Mastercam 2017 For SOLIDWORKS Tutorial Lathe

WHAT'S NEW IN
MASTERCAM 2017
FOR SOLIDWORKS
April 2016
WHAT'S NEW IN MASTERCAM 2017 FOR
SOLIDWORKS
April 2016
Copyright © 2016 CNC Software, Inc. – All rights reserved.
Software: Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS
Terms of Use
Use of this document is subject to the Mastercam End User License Agreement. A
copy of the Mastercam End User License Agreement is included with the
Mastercam product package of which this document is part. The Mastercam End
User License Agreement can also be found at:
http://www.mastercam.com/companyinfo/legal/LicenseAgreement.aspx
Be sure you have the latest information!

Information might have changed or been added since this document was pub-
lished. The latest version of the document is installed with Mastercam or can be
obtained from your local Reseller. A ReadMe file (ReadMe.PDF) – installed with
each release – includes the latest information about Mastercam features and
enhancements.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 9
Mastercam Documentation 9
Contact Us 9
Mastercam Resources 10
General Enhancements 13
Analyze Toolpath 13
Bounding Box Center Point 14
Code Expert Enhancements 15
Individual Fonts and Colors in NC Configuration 15
Tool Change Indicator 16
Character Encoding to Opened and Saved Text Based Files 18
Improve Communications Options for CIMCO 20
Persisting Values for Create Letters 20
General Toolpath Enhancements 21
Drag and Drop Operations Import 21
Ghosted Operations Support 21
Mask on Arc Added to Point Manager 22
Reverse Chains Order 23
iii
Preventing Changes to Processing Toolpaths 23
Toolpath Statistics 25
Toolpath Transform Enhancements 25
Mastercam File Extensions 27
Mastercam Simulator Enhancements 28
Auto Start 28
Fixture Support in Mastercam Simulator 28
Record Video 29
Reverse Direction for Clipping Planes 30
Synchronize Views 30
Mastercam Tab Enhancements 31
Directly Access Multiaxis Toolpaths 31
Display Axis Lines 32
New CAD Functions Menu 32
Set Gview to a Relative View 34
Migration of Custom Machine Simulation Files 35
Plane Manager Enhancements 35
Hide or Display Columns 35
Modeless Plane Manager 36
Reorder Columns 36
Simplified Origin Point Context Menu 37
iv
SOLIDWORKS Plane and Coordinate System Creation 38
Setup Sheet Enhancements 38
New Setup Sheet XML Tags 38
Option to Clean Up XML Folder 39
Save Images in Nesting Reports 40
System Configuration Enhancements 40
Chaining Arrow Size Options 40
Get Defaults from Previous Operation 41
Set Tool Colors 43
TPlanes Associated to Geometry 43
Tool Enhancements 45
Add and Remove Manufacturers and Tool Grades 45
Custom Tool Display 46
High Feed Mill Tool Type 48
Import 3D STEP File 49
NCI Parameter for Tool Assembly Name 50
Overall Length 51
Similar Tool Warning 52
Thread Pitch 52
Tool List Enhancements 53
Column Display 53
v
Display Mode Setting 54
Tool Migration Warning 55
Mill Enhancements 57
2D Enhancements 57
Dynamic Mill Line of Sight 57
Project to Tool Plane Enhancements 58
Region Chaining Preview 58
Toolpath Preview 59
3D Enhancements 60
Maximum Stock Engagement 60
Optimized Raster Motion 61
Scallop Processing Time 62
Trim to Stock/Rest Material Page Changes 62
Multiaxis Enhancements 63
Angle Step Value 63
Multiaxis Drill 63
Interface Changes and Toolpath Consolidation 64
Point and Line Associativity 65
Point Sorting 65
Roughing Page Consolidation 66
Rotary Advanced 66
vi
Stock Page Consolidation 67
Lathe Enhancements 69
Chip Break 69
Lathe Plane Enhancements 71
Display Mode 73
Lathe Stock Model Enhancements 74
TNRC Control for B-Axis Turning Operations 75
vii
viii
What's New in Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS — Introduction
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS! Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS

features new functionality focused on delivering speed and efficiency to your
machining jobs. We are sure that you will benefit from what Mastercam 2017 for
SOLIDWORKS has to offer you and your shop.
Mastercam Documentation
Mastercam installs the following documents in the \Documentation folder of
your Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS installation:
l What's New in Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS
l Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS Installation Guide
l Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS Administrator Guide
l Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS Transition Guide
l Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS Quick Reference Card
l Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS Tutorial (Mill)
l Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS ReadMe
Contact Us
For questions about this or other Mastercam documentation, contact the Tech-
nical Documentation department by email at [email protected].
9
Mastercam Resources
Enhance your Mastercam experience by using the following resources:
l Mastercam Help— Access Mastercam Help by selecting Help,

Mastercam2017, Contents from SOLIDWORK's menu. Also, most dialog
boxes and function panels feature a Help button that opens Mastercam
Help directly to related information.
l Mastercam Reseller— Your local Mastercam Reseller can help with most
questions about Mastercam.
l Technical Support—CNC Software's Technical Support department (860-
875-5006 or [email protected]) is open Monday through Friday
from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. USA Eastern Standard Time.
l Mastercam Tutorials—CNC offers a series of tutorials to help registered
users become familiar with basic Mastercam features and functions. The
Mastercam tutorial series is in continual development, with new modules
added as we complete them. Visit our website to see the latest pub-
lications.
l Mastercam University—CNC Software sponsors Mastercam University, an
affordable online learning platform that gives you 24/7 access to
Mastercam training materials. Take advantage of more than 180 videos to
master your skills at your own pace and help prepare yourself for
Mastercam Certification. For more information on Mastercam University,
please contact your Authorized Mastercam Reseller, visit www.-
mastercamu.com, or email [email protected].
l Online communities—You can find a wealth of information including
many videos, at www.mastercam.com. For tech tips and the latest
Mastercam news, follow us on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/mastercam), Twitter (www.twitter.com/mastercam),
or Google+ (plus.google.com/+mastercam). Visit our YouTube channel to
see Mastercam in action (www.youtube.com/user/MastercamCadCam)!
Registered users can search for information or ask questions on the Mastercam
Web forum, forum.mastercam.com, or use the knowledgebase at
10
kb.mastercam.com. To register, select Help, Mastercam2017, Link on Master-

cam.com.
11
12
What's New in Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS — General Enhancements
GENERAL ENHANCEMENTS
Analyze Toolpath
Located in the Toolpath Utilities menu, Analyze Toolpath is used to display
toolpath information such as coordinates, direction, operation number, and more
when you hover over any part of the tool motion.
Green and red arrows display at the start and end points of the entire path. When
hovering over an element that is not an endpoint, a tooltip will display inform-
ation that is specific to the entity.
13
Bounding Box Center Point

In addition to creating a point at the center of the bounding box, the Make
Center Point option now creates geometry on each flat face of the bounding box.
This change only applies to rectangular bounding boxes.
On a cylindrical bounding box, the Make Points option creates a point at the cen-
ter of two flat faces of the cylinder and the Make Center Point option creates a
point at the center.
14
Code Expert Enhancements
Individual Fonts and Colors in NC Configuration

Fonts and colors can now be set for individual components within your NC Con-
figuration.
15
Right-click and select the NC Configuration to apply it to a specific NC file. The

Comments are now blue and bold as shown below.
Tool Change Indicator

The Mark option has been added to the Tools group of the NC Functions tab
when an NC file is open in Code Expert.
16
Select this option to add an indicator to the margin of the NC file where tool
changes appear as defined in the NC Configuration.
17
Character Encoding to Opened and Saved Text Based Files

Non-English Mastercam users can now set default encoding to use in Code Expert
when opening text files:
A new option has also been added to the Home tab, allowing you to reopen the
current file using a specified encoding.
18
By clicking Reload With Encoding, the Select Character Encoding dialog displays,
and you can choose a different character encoding.
Character Encoding also allows for proper character display:
Mastercam X9 for SOLIDWORKS
19
Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS
Improve Communications Options for CIMCO

In previous versions, users that communicate with their machines via CIMCO DNC
through Code Expert were forced to set communications settings in the System
Configurations dialog box. In Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS, this process has
been simplified by allowing access to the CIMCO DNC settings directly from the
Code Expert interface. The settings are easily accessible by clicking the dialog box
launcher in the Communications group in the NC Functions tab.
Persisting Values for Create Letters

The values that you enter for height and spacing in the Create Letters function will
now persist between sessions.
20
General Toolpath Enhancements
Drag and Drop Operations Import

You can now drag and drop operation files directly into the Toolpaths Manager.
When a supported operations file is dropped onto the Toolpaths Manager, the
Import Toolpath Operations dialog box displays. The dropped file is automatically
set as the source library.
Ghosted Operations Support

Stock Model operations can now process ghosted operations. Select Process
ghosted operations on the Source Operations page of a Stock Model operation
to process them. Deselect this option to ignore ghosted operations.
This option is useful when using Multiaxis Link or transform operations.
21
Mask on Arc Added to Point Manager

The Point Manager now includes the option to easily select the center point of
multiple arcs with matching diameters.
22
Reverse Chains Order

You can now reverse the order of chains in the Chain Manager dialog box by click-
ing the Reverse button.
Preventing Changes to Processing Toolpaths

In previous versions, you were allowed to make changes to a toolpath operation
while it was still processing in the Multi-Threading Manager. This could cause
changes not to stick once the processing was finished.
23
In Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS, a warning displays when you attempt to

change the parameters, tool(s), geometry, or NCI while an operation is processing.
You can still view the parameters or geometry, but the toolpath dialog box will be
Read-only.
24
Toolpath Statistics
To view real-time operation data about selected toolpaths, choose the Display
toolpath statistics option in the Toolpaths Manager right-click menu. This option
displays the number of operations selected, how many tools are used, the machin-
ing time, and other information.
Toolpath Transform Enhancements
Include WCS
Plane names for Mirror, Rotate, and Translate transform types have been
improved. When creating a transform toolpath by Tool plane, you can now
25
include the WCS by selecting Include WCS in the Type and Methods tab of the
Transform Operation Parameters dialog box.
Swap Lead in/Lead out Values

When creating a Mirror transform operation, use the Swap lead in/out para-
meters option to swap the lead-in and lead-out values for the resulting toolpaths.
26
Mastercam File Extensions

For Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS, the following file extensions have been
changed:
Mastercam X9 for SOLIDWORKS Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS
.mcx-9 .mcam
.emcx-9 .emcam
.operations-9 .mcam-operations
.defaults-9 .mcam-defaults
.mmd-9 .mcam-mmd
.lmd-9 .mcam-lmd
.gmd-9 .mcam-gmd
.control-9 .mcam-control
.materials-9 .mcam-materials
27
Mastercam Simulator Enhancements
Auto Start
The Enable Auto Start option has been added to the Options dialog box on the
General page for Mastercam Simulator. When selected, Mastercam Simulator will
immediately begin to play once a sufficient amount of data has been transferred.
Fixture Support in Mastercam Simulator

Mastercam Simulator now includes the option to display fixtures. You can now
display and collision check fixtures against any selected solid or file. Select Fix-
tures on the Fixtures page of the Backplot/Verify Options dialog box, located on
the Toolpaths Manager.
Inside Mastercam Simulator, the fixture display can be toggled on the Home tab,
under the Visibility group.
28
Define the collision detection options for fixtures in the Options dialog box in
Mastercam Simulator.
Record Video
You can now save a video of a backplot or verification session from Mastercam
Simulator in a common format (.mp4) that can be viewed by anyone with or
without Mastercam on their machines.
Click Record in the Home tab to begin recording a video. Once you have fin-
ished, click Record again to stop recording. You then save the recording and you
can distribute as needed.
29
Reverse Direction for Clipping Planes

You can now reverse the direction of clipping planes when using them in
Mastercam Simulator.
Synchronize Views
You can now link your view in Mastercam to your view in Mastercam Simulator so
if you rotate your part in one, the other will update. You can turn this option on
or off in the View tab of Mastercam Simulator.
30
Mastercam Tab Enhancements
Directly Access Multiaxis Toolpaths

You can now access any Multiaxis toolpath directly from the Mastercam2017
tab.
31
Display Axis Lines

You can now control the display of the World, Tool Plane, and WCS axis lines in
the graphics window from the Mastercam Graphics Options panel. Display the
panel by selecting Graphics Options from the Toolpath Utilities menu.
New CAD Functions Menu

The Mastercam2017 tab now includes a CAD Functions menu. Create Boundary
and Create Letters have been available in previous versions, but are now located
in this menu. These functions will create SOLIDWORKS geometry.
32
Roll-Unroll
Use this function to wrap geometry about an axis, or to unwrap rolled entities to
make them lie flat. Mastercam creates a sketch from the resulting geometry.
33
Set Gview to a Relative View

You can now use the Graphics Views menu to change your graphics view so that
it displays your work from any other relative view.
The G-View = A Mastercam Plane option has been moved from the Utilities
menu to this menu.
34
Migration of Custom Machine Simulation Files

The Migration Wizard now supports the migration of custom machine simulation
files. The Machine simulation option has been added to the wizard and includes
the STL, GIF, and BMP files that create the machine model.
Plane Manager Enhancements
Hide or Display Columns

You can now hide or display columns in the Plane Manager by right-clicking a
column header and selecting the columns to hide or display.
35
Modeless Plane Manager

You can now leave the Plane Manager open while you work, allowing access at all
times.
Reorder Columns
You can now reorder columns in the Plane Manager by dragging and dropping
the column headers. Column order is maintained from session to session.
36
Simplified Origin Point Context Menu

The Origin (in view coordinates) fields on the Plane Manager (also available
within a toolpath on the Planes (WCS) page) will now display a simplified right-
click menu that is more appropriate for picking plane origin XYZ points. This
applies to any parameter where you use the right-click menu to set origin values.
37
SOLIDWORKS Plane and Coordinate System Creation

You can now create a SOLIDWORKS plane or SOLIDWORKS coordinate system at
the origin of the currently selected Plane. Select one of the buttons shown below
to create the plane or coordinate system.
Setup Sheet Enhancements
New Setup Sheet XML Tags

New XML tags have been added to the setup sheet, such as tool and holder loc-
ation, machine type, machine name, and post processor file name.
38
Option to Clean Up XML Folder

An option has been added that deletes all XMP and BMP files automatically cre-
ated at run time during your previous setup sheet sessions. Use this to help you
maintain disk space.
After you click the Clean button in the Setup Sheet dialog box, the system informs
you of the number of files about to be deleted and prompts you to accept the
cleanup or not.
This option is only available if you have previously run the setup sheet function.
39
Save Images in Nesting Reports

An option has been added to create nesting reports with high resolution images.
Select Higher resolution images in reports in the Nesting Configuration dialog
box to increase the images of sheets and results to a maximum of 2400 pixels and
parts to a maximum of 1200 pixels. The orientation determines whether the max-
imum size will be applied to the length or width.
System Configuration Enhancements
Chaining Arrow Size Options

You can now change the size and translucency of 3D chaining arrows to make
them more usable when a file has numerous chains in a window (for example,
when chaining text for engraving).
40
If arrows in the graphics window overlap or obscure other arrowheads, you can
set the arrow size to Small, Medium, or Large. Change the arrows from opaque to
translucent by selecting the Translucent checkbox. These options are located on
the Chaining page.
You can also modify the chaining arrows for specific selections with the Chain
Manager.
Get Defaults from Previous Operation

The Get defaults from previous operation option, located on the Toolpaths
page, allows a newly created operation to pull defaults from the previous oper-
41
ation of the same type. If no compatible operation is found, the parameters are
pulled from the defaults library. This option is on by default.
When disabled, new operation parameters are pulled from the defaults library.
42
Set Tool Colors

You can now set colors for different sections of a tool on the Colors page. These
settings control how the tool displays in the Tool Wizard.
TPlanes Associated to Geometry

TPlanes are now associated to the SOLIDWORKS geometry that was used to create
it.
When a modification to the SOLIDWORKS geometry affects multiple planes,

Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS displays a message asking you to confirm your
changes. To avoid this message, turn off Associativity Checking from the Master-
cam2017 tab or the Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS page in the System Con-
figuration dialog box.
When you re-enable Associativity Checking, all affected operations are marked
dirty and the message displays.
43
44
What's New in Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS — Tool Enhancements
TOOL ENHANCEMENTS
Add and Remove Manufacturers and Tool Grades

You can now add manufacturers and tool grades to a library during tool creation
and tool editing from both the Wizard-style dialog boxes and from the property
grid in the stand-alone Tool Manager. Click the green plus button next to Man-
ufacturer name or Tool Grade to add a new name.
45
Expand the drop-down lists for Manufacturer name and Tool Grade to select
names that have already been added. Use the buttons to the right of the name to
edit or remove it from the list.
Custom Tool Display

Mastercam offers the ability to define a tool using parametric properties along
with a custom profile that can be imported from a CAD file. The parametric values
are used within the toolpath calculations for improved performance, especially for
46
complex milling operations. The optional custom profile, when provided, is used
for stock model generation and collision checking in simulation.
You can now display both profiles for comparison. The default behavior is to
render the custom profile as a 3D shaded tool and overlay the parametric profile
using a dotted line-style.
Render Mastercam Tool Render Imported Tool
To render the parametric tool and overlay the custom profile, select the desired
option shown below.
47
High Feed Mill Tool Type

Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS now supports the High Feed Mill tool type.
If the parametric definition does not meet your needs, use the import option to
define a custom High Feed Mill tool.
48
Import 3D STEP File

You can now import STEP models to generate custom tool or holder definitions.
Select the Import and link to custom geometry from a file to select a STEP file
to import.
49
NCI Parameter for Tool Assembly Name

The 20020 NCI line now contains the name of the holder and the 20021 NCI line
now contains the name of the assembly. These parameters can be accessed by the
post processor or any other client of the ASCII NCI file, including .SET files.
50
Overall Length
The total length of the holder is now displayed in the upper left-hand corner of
the graphics view when creating a holder with the Holder Wizard.
51
Similar Tool Warning

You can now choose to no longer display this dialog box when adding similar
tools. This option only applies per Mastercam for SOLIDWORKS session.
Thread Pitch
You can now override the thread pitch when working with single point thread
mills for a Thread Mill toolpath.
52
On the Cut Parameters page of a Thread Mill toolpath:
l The Number of active teeth parameter is disabled if the selected tool is a

thread mill.
l The Thread pitch parameter is disabled if the selected tool is a thread mill
and if the Number of active teeth is greater than one.
l In all other cases, both fields are enabled.
Tool List Enhancements
Column Display
You can now right-click in the column header on any tool list to hide or display
columns.
53
Display Mode Setting

Mastercam now retains your setting for Display mode in all tool lists that offer the
option of showing Tools, Assemblies, or Both. These settings are saved separately
for each list and will persist between sessions.
54
Tool Migration Warning

Mastercam's Classic Tool Manager can open and read older file formats when
selecting tools from a library. However, if you make a change to a library
Mastercam displays a warning that you can no longer open that file in a previous
version of Mastercam.
55
56
What's New in Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS — Mill Enhancements
MILL ENHANCEMENTS
2D Enhancements
Dynamic Mill Line of Sight

Micro lifts in the Dynamic Mill toolpath now use a line-of-sight approach to move
the tool where it needs to go through unobstructed areas. Listed below are some
of the improvements made through these changes:
l Results in reposition moves during micro lifting that are more efficient,
less complex, and travel a shorter distance
l Creates less motion, which creates smaller NC file sizes
l Improves the cycle times at the machine
57
Project to Tool Plane Enhancements

You can now control the accuracy of the projection when you generate geometry
using the Project to Tool Plane option, located on the Chain Manager Selection
tab.
Region Chaining Preview

You can now preview your machining regions, air regions, and containment
regions for Dynamic Mill and Area Mill toolpaths. After selecting your chains and
creating your toolpath, click the Preview chains button on the Toolpath Type
page to view them in the graphics window.
58
You can also change the color of the display chains to help you identify which is
an air region, a machining region, and a containment region. These colors can be
changed in the Colors page of the System Configuration dialog box or through
the Colors button on the Toolpath Type page.
Toolpath Preview
You can now preview the following 2D High Speed toolpaths in the graphics win-
dow before closing and generating or regenerating the toolpath.
l Dynamic Mill
l Area Mill
l Dynamic Contour
l Peel Mill
l Blend Mill
Click the Preview button in the top left corner to enable or disable the preview.
You must have a tool assigned to the toolpath or the preview will not display.
59
3D Enhancements
Maximum Stock Engagement

The Maximum Stock Engagement option on the Stock page for 3D HST Finishing
toolpaths (with the exception of Horizontal Area and Pencil toolpaths) allows you
to select a previously made stock model and set the maximum depth so that you
can limit how deeply the cutter engages uncut material. This is particularly useful
when semi-finishing a part.
60
Optimized Raster Motion

The Perpendicular fill option on the Cut Parameters page for HST Raster allows
you to limit raster passes relative to a cutoff distance of 1.4 times the Stepover,
and then fills in the limited area with perpendicular raster motion to create a clean
result.
Perpendicular fill off Perpendicular fill on
61
Scallop Processing Time

The processing time for 3D HST Scallop has been decreased to allow for quicker
toolpath regeneration.
Trim to Stock/Rest Material Page Changes

In an effort to consolidate, the Trim to Stock and Rest Material pages have been
renamed to Stock and moved higher up in the toolpath tree display.
In addition, the Stock to leave on Walls and Floors options have been removed
from the Cut Parameters page and placed on their own page, called Stock to
leave, located under the Stock page.
62
Multiaxis Enhancements
Angle Step Value

You can now specify the Angle Step value on the Safety Zone page, which was
previously always set to 2 degrees.
Multiaxis Drill
Multiaxis Drill has some new features, including:
l Using a line length for the drill depth.
l Association to selected geometry, removing the need for the geometry to

be visible.
l Recognition of the stock model for depth and top of stock purposes.
l Selection of holes in solids using hole-axis functionality.
l Linking values relative to selected points, lines, or holes.
63
Interface Changes and Toolpath Consolidation

The Multiaxis toolpaths have been consolidated to reduce confusion and the over-
whelming amount of toolpath options available. The following toolpaths have
been consolidated or have been renamed:
Morph between 2 curves

Morph
Morph between 2 surfaces
Parallel to multiple curves
Parallel to surfaces Parallel
Parallel cuts
Cuts Along Curve Along Curve
MSurf MultiSurface
The following toolpaths have been removed:
l Cavity Tilt Curve
l Cavity collision control Curve
l Projection
l Impeller Blade Swarf Finishing
l Impeller Floor Surface
l Impeller Floor Surface without Tilt Curve
l Blade root machining
l Electrode machining 4+1 Axis
The toolpaths are now grouped by either a Pattern or Application toolpath type.
Pattern toolpaths are general toolpaths that can be used in a variety of ways to
64
manufacture your part. Application toolpaths are designed to solve particular

machining problems while automating some of the processes.
Point and Line Associativity

Point and lines selected for tool axis control will now be associated with the
toolpaths in which they are used. The Point, Line, and Advanced Options sub-
branches have been removed when selecting these entities.
Point Sorting
Point sorting is now available for Multiaxis Drill and Circle Mill toolpaths. Select
Sorting from the Drill Point Selection dialog box to access the sorting controls.
You may also change the sorting options through the toolpath's parameters. The
same sorting options used in 2D/3D toolpaths are now available in select Mul-
tiaxis toolpaths.
65
Roughing Page Consolidation

The Roughing page has been condensed so all common options are available on
a single page. Depth cuts, multi passes, morph pocket, and sorting can now be
found on the Roughing page.
Rotary Advanced
Mastercam's Multiaxis package now includes a new 4-axis toolpath - Rotary
Advanced. This powerful toolpath allows more control over the tool motion
through the selection of walls, hubs, and shroud surfaces. Define your stock,
select your part geometry, set collision control options, and adjust linking moves
to quickly create motion on complex parts. Rough or Finish your rotary 4-axis
using Rotary Advanced.
66
Stock Page Consolidation

The various ways of selecting stock have been updated to have consistent work-
flow and selection methods. The Trim to Stock, Rest Material, and Stock definition
pages have been renamed to the Stock page. An icon now displays if Stock is
turned on or off, similar to 3-axis toolpaths.
In the Stock page, you can now select the Job Setup option to use stock already
defined in the Machine Group Properties dialog box.
67
68
What's New in Mastercam 2017 for SOLIDWORKS — Lathe Enhancements
LATHE ENHANCEMENTS
Chip Break
A new option and dialog box has been added to the Lathe Rough and Lathe Con-
tour Rough toolpaths to establish when chip breaks occur. It is located on the
Rough parameters and Contour rough parameters tabs, respectively. Select the
checkbox and click Chip Break to open the dialog box.
This is valuable when working with stringy materials, such as aluminum or plastic,
and allows you to set length and time conditions, retract, and dwell options.
69
Chip Break Off
Chip Break On
70
Lathe Plane Enhancements

The process of selecting the tool plane, origin, and display mode has been sim-
plified in Lathe operations. The Coordinates button, which appeared on the
Toolpath parameters tab, has been removed and all functionality has been moved
to the Axis Combination/Spindle Origin dialog box.
71
The new Axis Combination / Spindle Origin dialog box filters available tool planes,
displaying only those planes with the correct orientation for the selected axis com-
bination.
72
You can also right-click in the Spindle Origin list to create a new tool plane or
rename a tool plane.
Display Mode
Mastercam includes Lathe construction planes that let you work in radius or dia-
meter coordinates. The construction plane affects the drawing mode for geometry
creation. The construction plane also affects the display mode, altering the input
fields for items such as Home Position and Reference Points.
An option has been added to the Axis Combination / Spindle Origin dialog box,
which allows you to quickly and easily determine if data should be entered dia-
metrically or radially when a given plane is used in an operation.
73
The active construction plane is used to determine the default setting for the Dis-
play Mode when the first Lathe toolpath is created. If the plane is set to one of the
diametric Lathe planes, the setting in the Axis Combination / Spindle Origin dia-
log box will match.
Previous Mastercam version files will retain the settings used in the respective
planes used in lathe operations. This can then be used to modify the Display
Mode.
Lathe Stock Model Enhancements

Lathe Stock Model operations now allow you to manipulate the Lathe stock
boundary using Mill operations.
The Lathe operation option allows you to select a previous Lathe operation as the
source of the stock shape by reading the stock boundary contained in it.
The Create stock boundary option lets you create a new Lathe stock boundary
using the spun profile of the stock model.
74
TNRC Control for B-Axis Turning Operations

The Tool Angle dialog box contains new options. Select the Tool Angle button on
the Toolpath parameters page to open this dialog box.
These options tell Mastercam which quadrant you used to touch off your tool. If
you are creating a toolpath and the tool's control point is not where you want,
you can use these options to swap it. Select the Manually define the cutting dir-
ection checkbox and choose the option that matches how the tool was touched
off on the machine.
75
ATTENTION! UPDATES MAY BE AVAILABLE.
PLEASE REFER TO MASTERCAM.COM/SUPPORT FOR
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Mastercam 2017 For SOLIDWORKS Tutorial Lathe

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WHAT'S NEW IN

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Bounding Box Center Point 14

Code Expert Enhancements 15

Individual Fonts and Colors in NC Configuration 15

Tool Change Indicator 16

Character Encoding to Opened and Saved Text Based Files 18

Improve Communications Options for CIMCO 20

Persisting Values for Create Letters 20

General Toolpath Enhancements 21

Drag and Drop Operations Import 21

Ghosted Operations Support 21

Mask on Arc Added to Point Manager 22

Reverse Chains Order 23

Toolpath Transform Enhancements 25

Mastercam File Extensions 27

Mastercam Simulator Enhancements 28

Fixture Support in Mastercam Simulator 28

Reverse Direction for Clipping Planes 30

Mastercam Tab Enhancements 31

Directly Access Multiaxis Toolpaths 31

Display Axis Lines 32

New CAD Functions Menu 32

Set Gview to a Relative View 34

Migration of Custom Machine Simulation Files 35

Plane Manager Enhancements 35

Hide or Display Columns 35

Modeless Plane Manager 36

Simplified Origin Point Context Menu 37

Setup Sheet Enhancements 38

New Setup Sheet XML Tags 38

Option to Clean Up XML Folder 39

Save Images in Nesting Reports 40

System Configuration Enhancements 40

Chaining Arrow Size Options 40

Get Defaults from Previous Operation 41

Set Tool Colors 43

TPlanes Associated to Geometry 43

Add and Remove Manufacturers and Tool Grades 45

Custom Tool Display 46

High Feed Mill Tool Type 48

Import 3D STEP File 49

NCI Parameter for Tool Assembly Name 50

Similar Tool Warning 52

Tool List Enhancements 53

Tool Migration Warning 55

Dynamic Mill Line of Sight 57

Project to Tool Plane Enhancements 58

Region Chaining Preview 58

Maximum Stock Engagement 60

Optimized Raster Motion 61

Scallop Processing Time 62

Trim to Stock/Rest Material Page Changes 62

Angle Step Value 63

Interface Changes and Toolpath Consolidation 64

Point and Line Associativity 65

Roughing Page Consolidation 66

Lathe Plane Enhancements 71

Lathe Stock Model Enhancements 74