directly from a digital image. You scan a photo, and Mastercam X2
Art creates organic, sculpted art using the highlights and shadows as
guidelines for the height of the surfaces. With the New Art Base Surface
from Image function, you can convert bitmaps or photos into embossed
surfaces.
This process is also called 256 gray scale conversion. You set the height
range, and Mastercam X2 Art sorts the points by gray scale into the
correct Z level, creating a base surface. You can output the result to STL
or to Mastercam surfaces.
You can also achieve a magical effect by creating a surface from a photo
using this function, and then reversing it. After you create the toolpaths
and NC code, cut the model into a translucent colored piece of acrylic;
milky white works especially well. The model will look rough, but hold it
up to a light, and you see a near perfect rendering of the photo.
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Resolution
With Art, you can model detailed work on a "high resolution" base section
and work more loosely on a "medium resolution" section. This technique
can speed your modeling and reduce programming time. You can also put
these base surfaces on different machining planes for added flexibility.
For example, you can have six different base surfaces on the six sides of a
cube. You can machine a cabinet door with a large, low-resolution base in
the center, and four small, high-detail bases in the corners. Because you
can machine just what you want, you could machine the detail with a
small cutter and tight toolpaths, and the large detail with a larger cutter
and looser toolpaths.
Save your knowledge
Toolpath Manager is a history tree for toolpaths. It saves your toolpath
process, and lets you edit your cut strategies at any time. You can also
save successful sets of strategies and apply them to future jobs.
New toolpaths for Art surfaces
Mastercam X2 Art provides a wide variety of cutting techniques created
for machining artistic surfaces, including multiple roughing and finishing
techniques. Built with an eye toward speed, these toolpaths are generated
quickly, giving you machine-ready results, usually in seconds. The
following dialog box lists some of the cutting methods you can choose.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 25
Radial up to corner
The following images show example toolpaths.
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26 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
Parallel at an angle toolpath (45 degrees)
Rectangle spiral rounded corners toolpath
Supported cutters
Mastercam offers a powerful set of techniques or strategies to fit every
project. Roughing toolpaths use big tools for quick stock removal, while
finishing toolpaths use smaller tools to pick up the detail. You can use:
End mills: Flat, Ball, Bull Nose
Tapered end mills: Flat, Ball, Bull Nose
Whats Next
In the next chapter, you begin making a part by building Art surfaces.
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3
Mastercam X2 Art Quick Start
This chapter provides an overview and exercises to get you started using
Mastercam X2 Art. It assumes you are somewhat familiar with
Mastercam. That is, the exercises describe general procedures, but reserve
in-depth explanations for later chapters. If you are unfamiliar with
Mastercam X, start with Chapter 4.
The first project, a house sign, offers an overview of the Art surface
creation process.
Parts used in the tutorial examples
You can find the parts used in the exercises in a subfolder of your
Mastercam Mill or Router installation. By default, the exercise files are
located in the following folder:
[C:\mcamX2]\documentation\art tutorial parts
(Where [C:\mcamX2] is your Mastercam X2 installation location.)
However, the files may be in a different folder, depending on where you
have installed Mastercam. The example parts are read-only so that you do
not accidentally overwrite them. Create a separate working folder where
you can save your own parts as you complete the tutorial.
Note: The parts for the exercises in this tutorial were created using inch
units of measurement. When you open a file, if you are currently using a
different unit of measure, Mastercam automatically switches configuration
files to match the units in the current file. For example, if you are working
with a metric configuration file for Mastercam Mill, and you open an inch
part, the system switches to the inch configuration file.
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Geometry sources and creation
The graphics for the border of the sign and the scrolls were imported from
the Classic Design Library. The letters and numbers were created by
converting TrueType
Desktop:
Select Mastercam from the Windows Program menu.
By default, Mastercam starts in the Design application.
Select Art functions from the menu, as shown next. When
working with an Art model, you can also select Art functions
from the Art Manager.
Note: You can also switch between Mastercam products by
choosing certain functions from the drop-down menus or toolbars
or by selecting an operation from the Toolpath Manager.
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Exercise 2 Starting the design process
In this exercise, you use the Bolen house sign geometry to create an Art
base surface (ABS). The ABS defines the work area for the Art surface
operations you add to create a solid model of the part.
Opening a file
1. Select File, New to initialize Mastercam X2 Art.
2. Choose File, Open. The Open dialog box displays.
3. Navigate to
[C:\mcamx2]\documentation\art tutorial parts
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4. Select Sign.mcx and choose to open the file. The part
displays in Mastercams graphics window.
5. If the part opens in any other view, choose the Top Gview toolbar
button to view the part from the top.
6. Choose the Fit toolbar button. Your part should look like the
following picture.
7. Press the Page Down keyboard key. This keystroke reduces the
part display by approximately 20 percent, adding room on the
screen to work around the part.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 33
Exercise 3 Creating the base surface
Mastercam X2 Art starts with a clean canvas or Art base surface to
which you add your art. Each time you start a new project, you must
define an Art Base Surface (ABS). The ABS is a flat rectangular grid of
points. This exercise guides you through the setup of a new ABS on
which to create the house sign.
Creating a base surface
1. From the menu bar, choose Art, New Art Base Surface
Rectangular. The Art Base Surface New dialog box displays.
Note: Values to be set or selected are identified in this tutorials
illustrations by a rectangle or ellipse.
2. Set the following values to define the extents of the ABS.
Set the Lower Left Point X and Y to 0.000.
Set the Upper Right Point to X 24.500 and Y 12.500.
Set the Z to -2.000.
Click the Z limit checkbox to activate it, and set the
Z-Limit to 2.000.
Set the Resolution to 20, and leave the Level at 10.
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Click on Color. When the Colors dialog box opens, choose
16 for the color, and click OK to close the Colors dialog
box.
3. Click OK in the Art Base Surface New dialog box to finalize your
entries. The ABS displays as a grid on the screen in the selected
color as shown next.
House sign geometry on ABS
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 35
Exercise 4 Creating an organic surface operation
Organic surfaces are puffed up, free-flowing surfaces within a 2D
connected boundary called a closed chain. A chain is a collection of
geometric elements, called entities, in which all entities connect at their
endpoints. If the chain of geometry is not closed, Mastercam cannot create
the organic surface operation. (Other Art surface operations support open
and closed chains and are discussed later in the tutorial.)
The following shaded graphic shows the organic surface you will create to
form the signs border. You will specify the surface cross section, which
defines its profile, as a one-inch arc and smooth it using arc high as the
ridge adjustment. You will apply a ridge adjustment to blend the shape.
See the next illustration.
House sign border
Working with multiple viewports
Mastercam X2 Art can display a part in multiple viewports (views)
simultaneously. Viewing the Art model from different perspectives,
as wireframe and shaded, aids the selection and creation process.
1. Select View, Viewports, Viewport 1 Top, Viewport 2 Bottom.
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Viewport 1 displays top and isometric views of the part, as shown next.
You may rotate and zoom the views independently to achieve your desired
viewing requirements.
When you change the viewports, if the part is off the screen, place the
cursor in the viewport and right-click. Choose Fit from the drop-down
menu. Repeat in the next viewport if needed.
Note: The geometry and settings are shown independently in each
viewport. Change each viewport separately as desired.
Two views displayed simultaneously using Viewports
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 37
Creating the border organic surface
You have defined the ABS. The next step is to create Art surface
operations. The first operation you will create is an organic surface
forming the border.
1. Choose Art, Create Organic Art Surface Operation. The
Chaining dialog box opens. If the Chain selection mode is not
selected, select it. (See the next illustration.)
2. In the graphics window, select the outside chains that define the
border. Specifically, select the lower left side of each border at the
points indicated in the following illustration (points 1 and 2). As
you select each point, Mastercam highlights the entire chain and
allows you to select another.
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Note: To make the selection points easier to see, the figure shows the part
without the ABS grid displayed.
3. Click OK to indicate that chaining is complete. The Organic
Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
4. Create the border by entering the following values:
1.000 for the Radius
0.125 for the Base Height, which raises the border from
the bottom with a flat wall.
5. Click the Adjust Ridge down-arrow and select Arc High.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 39
6. Click OK to dismiss the dialog box. Mastercam displays the part,
which should look like the following picture.
House sign with border surface
Exercise 5 Viewing options
Next, you will view what you have created from different planes, with and
without shading. You will also change viewports and display the system
origin axes.
Changing to single viewport
1. Select View, Viewports, Viewport 1 is Entire screen to return to
a single viewport.
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Note: The viewport can be changed any time as needed.
2. Choose Fit from the toolbar to view the entire part in the graphics
window.
Viewing the system origin and shading the part
1. Press [F9] to display the system origin and axes.
2. Choose Isometric Gview. The following illustration shows how
the part should look. (You might have to choose Fit again.)
House sign without shading and with the origin and axes displayed.
3. Press [F9] again to toggle the origin and axes display off.
4. Press [Alt + S] to toggle shading on, or choose the Shaded button
from the shading toolbar. Shading makes the surface appear solid.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 41
Changing the viewing plane
1. Choose Front Gview to view the depth of the part, or choose
View, Standard Views, Front Gview from the menu.
The horizontal line is the X axis in this view. It shows the Z0
plane. From this view, you can see that the part does not extend
above Z0. As creation progresses, you will notice that it gets
closer to Z0. (Press F9 to toggle the origin and axes display, as
necessary.)
House sign front view showing part relative to Z0 plane
Note: The part should not cross the Z0 plane because Z0
represents the top of the stock and also the plane used to set the
CNC machine. If the part crosses above the Z0 plane, it will not
be machined. In this case, you can move the model below the Z0
using a transform function.
2. Choose Top Gview and Fit in preparation for the remaining the
surfaces.
Note: Changing the graphics view does not move or otherwise
translate the geometry; it moves only your vantage point.
However, the geometry appears to rotate when you change the
view.
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Creating the internal part floor organic surface
House sign internal part floor organic surface
1. Select Art, Create Organic Art Surface Operation. The
Chaining dialog box opens.
2. Create a chain by selecting the inner border as shown in the next
picture.
3. Choose OK to indicate that chaining is complete. The Organic
Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
4. Enter 1.000 for the Radius.
5. For the Adjust Ridge parameter, click the down arrow, and choose
Arc Medium.
6. In the dialog box, click Fit (see the following figure) to update the
Cross Section display.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 43
Click the Fit icon after changing
parameters to view the entire cross
section in the window.
Make sure your settings match those shown in the following
illustration.
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7. Click at the top left corner of the dialog box to open the
Advanced Parameters - Organic dialog box.
8. Enter 200 for the Scale C-section. This setting stretches the cross
section toward the center of the surface by 200 %.
Make sure your settings match those in the following figure.
9. Click OK at the end of both parameter dialog boxes to exit and
create the surface.
Viewing the part from different viewpoints
You have completed the creation of the first two surfaces. Now view
the part from different viewpoints to see your creation.
1. Choose Isometric Gview. From this view, you can see the curved
surface inside the border of the surface you just created.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 45
House sign with border and floor surfaces
2. Press [Alt + S] to Shade the part. Press [Alt + S] again to turn
shading off, or click the Wireframe toolbar button.
Note: Shading covers the whole model, including all surfaces
created and the flat Art base surface.
House sign shaded
3. Choose the Dynamic Rotation toolbar button, or choose View,
Orient, Dynamic Rotation from the menu bar.
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46 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
4. Select the center of the part to set the rotation point. Move the
cursor to rotate the part on the screen. You can turn the part in any
direction. When the part is in the position that you want to keep,
click again to freeze the view. Experiment with different views to
get a good mental image of the part.
5. Choose Zoom Window, and drag a window around the inside
corner to inspect the details.
Note: The Zoom Window function magnifies a portion of the
graphics window. When you use this function, Mastercam
prompts you to draw a rectangular selection window around the
portion of the graphics area that you want to magnify. The
graphics window then fills with the contents of the selection
window.
6. Choose Fit to zoom the graphic to the extent of the screen.
7. Choose Top Gview to return to the top plane for creating the
remainder of the surfaces.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 47
Exercise 6 Saving the file
It is a good practice to save often in the creation process. You should
always save the part after finishing an operation and prior to beginning the
toolpath
1. Choose File, Save As from the menu bar. The Save As dialog box
displays.
2. The file that you are working on is highlighted in the Save As dialog
box. Add your initials in front of Sign.mcx. (For example, enter JW
Sign.mcx.) This allows you to save without overwriting the original
file.
3. Choose OK to save the file with the new name.
Note: While working on this tutorial, you should save at the end
of each exercise. Consider adding the exercise number to the file
name so that you can return to that part of the tutorial at a later
time.
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Exercise 7 Creating an elliptical organic surface
Note: A separate ellipse surface function creates an ellipse defined
numerically in which existing geometry is not utilized for surface creation.
Creating this kind of ellipse surface is discussed in a later chapter.
Make sure the graphic view is set to Top Gview to begin this exercise.
Creating the ellipse base
1. Select Art, Create Organic Art Surface Operation.
2. The Chaining dialog box opens. Make sure chain selection mode
is active, and then select anywhere on the ellipse geometry.
3. Choose OK to indicate that chaining is complete. The Organic
Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 49
4. Select the icon for the Dynamic Cross Section Library and
select Convex Parabola.
5. Enter 2.0 for the Width and 0.625 for the Height.
6. For the Adjust Ridge parameter, choose Arc Medium.
7. Click Advanced Parameters to open the Advanced Parameters -
Organic dialog box. Set the values as shown in the next picture.
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Note: Inside creates the surface to the inside of the geometry
boundary. Outside creates the surface to the outside of the
geometry boundary and leaves the inside unaffected. To create
the ellipse, set the creation direction inside.
8. Choose OK twice to close both dialog boxes. Mastercam displays
the part, which should look like the following picture.
House sign elliptical surface
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Exercise 8 Creating multiple surfaces
In the preceding exercises, you created one surface at a time. In this
exercise, you create several surfaces at once, which requires selecting
multiple chains. When selecting multiple chains, some chains may be
nested (a chain within a chain). The letter B is an example of nested
chains, where the inner boundaries are nested inside the outline of the
letter.
In nested chains, the space from the outermost chain boundary to the next
inner boundary is considered positive space. The space from the inner
boundary inward is considered negative space. If you have multiple nested
chains, the pattern continuespositive, negative, positive, and so on.
Creating the letter and number surfaces in one selection
1. Select Art, Create Organic Art Surface Operation.
2. In the Chaining dialog box, choose the Polygon chain selection
mode. Polygon chain selection allows you to draw a polygon
around irregular geometry that would be difficult to select in a
rectangular window.
Note: The window selection mode also allows you to select a
group of chains at once by dragging a window around the chains
you want.
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3. Select the points identified in the following picture to form a
polygon around the geometry. Complete the polygon by double-
clicking the first point again. Mastercam prompts for a search
point.
Note: Make certain the polygon encloses all the entities, while
avoiding the two splines below the numbers 143, as shown in
the following figure. View the part as a shaded model to better see
where to click.
4. Click inside the polygon. The selected geometry turns yellow to
signify that it is chained.
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5. Click OK to end the chaining process. The Organic Surface
Parameters dialog box is displayed.
6. Enter the information shown below in the Organic Surface
Parameters dialog box.
7. Choose OK. The completed part displays.
8. Choose Isometric Gview button. The part should look like the
following picture.
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54 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
House sign unshaded
9. Press [Alt + S] to shade the model.
House sign shaded
Note: Look closely at the circled area and note that the area is not carved
down into the floor. In the next step, you cut it out.
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Creating a subtracted surface
Next you will create a depression in the inside of the emblem to make
it look deeper and more rounded, as if carved.
You will use the Sub (subtract) Application Style to cut away the
model. Previously, you used Add Application Style, which adds to
the model.
1. Choose Top Gview.
2. Choose Art, Create Organic Art Surface Operation.
3. Click in the two areas shown below to select the chains that form
the inside of the emblem.
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4. Choose OK to indicate that chaining is complete. The Organic
Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
5. Enter 0.250 for the Radius.
6. In the Application Style drop-down list, choose Sub. Instead of
puffing up the surface, Sub makes a cavity.
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7. Choose OK. Mastercam displays the part.
8. Choose Isometric Gview.
9. From the Art Manager, choose Hide Geometry. The part should
look like the following picture. Note the depression in the bottom
of the emblem, which is a result of the Sub function. The part now
looks more carved.
House sign with subtracted surface
Exercise 9 Creating swept surfaces
The surfaces you created up to this point have been organic surfaces. In
this exercise, you create swept surfaces using the scroll lines/splines under
the house numbers.
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Unlike organic surfaces, swept surfaces can use both open and closed
chains. Swept surfaces also build the selected cross section to both sides
of the selected geometry.
Geometry for swept surfaces
1. Choose Top Gview to return to the top plane to create the swept
surfaces.
2. From the Art Manager, choose the Hide Geometry button. This
action toggles the setting off and displays the geometry.
3. Choose Art, Create Swept Surface Operation. The Chaining
dialog box displays.
4. In the dialog box, choose the Single chaining mode.
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5. Select the two splines shown in the following picture, and click
OK to indicate that chaining is complete. The Swept Surface
Parameters dialog box displays.
6. In the dialog box, enter 0.125 for the Radius.
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7. For the End Condition, select Round, which rounds the ends of
the geometry. (Flat would square off the ends.)
8. Make sure that your settings match those shown in the following
figure.
9. Choose OK.
10. Press [Alt + S] to shade the model. The part should look like the
following illustration.
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Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial 61
Completed house sign
You have now completed the surface creation example. You have a
complete part ready to begin the toolpath programming process.
Remember to save the file as (Your initials) sign.mcx.
The next two chapters lead you through part creation in more detail. You
will program the toolpath, create a solid model of the toolpath, and
produce the machining code.
Exercise 10 Challenge
In this challenge exercise, do as many tasks as you can without referring
to exercises in the tutorial. Repeat each task until you can perform them
without help.
1. Exit Mastercam X2 Art.
2. Restart Mastercam X2 Art.
3. Open the file that you just completed named (Your initials)
sign.mcx.
4. Fit the geometry to the screen.
5. View the part from the Front plane.
6. View the part from the Side plane.
7. Zoom different areas of the part.
8. Exit Mastercam. Restart Mastercam.
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9. Open the original geometry and try to build the part. Use the
tutorial as little as possible. Also, experiment with the cross
section types, Application Styles, and Adjust Ridge functions
to create different effects.
Introduction to Mastercam X2 Art
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4
Introduction to Mastercam X2 Art
This chapter presents similar concepts to those you learned in Chapter 3,
but presents them in greater depth. Also, these lessons do not assume
familiarity with Mastercam, and so start by describing Mastercam X2 Art
security features and the interface.
Besides this tutorial, you should refer to the documentation that
accompanies Mastercam X2, particularly the Mastercam X2 Getting
Started Guide. This guide, as well as and the Mastercam X2 Reference
Guide (installed as a PDF in your \documentation folder), provides
detailed information about Mastercam X2, its interface, and functions.
In this chapter, you create a medallion that must fit into a 3.000-inch
diameter by 0.250-inch deep circular pocket. To do this, you construct a
model comprising text on a round part. Following are illustrations of the
part geometry, the finished shaded surface, and a solid model of the
machined part.
Medallion part (geometry, finished shaded model, and solid model)
Upon completing this chapter, you will have studied the following topics:
Mastercam X2 environment
Starting Mastercam X2 Art
Opening a file
Creating an Art base surface
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Creating an organic surface
Saving the file
Exploring Art base surface parameters
Exploring organic surface parameters
Exercise 1 Exploring Mastercam X2
Learning about the HASP and NetHASP
Mastercam uses two types of licensing: single-user licensing (HASP)
and network licensing (NetHASP). If you have a single-user license,
to run Mastercam, you must have a piece of hardware called a HASP
(sometimes called a dongle or SIM) attached to your parallel or USB
port. The following error message indicates a missing or improperly
configured HASP:
If you see this message, refer to the Mastercam X2 Installation Guide
or contact your Mastercam Reseller for assistance.
Network licensing requires a NetHASP on a computer on your
network. If any of the following messages display when starting
Mastercam, contact your network administrator for assistance:
Error checking out an Art license. No licenses have
been purchased for this product.
Active NetHASP server not found.
All available licenses are in use.
For more information on NetHASP installation, see the Mastercam
X2 Installation Guide included with your Mastercam X2 application,
or use Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the Mastercam X2 Installation
Guide PDF file installed in your Mastercam X2 \documentation
subdirectory.
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Exploring the Mastercam interface
The Mastercam interface comprises many distinct elements. At the
top of the screen is the menu bar (File, Edit, View, etc.). Below the
menu bar are the toolbars, the AutoCursor ribbon bar, the General
Selection ribbon bar, and the ribbon bar for the current function.
To the left of your screen is the Operations Manager, which houses
the Toolpath Manager, Solids Manager, and the Art Manager. To the
right of the Operations Manager is the graphics window, where
Mastercam displays part files. Under the Operations Manager and
graphics window is the status bar.
To the far left of the screen are vertically docked copies of the
toolbars defined in your toolbar state settings. To the far right of the
screen is the vertically docked MRU (Most Recently Used) toolbar.
The following picture shows some of the main Mastercam X2
interface elements.
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Menu bar
You can access most Mastercam functions through a series of standard,
drop-down menus and submenus, located across the top of the Mastercam
window. Click the menu choice to view its functions. Most functions have
toolbar icons beside them, so you can associate the function with its
image.
Toolbars
Toolbars collect common functions represented by icons. Black arrows in
toolbars represent drop-down menus with additional functions. By default,
toolbars dock below the menu bar. They can be undocked by dragging
them outside the toolbar area or by double clicking them. You can dock
toolbars horizontally or vertically.
General Selection
For most Mastercam functions, use the General Selection ribbon bar to
select entities in the graphics window.
AutoCursor
Use the AutoCursor ribbon bar to enter X, Y, and Z coordinates manually.
You can also use this ribbon bar to detect and snap to points as you move
the cursor over geometry in the graphics window. AutoCursor becomes
active whenever Mastercam prompts you to select a position in the
graphics window.
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Ribbon bars
Use ribbon bars to create and edit geometry. Click the function buttons on
the ribbon bars to perform the function or to open a field so that you can
enter values. You can undock, dock, and move ribbon bars.
Note that if an active function is unassociated with a ribbon bar, a blank
ribbon bar displays.
Operations Manager
The Operations Manager houses the Toolpath, Solids, and Art Manager
tabs. Click the tabs at the top to switch between the Toolpath Manager,
Solids Manager and Art Manager.
Toolpath Manager
The Toolpath Manager
lists the toolpath
groups and machine
types for the current
file. Use the Toolpath
Manager to generate,
sort, edit, regenerate,
verify, backplot, and
post any operation.
The Toolpath Manager
includes both
associative and non-
associative toolpaths.
Solids Manager
The Solids Manager
lists each solid in the
current file, along with
its operation history
and associated
toolpaths. Use the
Solids Manager to edit
solids and their
operations.
Art Manager
The Art Manager lists
each art element in the
current file, along with
its operation history
and associated
parameters. Use the
Art Manager to edit
Art base surfaces and
Art operations.
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Graphics window
The graphics window is the workspace in which you can view, create, and
modify your parts. The graphics window also displays information about
the current measurement system (inches or millimeters), the views in
which you are working (Graphic view, Cplane, Tplane, WCS), and the
coordinate axes for the current views.
Status bar
The Status bar is located along the bottom of the Mastercam window. It
provides quick access to functions that let you modify attributes, levels,
groups, and orientation (views and planes) of geometry and toolpaths in
the graphics window.
Controlling part display in the graphics window
Mastercam provides several different ways to control how parts
display in the graphics window. You use these controls throughout
this tutorial.
Note: The Mastercam X2 interface is customizable, so yours might look
different from the interface described here.
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Located in a toolbar, the buttons shown below let you control the
display scale of the part in the graphics window:
In the View Manipulation toolbar are buttons that control the graphics
view (Gview), which affects the view orientation of the part in the
graphics window:
Note: The graphics view does not affect the plane in which the part
geometry exists. In Mastercam, this is called the construction
plane or Cplane. Please refer to Mastercams online help for
more information on Cplanes and Gviews.
Zoom with window
Lets you use the cursor to draw a box around the area to be
enlarged.
Zoom Target
Automatically scales selected entities to fit the graphics window.
Unzoom
Returns to the display scale before last zoom.
Fit to screen
Enlarges or reduces the display scale to fill the screen.
Repaint
Redraws the screen and removes remnants.
Dynamic rotation
Use the mouse to rotate the part in the window.
Top view
Front view
Right side view
Isometric view
Tip: You can also
access graphic
options by right-
clicking in the
graphics window.
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When you right-click in the graphics window, a fully customizable
menu displays. This menu lets you control the display as the toolbar
buttons do and also provides additional controls.
Note: AutoCursor helps you select points by automatically detecting
entity positions such as midpoints and endpoints.
Accessing Mastercam X2 Art functions
Choose Art from the Mastercam Menu to access Art functions. You can
access most of Mastercam Art functionality in the Art menu.
Note: Additional Art functions are available in the Art Manager tab, and
in its right-click menus.
Using end-of-page controls
At the bottom of many Mastercam X2 Art dialog boxes, you will see
the following icons:
Green check mark means OK. This button performs the actions
specified in the settings.
Red X cancels the action and closes the dialog box.
Question mark opens online help.
Clear colors
Clears groups and results from
the database.
Zoom control
Enlarge the display scale of the
window, or reduce it by 50%.
Graphic view control
Choose the top, front, side, or
isometric view.
Draw control
Enlarge or reduce the display scale to
fit the screen, or refresh the screen.
Dynamic controls
Use the mouse to spin (rotate)
the displayed part, to move the
view right, left, up, or down,
(pan), or to zoom in or out.
AutoCursor
Highlights any entity under the cursor and
snaps to the nearest entity for selection.
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Exercise 2 Starting Mastercam X2 Art
This document assumes that you have successfully installed Mastercam
X2 Art, have completed the necessary post-installation procedures, and are
ready to begin using Mastercam to design and machine parts.
Note: For information on installing Mastercam, see the Mastercam X2
Installation Guide included with your software, or contact your local
Reseller.
To start Mastercam X2 Art, do one of the following:
Doubleclick the Mastercam icon on your Windows
Desktop:
Select Mastercam from the Windows Program menu.
By default, Mastercam starts in the Design application.
Select Art functions from the menu as shown in the following figure.
When working with an Art model, you can also select Art functions from
the Art Manager.
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Exercise 3 Opening a file
In this exercise, you use existing part geometry to create surfaces. In
Chapter 5, you create the toolpath for this model.
Note: In Chapter 8, you learn how to use file converters to read artwork
into Mastercam X2 Art.
Starting a new file and clearing the database
Starting a new file clears the database, giving you a fresh start on
your part. This process also returns all settings to their defaults. It is
important to start a new file before working on a new part or opening
a different file.
1. Choose File, New.
2. If you have been working on a file, and it is unsaved, the following
dialog box displays. Select Yes if you want to save the file or No if
you do not.
3. If you choose Yes, select or enter a file name.
4. Select OK. Mastercam saves the current file, and you are ready to
begin a new one.
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5. Choose File, Open to load this exercises file. The Open dialog
box displays.
6. Navigate to the tutorial files, and choose the geometry file named
medallion.mcx:
..\documentation\art tutorial parts\MEDALLION.mcx
Note: Select Preview to display thumbnail images of the files to
aid you in proper selection.
7. Choose OK to open the selected file.
Preview
1. Select File
2. Choose OK
8. Choose the Fit toolbar button. Your part should look like the
following picture.
9. Choose the Unzoom Previous /.5 button from the toolbar.
Mastercam reduces the part by about 50 percent, giving room on
the screen to work around the part.
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74 Mastercam X2 Art Tutorial
10. Press [F9] to display the origin and axes so that you can see the
location of the origin.
Exercise 4 Creating an Art base surface
In this exercise, you set up an Art base surface (ABS) on which to create
the medallion. An Art base surface represents an unaltered flat surface on
which to construct your sculpted model. Each time you start a new project,
you must define an Art base surface.
The Art base surface is a flat rectangular grid of points. You define the
base dimensions. Mastercam Art grows a sculpted model from the flat
grid (sheet) by raising and lowering the points.
Mastercam Art surfaces are different from Mastercam Mill or Router
surfaces, where you patch together individual surfaces of various types. In
Mastercam Art, you do all manipulations to a single base.
Art base surface and origin
Note: Keep in mind that when working on 2D geometry, the X direction
(or axis) is horizontal across the screen and Y is vertical across the
screen. The Z direction is into or out of the screen.
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The position of the Art base surface in space corresponds to the position of
the part on the machine. An Art base surface represents where you create
the object, as well as the location of the part for machining. The standard
is to set the lower left corner of the Art base surface (the origin) at X0, Y0.
The upper right corner of the Art base surface is a second important point.
Its X coordinate defines the base width, and its Y coordinate defines the
height.
Locations of reference points
The machine and part origins are rarely the same position. Before machining,
the machine coordinate system has to be transferred to the part. This is known as
setting the zero point or home position.
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The Z coordinate defines where on the Z axis the Art base surface plane
resides. The standard is Z0. The Art base surface dialog box defines the
bases origin, the bases size, and the part depth (Z).
Note: The Art base surface must extend beyond the part boundary to
program the toolpath to the surfaces full extent. If you do not provide this
extra space, the toolpath will be truncated at the bases edge.
Creating a new base surface
1. From the menu bar, choose Art, New Art Base Surface
Rectangular. The Art Base Surface New dialog box displays.
2. Set the values as shown in the following illustration. These values
define the size (Surface Extents) of the base.
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3. Click OK to dismiss the dialog box. The base displays as a grid.
Note: See Exercise 7 for additional information on creating new Art base
surfaces. Chapter 6, Exercise 6 contains detailed information on using the
Art Manager.
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Exercise 5 Creating an organic surface
Mastercam X2 Art uses the following terminology:
Art model refers to the entire sculpted model.
An Art base surface (ABS) is a specific type of 2D point grid or 3D
point cloud surface unique to Mastercam Art. You can display the
ABS as shaded or as a line grid. You create every element in the Art
model on the ABS.
Art surface operations manipulate the ABS by adding details or
features. Art surface operations use geometry as contour boundaries
and are built using cross sections that you define and adjust.
In this exercise, the first element you create is an organic surface. An
organic surface reaches from opposing boundaries to the center. The
surface scales and trims itself as the boundaries become closer or farther
apart. It creates flowing shapes to the inside or outside of contours. The
organic surface is the most used surface in Mastercam Art.
Note: In this exercise, you create an organic surface first, and then learn
organic surface concepts. If you prefer to master concepts first, you might
want to go to Exercise 8 and read more in-depth descriptions of organic
parameters before completing this exercise.
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Creating the concave base surface
With the Art base surface set up, you next create surface operations.
The first surface operation you create is a circular dish.
1. From the menu bar, choose Art, Create Organic Art Surface
Operation. The Chaining dialog box displays.
2. Select the lower left side of the circle, as shown in the following
figure. The selected chain turns yellow.
Note: The graphic is shown without the grid displayed to make
the selection point easier to see.
3. Choose OK to finalize the chain. The Organic Surface Parameters
dialog box opens.
4. Click the top Cross Section button, and select Convex Parabola.
5. Enter the Height and Width values indicated in the following
dialog box illustration.
Note: If the Cross Section display does not match that shown in
the following illustration, click the Zoom to fit button in the
dialog box.
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6. Select Sub from Application Style to subtract the new surface
from the base.
7. Ensure that Adjust Ridge is set to Normal.
8. Click OK. Mastercam Art displays the surface.
9. Press [F9] to display the system origin and axes.
10. Choose the Isometric Gview and Fit toolbar buttons. The part
should look like the following illustration.
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Medallion without shading, with origin and axes displayed
11. Press [F9] to toggle the axes off.
12. Press [ALT+ S] to toggle shading on and off.
Medallion shaded
Viewing the part
1. Choose the Front Gview toolbar button to see the parts depth.
Press [F9] to see the axes.
2. Choose the Top Gview button.
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About grid density
Art base surfaces display as vertical and horizontal line grids or as
solid shaded entities. Use the Grid Density dialog box to set the
spacing between the grid lines and to control the displays shading
tolerance. Changing these settings might make it easier to view and
work with geometry and other Art surface operation features.
Click and enter a new value to change
the grid density.
At this point, the Art base surface grid is very dense, which might
make it difficult to select geometry. Reducing the density opens the
surface to expose the geometry better.
Note: Grid density affects only the appearance of the Art base
surface. You can change it as often as necessary. It does not modify
the accuracy of the underlying Art base surface point grid.
About surface resolution
To change the number of grid points per inch used to generate the Art
model, use the Resolution parameter in the Surface parameters dialog
box. Resolution controls the crispness of the Art model. You can set a
low resolution and have almost instant redraws. Fast redraws
facilitate experimentation.
You can select a higher resolution to inspect details. A high
resolution, however, increases the redraw time. You can increase or
decrease the resolution at any time.
Important note: Increase an Art models resolution before you create or
export a toolpath. Doing so ensures that Mastercam includes all critical
points.
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Click and enter a new value to change
the surface resolution.
The following illustrations show the result of changing the surface
resolution in unshaded views.
Surface Resolution= 200 Surface Resolution = 100
Changing grid density
1. Click the Art Manager tab in the Operations Manager pane. The
Art Manager displays.
2. Click Art Surface Grid Density. The Grid Density dialog box
opens.
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3. Enter 90 for the density.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box. Mastercam displays the part.
5. Compare the density in the following illustrations.
Grid density = 90 Grid density = 99
6. Click Art Surface Grid Density, enter 99, and click OK.
The grid density setting affects the density in both unshaded and
shaded surfaces. This setting also affects the redraw speed. The
smaller the grid density number, the more ridged and broken up
the surface elements appear in the graphic window. After creating
the surface, you can set the resolution to a higher number to
improve the graphic for further inspection and for viewing
smaller details.
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Creating the organic raised letter S
1. Select Art, Create Organic Surface Operation. The Chaining
dialog box displays.
2. Chain the outside of the letter, and then chain the interior letter
contours, as shown in the following figure.
The letter comprises an outside contour and five inside contours.
The contours are closed and contain no gaps. The inside contours
are referred to as nested pockets because they are nested inside a
larger pocket (a pocket within a pocket).
3. Choose OK. The Organic Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
Tip: For more information on chaining and its selection methods, press [Alt + H]
to access help. When Help displays, click the Index tab. Type the word chain.
Click the desired chaining topic. Close help when finished.
4. Enter the information shown in the following picture.
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5. Click OK to create the surface.
Viewing the part from different planes
You have now completed the model and can examine the result from
different viewpoints. Notice that the surface of the letter S is a
complex organic surface that conforms to the concave surface of the
circular dish.
1. Choose the Isometric Gview toolbar button. From this view, you
can readily see the raised surface atop the concave surface.
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Medallion not shaded
2. Press [Alt + S] to shade the part.
Note: Shading covers the entire base, including both the surfaces
and the flat part of the base.
Medallion shaded
3. Select Dynamic Rotation. Click the center of the part, and then
move the mouse to rotate the part on the screen. From this view,
you can turn the part in any direction. When the part is positioned
as you want, click again to freeze the view. Experiment with
different views to get a good mental image of the part. Use the
zoom and unzoom functions to inspect small details.
4. Choose the Isometric Gview and Fit toolbar buttons again.
Comparing resolution settings
You created this exercises model at a resolution of 200 pixels per
square inch. You can set a lower resolution and have almost instant
redraws. This lower setting encourages experimentation but makes
the model look grainy when shaded. Selecting a higher resolution to
inspect details, increases the redraw time.
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Note: The Surface Resolution setting affects the mathematical
accuracy of the surface produced. That is, it increases or decreases
the number of points used to calculate the model.
1. Click the Art Manager tab in the Operations Manager.
2. Click Art Model Resolution. The Surface Resolution dialog box
opens.
3. Enter 75 in the Surface Resolution control.
4. Click OK. The shaded model should look like the left image in
the following illustration.
Resolution = 75 Resolution = 200
5. Repeat steps 1-4 but change the resolution setting back to 200.
Exercise 6 Saving the file
This exercise shows how to save your file, something you should do often
as you create your parts. Specifically, always save your part after
completing an operation and prior to beginning the toolpath
1. Click the File menu and choose Save As. The Save As dialog box
opens.
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2. To avoid overwriting the original project, rename your file. For
example, add your initials in front of medallion.mcx.
3. Click OK.
This exercise completes the medallion example. In the next chapter, you
program and verify the toolpath for the medallion. The next section,
however, provides an in-depth explanation of values for the Art base
surface and organic surface parameters. Understanding these parameters
allows you to use the power of Mastercam X2 Art to make your artistic
visions real.
Exercise 7 Exploring Art base surface parameters
The Art Base Surface New dialog box contains controls and position-
selecting icons that allow you to enter values with or without typing.
These controls allow you to increase or decrease values with the mouse.
Following is an illustration of the Art Base Surface New dialog box.
Note: Chapter 6 presents additional exercises and information about base
surface parameters.
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Note: Refer to this dialog box illustration when reading the next section.
Using Art Base Surface New dialog box controls
Controls
Click within the Number Field, and
roll the thumbwheel on the mouse to
increase or decrease a value.
Move the Slider with the mouse to
increase and decrease the value.
Click the Fine Increment Control
Buttons to increase and decrease the
values.
Click the large down arrow to select
preset values from a list.
Control
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Position Select Button
The Position Select button returns you to
the graphics window so that you can
select a position from geometry using
Mastercams point selection methods.
You return to the dialog box when you
complete selection.
Position Select Button
Presets
Presets let you save existing dialog box
settings. After you fill a dialog page,
click the down-arrow, choose Save as,
and enter a file name. When you reenter
the dialog box again, click the down
arrow, and select the file. The dialog box
repopulates with the saved values.
Preset Box
Graphic help box
The picture to the right depicts the Art
base surface origin, lower left and upper
right corners of the base, and the axis
orientation.
Setting the origin and size
1. To set the origin, do one of the following:
If you know the values, enter the origin in the Origin X, Y and Z
controls.
or
Use the Position Select button and Mastercams selection
methods to select the origin location from the geometry by
selecting points 1 and 2, respectively. Point 1 represents the base
origin (lower left corner). Point 2 defines the base size (upper
right corner). See the following picture.
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Origi n
Art base surface
(ABS)
To display a tooltip, hold the mouse over a field or button.
Note: The Z value represents the top of the base. Set the Origin Z to 0,
which is the standard position for the top of the part. When machining the
part, negative Z values cut into the part, and positive Z values orient out of
the part.
If you forget to create the part top at Z0, you can change Z with the Set
Active Base Surface Top to Z Plane function. Set Active Base Surface
Top to Z Plane is discussed in Chapter 8, Exercise 12.
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2. To define the base size, do one of the following:
Enter the size of the base as X and Y coordinates of the lower left
and upper right corners.
or
Select the corners from geometry using the Position Select button
and Mastercams selection methods.
Setting the height range limit and rotation
1. Select the Z Limit check box, and enter a value in the control.
The Z Limit is the maximum model depth or thickness. When the
models Z value exceeds this constraint value in a positive or
negative direction, you receive a warning, but only if you have
selected the Z Limit check box.
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Setting the Art base surface attributes
Set rotation angle around l eft lower point (in XY Plane)
Choose Color Set Surface Resolution Choose Level
1. Enter the Resolution in points per inch or millimeter.
The higher the number, the smoother the part, and the longer it
takes to redraw. The default resolution is acceptable for most
applications. You can increase or decrease the resolution at any
time.
2. Choose the Level on which to create the base.
The Level button opens the Levels dialog box and displays the
levels for selection. The default level is 10 and is acceptable for
the tutorial exercises. (A level is called a layer on some CAD
systems.)
Note: For more information on using levels, see Mastercam help
by pressing [Alt + H].
3. Click the Color button, and select the bases color.
There are 16 basic colors and 256 expanded colors. Muted tones
in the middle of the 256 expanded color grids look best.
4. Enter the Rotation value.
You can enter this value into the control, or use the Position
Select button to get the desired angle from the geometry. This
value establishes the angle that the base is rotated around the Z
axis.
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Exercise 8 Exploring organic surface parameters
Please refer to the following picture for this exercise.
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The cross section parameters define the cross-sectional profile of the
organic surface. The default shape is an arc. If you select a line or
parabola cross section, the dialog box displays the controls
appropriate for the selected shape.
The dialog box displays a graphic of the selected cross section on a
grid. You can change the cross section shape by clicking and
dragging the red nodes to create the desired shape. You can use
viewing icons to zoom in or out, and to fit and update the cross
section after you enter parameters.
The base height control box applies to all surface types. It creates a
vertical wall to raise the base of the surface by the specified amount.
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Organic shape cross section selection buttons
Choose Dynamic Cross Section to select one of the
predefined, customizable cross sections. The selections are
Line, Concave Arc, Convex Arc, Concave Parabola, and
Convex Parabola. Choose the desired shape, and enter the
parameter values in the appropriate controls. Convex Arc is
the default shape.
Choose Chain Cross Section to select a custom cross
section shape that is displayed in the graphics window. All
of Mastercams selection methods are available with this
function.
Choose Cross Section Library to load a cross section
from an existing catalog or to save a cross section to a
catalog.
Choose Zoom In to enlarge the cross section display.
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Choose Zoom Out to shrink the cross section display.
Choose Zoom to Fit to enlarge the cross section display to
fill the grid and to update the values.
Note: If you drag the node out of the viewing range, when
you release the mouse button, the window refreshes and
rescales to fit the cross section.
Common parameters
These Common Parameters (Application Style and Adjust Ridge)
apply to most surfaces and function the same regardless of the surface
type. Click the down-arrow to expand the drop-down list and choose
an option.
Application Styles
The nine mutually exclusive Application Styles determine how a
surface fits into the base. These styles also determine the fit to other
surfaces when you stack one surface on top of another. Add,
Sub(tract), and Blend are the most used styles.
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The icons used to select a style illustrate the way the surfaces fit
together. The blue ellipse represents the base surface. The red bar
represents a surface stacked on the base surface. The red bar extends
beyond the blue ellipse to illustrate how the surfaces trim.
Add adds the red bar on top of the blue base, following
the shape of the base. Note the intersection of the red and
blue shape.
Sub subtracts the red bar from the base and cuts the red
surface out of the blue base following the shape of the
base.
Blend adds the red bar to the base. When it intersects the
blue base, the highest parts of each surface are displayed,
resulting in a blend.
Add-Cut adds the red bar to the base and ignores the blue
base, cutting right through it.
Add-Cut-Trim adds the red bar to the base, cuts through
the blue base, and then trims the red surface to the
boundary of the base.
Add-Cut-Trim Blend adds the red bar to the base, cuts
though the blue base, trims the red bar to the boundary of
the base, and then blends the edge of the red bar to the
shape of the blue base shape.
Sub-Cut subtracts the red bar from the base and ignores
the blue base, cutting through it.
Inverse applies the inverse of the operation to an existing
application.
Mask isolates the selected surface. In this graphic, the red
bar was masked. The blue base would not be affected in
the operation.
Tip: Use mask elements on a surface to add a texture to selected
elements by avoiding non-masked elements.
Adjust Ridge
Adjust Ridge options do not supersede the chosen cross section.
Instead, they blend an additional shaping parameter with the cross
section. There are nine options for adjusting the shape of the element
(surface).
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The Adjust Ridge icons illustrate how the option affects the cross
section. The Normal icon represents the base cross-section shape to
which the other options are applied. They do not represent how a
specific cross section might look because the result depends on the
base shape. Concentrate on the dark front face and sides of the icon to
understand what shape results from applying an Adjust Ridge option.
Normal leaves the cross section unadjusted.
Arc High adjusts the cross section to an arc, full
height.
Arc Medium adjusts the cross section to an arc,
medium height.
Arc Low adjusts the cross section to an arc, low
height.
Parabola High adjusts the cross section to a
parabolic shape, full height.
Parabola Low adjusts the cross section to a
parabolic shape, low height.
Angle High adjusts the cross section to create
high angled walls.
Angle Low adjusts the cross section to create
low angled walls
Angle Radius adjusts the cross section to be
angular with a radius on the top edge.
Flat Sides adjusts the cross section to have flat
sides.
Advanced organic surface parameters
Advanced parameters for organic surfaces are located on a separate
dialog box. To access this dialog box, go to the first page of the
Organic Surface Parameters dialog box . Then click the down-arrows
located in the upper left corner. The following illustration identifies
and describes the Advanced Organic Surface Parameters.
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Double up-arrows return to the
Organic Surface Parameters dialog
box.
The graphic shows the current
Transform build shape (to inside or to
outside).
Scale C-section (percent). If the
surface is flat on the top, you can scale
it relative to the center.
Scale Z (percent). If the surface is too
tall or flat, you can grow or flatten it in
the Z axis.
Build Shape to creates the surface to
inside or outside of the selected
geometry.
Performance determines the speed
and accuracy of the surface calculation.
1 is most accurate; 2 skips every other
grid point but is still reasonably
accurate.
Transforms
When you change a surface shape using the Advanced options, the
transform graphic on the Advanced Parameters dialog box updates to
reflect the change.
Transform setting Corresponding graphic
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Scale C-section
Scale C-section scales or stretches the cross section by a percentage
toward the center of the element or chained boundary.
For example, a surface with an unwanted flat on the top is created
when the cross section specified is too short to reach across the
selected chained boundary. In the example below, a circle was
chained, and the selected cross section was not wide enough. This
problem can be corrected by stretching the cross section with Scale
C-section. In the following illustrations, the surface began with a flat
area across the top. The Scale C-section parameter was set to 200
(percent), and the shape was built toward the inside of the chain.
Original surface with an unwanted flat on top of the cross
section because the specified cross section was too short.
Cross section after scaling. It now reaches to the center to
eliminate the flat on top
When a cross section is scaled so that it overlaps itself, it is
trimmed back to the intersection, thus lowering the total
height. Notice that this shape has lost height compared to
the preceding shape.
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Scale Z
Scale Z scales or stretches the cross section height by a percentage in
the orientation of the Z axis, either in the positive or negative
direction. The illustration below shows a surface scaled in the Z axis.
The original surface is on the left. The center image is scaled by
150%, the image on the right by 200%.
Note: The higher the Z value, the taller the resulting surface.
Performance
Performance determines the speed of the calculation and the accuracy
of the surface created. A value of 1 is the most accurate. A larger
value is less accurate.
A performance value of 1 includes every grid point in the surface
calculation and produces the most accurate representation. A
performance value of 2 skips every other grid point, which speeds
surface calculation with little loss of quality. Two is the default and
the recommended value.
Note: Regardless of the performance value, all boundary points are
counted so that the boundary is represented accurately.
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Exercise 9 Challenge
In this exercise, you experiment with organic surface parameters. Try to
complete the following steps without referring to previous exercises.
Modifying the part
1. Create the S surface with a convex parabola and make it meet in
the center.
2. Make the dish convex (positive) and the S concave (negative).
3. Experiment with different resolution settings.
4. Save the file as (Your initials) medallion CH4.mcx.
Take time to master the exercises in this chapter before proceeding to the
next chapter.
Whats next?
In the next chapter, you again use the medallion part. Make sure you save
your part before you end this lesson.
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5
Machining and Verifying Organic
Surfaces
This chapter shows how to prepare for machining the surfaces you created
in the preceding chapter. In these lessons, you define the stock boundary,
create the toolpaths, and verify the toolpath program. For this exercise, use
the medallion part you created in Chapter 4.
Mastercam X2 Art allows you to program a toolpath and verify the
program graphically prior to machining. To this end, Mastercam creates a
solid model of the machined part, which allows you to see how the
finished part looks. You can show a potential client the finished part for
final approval before it is machined, check for errors in programming, and
ensure that the finished part meets specifications.
In some CAM programs, the toolpath cuts all the stock, whereas
Mastercam X2 Art can cut inside the circle and not the waste stock. See
the following illustrations.
Medallion solid model
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Medallion with toolpaths
Medallion toolpath verification model
When you complete this chapter, you will understand the following tasks:
Opening a saved file
Selecting the machine type
Defining the stock boundary
Changing levels and views
Creating a toolpath on an Art surface model (medallion
toolpath)
Creating a contour toolpath
Simulating machining (Verify)
Exploring with Verify
Part holding methodologies
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Exercise 1 Opening a saved file
In this exercise, you use the Art base surface you created in Chapter 4. In
the exercise steps, illustrations show each dialog box, with circles around
the parameters you must set. Make sure to set parameters as indicated in
the illustration before proceeding with the next step. (You might also want
to check that uncircled, default parameters match, as well.)
Starting a new file and clearing the database
Note: Starting a new file clears everything from memory and resets
the defaults in the software. It is important to do this before starting a
new part or opening a different file.
1. Open Mastercam X2 if it is not already open, and save your file if
you have one open. (Choose File, Save, enter the filename, and
choose OK. See Chapter 3, Exercise 1 or Chapter 4, Exercise 2
for instructions.)
2. Choose File, New.
You are now ready to start a new operation.
Opening the file
1. Choose File, Open.
2. Navigate to the file named (your initials) medallion.mcx.
(Remember that you saved the file with your initials in front of
medallion.mcx), or open Chap 4-medallion.mcx, which is
provided for you.
3. Choose Isometric Gview and then Fit. If your part is shaded, it
should look like the following picture; if your part is unshaded,
press [Alt+ S] to shade it.
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4. Press the [Page Down] key until the part display is small enough
to permit working around it.
Exercise 2 Selecting the machine type
Following is an overview of the machining process in Mastercam X2 Art.
The sections that follow explain each step in the process.
1. Choose a machine type and machine definition to be used to cut
the part.
2. Open or import a part file.
3. Set the machine group properties, including file, tool, stock, and
safety zone settings.
4. Create toolpaths and apply them to geometry.
5. Verify and edit the toolpaths using the Toolpath Manager,
Backplot, and Verify functions.
6. Post process selected machine group operations.
7. Set up and machine the part.
The order of steps 1 and 2 is unimportant.
Machine type and machine definition
Before creating toolpaths, you must first choose a machine definition. You
select or create a machine definition from the Machine Type drop-down
menu.
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Machine definitions describe your machine tools physical characteristics,
including table orientation, rotary axis, feed rate limits, and more. A
machine definition references a control definition, which defines the
capabilities of your control. Machine definitions keep you from creating a
toolpath that is incompatible with your machine tool.
Each Mastercam machine definition consists of:
A machine component group, whose components describe the machine
tool architecture and how it moves
A control definition file that describes the control
A post processor assignment
These three machine definition elements represent a single machine tool.
Machine group properties
Every time you select a machine from the Machine Type menu,
Mastercam creates a group to hold that machines toolpath operations. A
machine group represents a single machine. It also stores stock setup
information like the stock model, safety zone, material selection, tool
offset preferences, and feed rate and spindle speed preferences. Mastercam
uses the machine group to link toolpaths to a machine and control
definition. You use the Toolpath Manager to organize and work with
machine groups.
Machine groups have four sets of properties: file, tool settings, stock
setup, and safety zone. Each set has a separate tab in the Machine Group
Properties dialog box.
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Files tab
Use the Files tab to see and change file names and data paths used by the
operations in the group. These settings affect default values, posting, and
tool and operation libraries. Also use this tab to edit the machine
definition or to select a new one.
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Tool Settings tab
Use the Tool Settings tab to control NC file numbering, tool offsets, feeds
and speeds defaults, and material selection.
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Stock Setup tab
Use the Stock Setup tab to create a stock model for the machine group or
to select a file that contains the stock model.
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Safety Zone tab
Use the Safety Zone tab to define an area outside the work envelope to
which the tool can retract to avoid collisions with fixtures, etc.
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Selecting a machine type
In this example, you select a 3-axis vertical machining center.
Choose Machine Type, Mill, 3-Axis VMC (12).
Following is a picture of the machine type selected for this project.
3-axis vertical machining center
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Exercise 3 Defining the stock boundary
Stock boundaries help you visualize the part you are machining. Also,
Mastercam uses stock boundaries during toolpath verification. The lines
that define the stock are phantom lines and are not selectable as geometry.
Defining an accurate stock model ensures that Mastercam calculates
correct material removal and feed rates. The dimensions you enter in the
Machine Group Properties, Stock Setup tab must be at least equal the
physical stock.
Defining a stock model smaller than the physical stock can result in high
feed rates through material. Such high feed rates can lead to a broken tool,
a damaged part, or increased risk of personal injury.
Defining a stock model larger than the physical stock can create
unnecessarily slow feed rates through areas with no stock. These slow
feed rates increase machining time and use too much RAM.
In this exercise, you define the stock boundary from which the part is cut.
You use this information in a later exercise when you program and
simulate machining of the toolpath.
Stock setup
1. From the Operations Manager, click the Toolpaths tab, expand the
machines Properties group (if necessary), and then click Stock
setup. The Machine Group Properties dialog box opens to the
Stock Setup tab. If not already selected, set the stocks shape to
Rectangular.
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2. Choose Select corners. Mastercam returns to the graphics window
and prompts you to enter a point for one corner of the stock.
3. Select the parts diagonal corners (see the following figure) to
define a rectangle that describes the stock. The Machine Group
Properties dialog box redisplays.
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4. Enter 0.250 for the stock Z value.
This value is the stock thickness.
5. Select Display and Wire frame, if necessary.
These options display the stock boundary in the graphics window.
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6. Click the upper left corner of the stock graphic, as shown in the
following figure. The arrow moves from the center (the default
origin) to the corner.
You designed the part with this corner at X0Y0. The stock
definition requires the same orientation.
7. Ensure that the XYZ stock origin coordinates are all set to 0.0.
Change them, if necessary.
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8. Check your settings against the following picture. Make any
necessary adjustments.
9. Choose OK to close the Machine Group Properties dialog box.
The stock boundary displays as red, dashed lines.
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Exercise 4 Changing levels and views
Instead of cutting the entire art base surface, you can create a boundary
that contains the toolpath. This is called a containment boundary. Unlike a
stock boundary, a containment boundary encloses geometric entities. In
this exercise, the tool containment boundary has been created for you and
placed on level 2. All levels are visible by default.
In this exercise, you explore the Level Manager, which allows you to turn
levels on and off, as well as name levels. You also change the graphics
view to prepare the part for toolpaths.
The Level Manager sets and displays the main level you want to work
with in the graphics window. The main level is the current working level,
where Mastercam places geometry that you create. There can be only one
main level at a time. The main level number appears on the Level button
in the Status bar. In the Levels Manager dialog box, Mastercam highlights
the main level in yellow.
Making all levels visible
1. Choose Level from the Status bar. The Level Manager opens.
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2. Click Used to list only the levels used in the part.
If a check mark displays in the Visible column, that level is
visible. To hide a level, click the check mark. To make it visible
again, click in the Visible column.
3. Click All on. A check mark displays in the Visible column for all
levels.
4. Click OK. All levels are now visible on the screen.
5. Press [Alt + S] to toggle shading on / off. When shading is off,
your part should look like the following figure.
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Viewing the part
1. Right-click in the Mastercam graphics window, and choose Fit.
The part fits within the screen extents.
2. Right-click in the graphics window, and choose Top Gview to go
to the Top graphic view.
3. Right-click in the graphics window, and choose Front Gview.
From this view, you can determine whether a toolpath or surface
has extended below the bottom of the stock.
4. Press [F9] to display the origin. Verify that the part origin and the
system origin are the same. The following illustration shows how
the graphic looks in a front view with the origin and axes
displayed.
6. Press [F9] again to remove the origin display.
7. Right-click, and change the view to Top and Fit the part.
Exercise 5 Creating the medallion toolpath
In this exercise, you program a toolpath for the medallion surface. The
toolpath machines out the dish shape and raises the letter, producing a
carved effect.
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Medallion toolpath
The real world has constraints, so in this exercise, you apply constraints to
make the exercise more realistic.
You must program a toolpath for the machine on which the part is cut. The
machine that cuts this part lacks an automatic tool changer, so this
toolpath uses a single tool. If the machine had a tool changer, you might
use three or four tools to create this part. The ideal situation is to use both
roughing and finishing tools.
The part size and material determine the cutting tools used. For more
information on this subject, consult Machinerys Handbook or catalogs
from the various tooling and materials vendors. These publications contain
cutting speeds and feeds and other information used to determine proper
cutter usage.
In this project, you use a 0.125-inch diameter ball nose end mill. The
material for this project is a 3-inch square block of cherry wood, 0.250
inch thick.
Creating the toolpath
1. Choose Art, Toolpath Active Art Base Surface. The Machine
Art Base Surface dialog box opens. (If the Enter new NC name
dialog box opens first, click OK to save the NC file under the
current name.)
2. Right-click in the large white area of the dialog box. A menu
displays.
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3. Choose Tool Manager. The Tool Manager dialog box opens.
4. Scroll down and double-click 0.125-inch (1/8-inch) ball end
mill (tool number 249), and then click OK to load the tool.
Mastercam populates the dialog box with the selected tool
information, as shown in the following figure.
Note: Do not click OK to close the Machine Art Base Surface dialog box.
You must set values on the other dialog box tabs.
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Setting machining parameters
1. Choose the Art Base Surface Machining Parameters tab at the top
of the dialog box.
2. Check Clearance. Enter 1.0 in the Clearance field. This value sets the
height at which the cutter moves when it retracts.
3. Click Absolute (under Clearance) to calculate moves using absolute
coordinates from the Mastercam origin.
4. Check Use clearance only at the start and end of the operation.
5. Enter 0.1 in the Feed Plane field. This value is the height at which
the rapid feed rate changes to the cutting feed rate.
6. Click Absolute (under Feed Plane).
7. Make sure your choices match the settings shown in the following
figure.
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Tip: For more help on toolpath parameters, see Mastercam online help.
Chaining the containment boundary
1. Click Select in the Art Base Surface Machining Parameters tab.
The Chaining dialog box opens.
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2. Select the larger circle, as shown in the following figure.
Mastercam highlights the circle in the Select Color defined for
your configuration (default is yellow).
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3. Choose OK to close the Chaining dialog box
Setting Art toolpath parameters
1. Choose the Art Base Surface Toolpath Parameters tab.
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2. Select Parallel spiral up to boundary from the Cutting method
list.
This method generates a toolpath that cuts in a spiral, beginning
in the part center and working to the outside.
2. Select Outside-Out as the cutting direction.
3. Select Climb as the machining method.
Tip: Climb is the preferred cutting method for CNC machining in most situations.
4. Enter 10 for the Stepover Percent. Mastercam calculates the
Stepover Distance per cut as a percentage of the cutter diameter.
5. Move the slider to Low for the Toolpath Tolerance/
Optimization setting.
Setting Advanced parameters
Note: Checking a parameter check box activates the function. Clicking the
associated button opens a dialog box to set the function parameters.
Instructions for setting the Advanced and Filter parameters follow.
1. Make sure the Advanced check box is selected, and then click
Advanced to open the Advanced Settings dialog box.
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2. Check Z Plunge Angle On, and enter 45 for the Z Plunge Angle.
When activated, a Z plunge angle makes the cutter plunge into the
stock at the specified angle instead of straight down.
Note: Retract at top height, when activated, machines only
geometry that is below the Z0 plane. In the case of the medallion,
Retract at top height cuts just the inside of the medallion, not the
entire model because all cuts should be below Z0. In the
medallion application, you could have used Retract at top height
instead of creating and selecting a containment boundary. Do not
check the Retract at top height checkbox.
3. Check Accelerate roughing calculation.
4. Check Smooth Toolpath.
5. Click OK to close the Advanced Settings dialog box.
Setting filter parameters
When you filter a toolpath, Mastercam simplifies the toolpath by
replacing tiny line segments with long arcs and replacing small line
segments with long line segments, within the users specified
tolerance.
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Mastercams default toolpath filter tolerance is 0.0005 for curves,
although few machines can hold this tolerance. A filter of 0.001 often
reduces your program size by 90% with no visible difference in the
surface finish. The filtering also increases the machining speed of
your part because there are fewer lines to process. Another advantage
is the resultant longer entities, which allow the machine to ramp up to
speed.
If your filter tolerance is too large, you start to see facets in your
surface.
Following is an example of the difference in a toolpath created with a
cut tolerance of 0.0003 and one filtered to 0.001.
In this exercise, you create a toolpath using a cut tolerance of 0.001.
1. Check the box beside Filter and then click Filter. The Filter
settings dialog box displays.
2. Ensure that you have the default settings shown in the following
figure.
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3. Click OK to close the Filter settings dialog box.
4. Click OK to close the Art Base Surface Toolpath Parameters
dialog box. Mastercam generates the toolpath. (A blue toolpath
creation progress bar displays in the bottom right corner of the
screen.)
Note: Because the toolpath filter is enabled, Mastercam filters the
toolpath after calculating it. This process may require several
seconds. The filtered areas of the toolpath display in red.
The toolpath displays as shown in the next illustration. The screen
redraws as soon as toolpath display completes.
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Medallion toolpath, filtered
Viewing the toolpath
The backplot function is located on the Toolpaths tab in the
Operations Manager. The Toolpath Manager displays information
about the toolpath you just created.
Tip: You can press [Alt +O] to toggle the Operations Manager on or off.
1. Click the Backplot button. The Backplot dialog box displays.
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2. If the Display tool button is pressed, click it to toggle it off.
3. Choose Play from the Backplot VCR Bar which is located at the
top of the graphic window.
In Isometric Gview and with shading off, the toolpath backplot
should look similar to the following illustration.
Medallion backplot
4. Click Display tool to toggle it on, and select Play again. The
toolpath displays with the tool visible.
5. Choose OK to exit the Backplot function.
This completes the medallion surface toolpath. Next, you create the
toolpath for the parts outside diameter.
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Exercise 6 Creating a contour toolpath
You have now programmed the medallions surface details. Next, you cut
the round medallion out of the square stock. To perform this task, you
select the inner circle as the drive geometry, and you keep cutter on the
circles exterior. You make depth cuts at 0.125 and 0.145 on the last pass.
The last pass cuts the last 0.020 of the part and 0.125 into the sacrifice
plate.
Do not forget that the outside cuts must be deeper than 0.250 inch. This
depth allows the end mills tip radius to clear the part, producing a flat
wall on the side of the part. Keep in mind that you cut this entire project
with one end mill.
Caution: You will cut completely through the stock, so ensure the part is
sitting on a base into which you can cut. This base is called a sacrifice plate.
Talk to your instructor before continuing with the exercise.
Selecting a contour toolpath
1. Right-click in the white area of the Toolpath Manager, and choose
Mill toolpaths, Contour.
This command enables you to create a standard Mastercam
contour toolpath rather than an Art toolpath.
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2. The Chaining dialog box opens. Select the lower left quadrant of
the smaller circle as shown. Mastercam highlights the selected
chain.
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3. Choose OK to finalize your selection. The Contour (2D) dialog
box opens.
Setting the contour toolpath parameters
You use the tool from the previous exercise for this toolpath, so do
not adjust the tool parameters on the Toolpath parameters tab.
1. Choose the Contour parameters tab.
The Contour parameters tab displays.
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2. Set Clearance to 1.0, and check Absolute and Use clearance
only at the start and end of each operation.
3. Set Contour type to 2D.
4. Uncheck Retract.
5. Set Feed plane to 0.02, and click Absolute.
6. Set Top of stock to 0.0, and click Absolute.
7. Enter -0.375 for the Depth, and click Absolute.
8. Set the Compensation type to Computer and Compensation
direction to Left.
9. Set Tip comp to Tip.
10. Ignore Roll cutter around corners. The setting does not apply
because the part is round.
11. Check Infinite look ahead.
12. Set XY stock to leave and Z stock to leave to 0.0.
13. Clear the Lead in/out check box.
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14. Ensure that your settings match those shown in the previous
figure.
Setting depth cuts
1. Check the box beside Depth cuts, and then click Depth cuts. The
Depth cuts dialog box opens.
2. Enter 0.125 for the Max rough step.
3. Enter 1 for # Finish cuts.
4. Enter 0.145 for the Finish step.
5. Check Keep tool down and By depth.
6. Click OK to close the Depth cuts dialog box.
7. Click OK to close the Contour dialog box. Mastercam calculates
the toolpath and displays it on the screen.
In Isometric view and with shading off, the toolpath should look
like the following illustration.
Note: If the toolpath does not display on the screen, press [Alt + T]. This
is a toggle that turns the toolpath on and off.
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Medallion contour toolpath
You have now finished both programs. The next step is to verify the
toolpath using a solid model to simulate machining of the part.
Exercise 7 Simulating machining (Verify)
Now that you have created the toolpath, you can verify it using the stock
that you defined in the stock setup exercise. To do this, you use the Verify
function in the Operations Manager. The Verify function allows you to
use solid models to simulate the machining of a part. The model created
by the verification represents the surface finish and shows collisions, if
any exist. Using Verify, you can identify and correct program errors
before they reach the shop floor.
Backplotting and verifying the toolpath
1. Choose the Verify button from the Toolpath Manager. The Verify
dialog box opens.
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Setting Verify Options
1. Choose the Configure button. The Verify Options dialog box
opens.
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2. Click the Use Stock Setup values button. Mastercam populates
the Min and Max point table with stock setup data from the Stock
Setup dialog box.
3. Select Use TrueSolid to create a solid model for toolpath
simulation. The alternative is Standard mode, which is pixel-
based. TrueSolid mode uses advanced solid-modeling technology
to create and manipulate accurate solid models for toolpath
simulation.
4. Deselect Cutter comp in control.
5. Select Display XYZ axes to display the parts XYZ axes.
6. Select Remove Chips. This setting allows you to remove leftover
stock from the graphics window after the verification is complete.
Remove Chips is available only for TrueSolid with tool
simulation.
7. Choose OK to close the Verify Options dialog box. The Verify
dialog box displays.
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8. Select the Turbo button. This is the fastest option and does not
display a tool during verification.
9. Check Update after each toolpath.
10. Select Stop on collision to pause the verification if there is a
collision in the toolpath.
11. Select Verbose.
During verification, this setting opens the Verify ribbon bar. The
Verify ribbon bar displays additional details about the current
machine state as you step through each move or when the
verification pauses or stops. Information displayed varies with
toolpath content and machine type.
Note: No information shows in the ribbon bar until after a part is
verified. The ribbon bar shown above displays the data from a
part verification.
12. Check your settings against the following picture. Make any
necessary adjustments.
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13. Drag the dialog box over to clearly display the Toolpath Manager.
Then hold the [Shift] key, and, in the Toolpath Manager, click on
the first toolpath to select it for verification. The check
signifies selection for verification.
All variables are now set, and you are ready to run the simulation.
Do not click OK until you have run the simulation as described
next.
Running the simulation
1. Choose the Machine (play) button in the Verify dialog box.
The tool begins cutting the surface. When it is finished, your
screen should look like the following picture.
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Medallion verified in stock (Turbo mode)
2. Select the Restart button to go back to the beginning.
3. Choose the Simulate tool button. Then choose the Machine
button . The toolpath now shows the tool while displaying the
toolpath.
4. When the toolpath finishes, the Pick a chip dialog box displays.
Choose To delete and then Pick from the dialog box, as shown in
the following figure.
This selection specifies that you are selecting the part to remove.
5. Select the unmachined stock area, as shown in the following
figure. The unmachined stock disappears.
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6. Choose OK. The finished part displays on the screen.
Medallion, finished part
7. Examine the solid model in different views to determine if it
looks as you had expected. Inspect the part by right-clicking in
the graphics window and selecting from the available choices.
Zoom in on a detail, zoom back out, and dynamically rotate the
part.
8. Choose OK to close the Verify dialog box.
9. Save the file before proceeding to the next exercise.
You have now completed the verification exercise. However, before you
continue to the setup and machining of this part, you explore another
application of the Verify function.
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Exercise 8 Exploring with Verify
The Verify function lets you to capture the verified toolpath as an artistic
representation of the finished part. You can import the toolpath
verification image into another graphics application for enhancement.
Then use the finished image as art, for example, in product literature.
Art-part-Art process
1. Scan and import the initial bitmap into Art.
2. From the 2D graphic, create organic 3D surfaces in Mastercam
Art.
3. In a graphics program, capture and modify the graphic used to
verify the toolpath, thus completing the cycle.
The following figure illustrates the Art-to-Part-to-Art concept.
You can modify the verification graphic in countless ways. However,
Verifys main use is to visualize the part and check for machining errors.
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Exercise 9 Holding the part
A critical issue with a part like this is how to hold the part during
machining. This part requires that the entire outside of the medallion be
machined. To complete such a cut, the part needs the tool to cut below the
part bottom and so probably requires a sacrifice plate. You can hold the
part in a vice on a sacrifice plate or clamp the part to the table on a
sacrifice plate. Following are pictures of sacrifice plates and fixtures that
you can use to hold the part for machining.
Sacrifice plates
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Clamping fixtures
Medallion mounted
Think about how to hold this part for machining. Discuss with someone
who has machining experience about how to hold the medallion.
1. Devise at least three different methods for holding the part.
2. Determine which method you think would be best and state why.
3. Make a sketch of the setup.
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Exercise 10 Challenge
Faster production times mean more profit. The medallion part takes a long
time to cut. Now that you have to redesign and remachine, you want to
know how to do it more efficiently.
1. Discuss with others how to cut this part faster.
2. Experiment with different toolpath cutting methods, and speeds and
feeds.
3. Observe and record the cutting times for each different type of
toolpath.
4. Compare the different cutting methods and decide which is better for
machining the medallion.
Whats next?
This chapter outlined how to create the Art base surface and its
toolpath, how to verify the toolpath on the screen, and also provided
setup tips for machining. The next chapter describes how to adjust
organic surfaces.
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6
Using Art Manager
In the preceding chapters, you created the surfaces on a part that formed a
medallion. You then created a toolpath, set up the job, and verified the
program.
In this chapter, you will respond to a change order as you might receive it
from a customer so that you can learn how to edit and adjust surfaces.
Change orders often come after a design is finished. In this case, the
customer wants the letter S cross-sectional shape curvier, less flat on the
top, and more fluid, perhaps more like the figure on the right.
Medallion, flat top (left) and rounded (right)
This is not a very technical description but a very common one. People
know how they want a design to look, but seldom know the dimensions or
how to describe them.
Mastercam X2 Art was created to handle non-dimensional creations and has
the power to make these changes very easily and quickly. An organic
surface has many different choices for a cross section and can be adjusted in
several ways. You will make adjustments to the medallion, creating several
different cross-sectional shapes for the customer to pick from.
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Mastercam X2 Art lets you edit the existing design instead of starting from
scratch. You can visualize the finished part, show it to your customer, and
refine the design without spending the time to actually cut it.
When you complete this chapter, you will be familiar with the following:
Modifying the convex arc shape
Modifying the parabolic shape
Using Undo and Redo
Changing the parabolic shape to an angle
Documenting surfaces
Art Manager
Exercise 1 Modifying a convex arc shape
For this exercise, you will use medallion-edit.mcx, which is provided for
you. The medallion is 2.500 inches in diameter and is made from three-inch
square stock. In this exercise, you will adjust the cross-sectional shape to
make it smoother, curvier, and more fluid.
Original Part Final part
You will make these changes using the Art Manager, which is a history
manager of the Art model. The Art Manager allows you to open each Art
operation and alter any of its parameters. The Art Manager is a powerful and
useful tool in designing and modifying artistic shapes.
Renaming the surfaces
You will first rename the surfaces to make them easier to identify.
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Tip: Changing the names of Art operations helps you keep track of the surfaces you
create and also helps you get back to them quickly to edit. Best practice would have
you name the Art operations right after you create them. This is strictly for your benefit,
and a very good habit to get into.
1. After opening Mastercam, choose File, New to initialize the screen
and database.
2. Choose File, Open. Navigate to the Art tutorial part file named
medallion-edit.mcx. Select the file, and then click OK.
3. The part is displayed on the screen. Choose the Art tab in the
Operations Manager.
4. The Art Manager opens. To choose the elements you will modify,
click + beside Art Base Surface # 1 to expand its history tree, if
necessary.
5. Click + beside Organic Surface Sub and Organic Surface
Add. The complete history tree opens.
6. Click Organic Surface Sub, pause
very briefly, and then click again to
rename the surface. Change the name
of this surface to Dish.
- Sub will be added automatically
to the end of the name to indicate the
Application Style parameter used to
create the Art surface.
You can also select the operation in
the Art Manger list, right-click and
choose Rename.
7. Click Organic Surface Add.
Change the name to Initial.
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Changing the letter S to a more fluid parabolic shape
1. Under the second surface named Initial Add, double-click
Parameters.
The Organic Surfaces Parameters dialog box opens. The fields are
populated with the selected surfaces parameters.
Note: This is the second surface you created. The first surface was
subtracted from the Art base surface and the second operation adds
the letter. If there were too many entries, you could also tell the
surfaces apart by the number of chains displayed at the end of the
sub category Geometry line. The first surface was defined by a
single contour, a circle, while the letter was made up of six
contours.
2. Click the Dynamic Cross Section button to change the cross
section profile, and then choose Convex Parabola from the
drop-down list.
3. Enter 0.250 for the Width and 0.125 for the Height.
4. Leave the Application Style set to Add.
5. Make sure your settings match those as shown next.
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Note: If the cross section graph does not fit in the grid, click Zoom
to Fit to adjust it.
6. Click OK to close the Organic Surface Parameters dialog box. In
the Art Manager tab, the second Art operation and its parent
operations are marked dirty because they have been changed.
They must be regenerated to reflect this change.
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Tip: Notice the red checks. They indicate that the parameters have been changed
and that the file must be regenerated to reflect these changes. The operation is
referred to as dirty in this state.
7. Click Regenerate to recompute the surface, reflecting the changes
just made.
The following graphic reflects the changes.
Medallion with parabolic cross section
The letter now has a ridge on the top as a result of the choice of
parabola as a cross section. Next you will create a smoother, more
fluid shape.
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Exercise 2 Modifying the parabolic cross section
This exercise will modify the cross-sectional shape of the letter by using the
Adjust Ridge feature. Adjust Ridge morphs the original cross section,
changing it into a new shape. This exercise continues with the same file.
Using Adjust Ridge to change the surface profile
1. Click + beside Art Base Surface # 1 to expand the history tree, if
needed.
Note: When an operation has a + beside it, click to expand it to
reveal editable elements. When it has a , click to collapse it.
2. Double-click Parameters under Initial Add.
3. The selected surfaces Organic Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
Change the Adjust Ridge from Normal to Arc High as shown,
which will smooth the ridge.
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4. After making certain your settings match those shown in the
preceding illustration, click OK to close the dialog box.
5. Click the Regenerate button to regenerate the Art model to reflect
the changes just made.
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6. You will see your changes displayed on the model. The part should
look like the one shown next.
Medallion, Arc High Adjust Ridge
The part is smoother, but still has a ridge down the middle of the letter.
You will eliminate the ridge in the next step by using the Adjust Ridge
option along with the advanced scaling options.
Scaling and adjusting the cross-sectional shape
You will adjust the shape by stretching the arc and scaling it towards
the center to make the shape even smoother.
1. Click + beside Organic Surface Initial Add, if needed.
2. Double-click Parameters to open the surfaces Organic Surface
Parameters dialog box.
3. Change the Adjust Ridge option to Arc Low.
4. Click at the top of the Organic Parameters dialog box to open
the Advanced Parameters dialog box.
5. Enter 150 in the Scale C-section field. This will stretch the cross
section shape 150% (1.5 times) to reach across toward the center of
the element. Make sure your settings match those as shown next.
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6. Click OK to close the Advanced Parameters dialog box, and then
click OK again to close the Organic Surface Parameters dialog box.
7. Choose Regenerate from the Art Manager.
The part should look like the following illustration.
Medallion, Arc Low Adjust Ridge
This part is definitely more fluid in its cross-sectional shape. Next you
will compare the shapes.
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Comparing the shapes
You have now created several different cross sections. You will now
compare parts from the previous exercise. Remember the customer
request is for a curvier, less flat, smoother, and more fluid letter shape.
1. If your part is not displayed shaded, press [Alt + S] to toggle
shading on.
Original
shape
2. In the Art Manager, click Hide Geometry to remove the geometry
from the display. Click the option again to restore the geometry
display.
3. Compare the two shapes below. Notice that the Part B cross section
profile is more curved.
Part A First modification uses a
parabolic shape with a sharp ridge
on top of the letter.
Part B (current part) uses a
parabolic cross section smoother
on top of the letter.
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Which part do you think looks more curved? Keep in mind that the
focus of Mastercam X2 Art is on how the design looks as opposed
to exact geometric coordinates. Although Mastercam X2 Art can be
both artistic and precise, the power of this new technology is to
quickly adjust the look when you dont require or know exact
dimensions. With Mastercam X2 Art, you design to accomplish a
specific look.
Exercise 3 Using Undo and Redo
Examining different options is simple with Mastercam X2 Art. In this
exercise, you will use the Art Managers Undo/Redo functions to view
previous modifications. Art Manager provides an undo list, which is a
history of the actions you have performed.
If you make an edit you dont like, you can Undo it. If you then decide you
liked it, you can Redo it. Following is a graphic of this process.
1. Created medallion. 2. Modified it and didnt like modification.
3. Selected Undo to return to original. 4. Selected Redo to return to modification.
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Undoing the first modification
1. Click next to the Undo button in the Art Manager. A list of the
operations is displayed. The most recent operation is displayed
first.
1. Click down arrow to display actions.
2. Double-click action to be undone.
3. Double-click Undo to undo the last
OR
2. Highlight the action to be undone and double-click. This will undo
the selected action and everything above it in the list, thus undoing
all actions that occurred chronologically after and including the
selected action.
Tip: If you Undo an operation and change your mind, choose Redo to bring it
back.
3. Click to Undo the next action. The change is processed and the
graphic reflects the changes.
The modified graphic with the ridge is shown below.
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Medallion, parabolic cross section
Redoing the modification
1. Click to redo the last undo action (Arc Low - Adjust Ridge).
Tip: You can Redo more than one action at a time. Redo works in the same
manner as Undo; it redoes all the actions above it in the list.
The redone graphic is shown below with no ridge and a softened
shape.
Medallion, Arc Low Adjust Ridge
Saving the file
1. Choose File, Save As.
2. Type (Your Initials)medallion b.mcx in the File name field.
3. Choose OK.
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Exercise 4 Changing a parabolic shape to an angle
Your customer may feel that angled sides might add an old world
craftsmanship look to the medallion, so you need to design both looks. In
this exercise, you will create different design options by enabling and
disabling Art operations. First, you will disable the initial Art operation,
and then you will create a new operation with an angled cross section.
When you disable an element, the Art Manager ignores the operation when
it regenerates next. This allows you to hide designs or operations but have
them available for display at your discretion. This exercise will also lead
you through the process of changing the cross section to an angle.
For this exercise, you will use the file created in the preceding exercise
named (Your Initials) medallion b.mcx or you may use medallion b.mcx,
which is provided.
Disabling an Art operation
1. Use the file you just saved or open
[C:\mcamx2]\documentation\art tutorial parts\medallion
b.mcx.
2. In the Art Manager, click + to expand elements, if needed.
3. Right-click Initial Add and choose Suppress from the drop-down
menu. (Be careful not to choose Delete.) Suppress will make this
element unavailable and it will not be included when the model is
regenerated. It also makes the model dirty.
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4. Click Regenerate to process. The resulting display, shown next,
includes only the Dish Sub element because the Initial Add
element has been suppressed.
Note: Suppress acts as a toggle to add or remove a selected
operation or Art base surface from the Art model. Mastercam X2
Art ignores all suppressed base surfaces and operations when
regenerating the model, and removes them from the graphics
window display.
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Creating a new Art operation
You have disabled the letter S surface. The next step is to create a
new Art operation with an angled cross-sectional shape. This will be
the second design option.
1. Press [Alt + S] to toggle shading off, if needed. This will make the
geometry easier to see for the upcoming chaining process.
2. Choose Art, Create Organic Art Surface Operation. The
Chaining dialog box opens.
3. Choose Area chaining and select the model as shown in the
following illustration. This chains the outer boundary of the S
and selects all geometry contained within that boundary, thus
selecting all entities that make up the letter.
4. Choose OK. The Organic Surface Parameters dialog box opens.
5. Click the Dynamic Cross Section button.
6. Choose Line from the Cross Section drop-down menu.
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7. Enter 0.100 for the Height.
8. Drag the slider in the Angle control with the mouse to change the
Angle to 45 degrees.
9. Choose the Zoom to Fit button to fit the line to the grid. Notice
that the numbers on the grid axes update to reflect the values just
entered.
10. Make sure your settings match those shown next.
11. Click to open the Advanced Parameters Organic dialog box.
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12. Enter 200 for the Scale C-Section to stretch the cross section 200%
toward the center.
13. Verify that your settings match those shown next.
14. Click OK to close the Advanced Parameters Organic dialog box,
and then click OK again to close the Organic Surface Parameters
dialog box.
15. Right-click Organic Surface Add to highlight it, and then
rename this operation Angled wall.
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Tip: You can add multiple Art operations and enable and disable them as needed.
16. Press [Alt + S] to shade the part. Your part should look like the one
shown next.
Medallion with angled wall
Save the file
1. Choose File, Save As.
Note: Remember to save the file with your initials added to the
filename. This keeps the original files from being overwritten.
2. Type (Your initials) medallion c.mcx in the File name field.
3. Click OK.
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Comparing shapes
You now have three additional parts to present. Which one do you
think is the most visually appealing? Can you look at the shape and tell
if it was made with an arc, parabola, or angle cross section? Can you
tell if it was smoothed using an Application Style or with Scaling C-
Section? Visualization and ease of design editing are powerful tools in
Mastercam X2 Art.
Original part
You edited the original part to create the three shapes shown next.
You then disabled the Art operation that contained the S and created
a new version shown below.
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Exercise 5 Documenting surfaces
You now have multiple medallion designs to present to the customer.
Another approach to this project is to create the original surfaces, and then
disable the surface containing the first letter surface. Next, create a new
surface for the next letter design. Continue this process until all the designs
have been made. You may now disable and enable each surface as needed.
The customer has requested that you print a copy of each of the designs for
consideration. Use the File, Print function to print them.
Printing designs
1. Open the file [C:\mcamx]\documentation\art tutorial
parts\medallion all.mcx provided for you.
2. Change the view to Isometric.
3. Shade the part.
4. Choose File, Print. The Print dialog box is displayed.
5. Choose the appropriate settings for your specific printer.
6. Choose Print Preview to view before printing.
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7. Choose Close. Choose OK to send to the printer.
8. In the Art Manager, right-click on the first Art surface operation
(the one you just printed), Suppress it, and then right-click the next
surface and choose Suppress (to unsuppress it). Regenerate the
model. Repeat the process until all five designs are printed.
Clicking Suppress when there is a check beside it will
bring the surface back (unsuppress it).
Alternate printing method
1. Display the desired surface on the screen in the orientation that you
want.
2. Press the [PrtScr] / [Print Screen] on the keyboard. The file is
placed on the Windows clipboard.
3. Minimize Mastercam.
4. Start Microsoft