Creating and using machine-specific .defaults files
H. Setting up Mastercam to sequentially number tools by default
I. Moving machine definitions, control definitions, and posts to a network location
By default, Mastercam stores all machine and control definitions in the \cnc_machines folder in your Mastercam installation folder. Creating machine definitions in a network location—or creating control definitions based on posts in a network location—is no different than creating them on a local workstation. However, if you need to move a machine definition from a local workstation to a network location, you need to reconfigure it so that it works properly. This involves the following procedures:
Moving or copying the machine definition file, .control file, and post processor to the new location.
Creating a new control definition which references the network copy of the post processor.
Copying the control definition settings from your original control definition to the new control definition.
Editing the machine definition so that it points to the network copy of the .control file and the new control definition.
Each of these procedures is described in detail below.
IMPORTANT: Complete all of the control definition procedures in a single session of the Control Definition Manager. If you exit the Control Definition Manager before completing all the steps, you will need to start over from the beginning.
X Copying the files and creating a new control definition
In this example, the Mill 4-Axis VMC machine definition is being moved from a local C:
drive to a U: drive on a network. This will require that we also move Generic Fanuc 4X Mill.control and the Generic Fanuc 4X Mill.pst.
1 Copy the following files to the network location:
machine definition (.mmd, .lmd, .rmd, .wmd) Recall that each .control file can
have several control definitions based on different post proces-sors.
.control file which contains the desired control definition
the post processor (.pst, .psm, .psb)
It doesn’t matter if they are stored in the same folder or not.
2 Start the Control Definition Manager from the Machine Type menu.
3 Select the Open button to open a .control file.
If your current Mastercam file already has an active machine group, you will find this button in the Control Definition Manager toolbar.
4 Navigate to the network location and open the .control file that you just moved there. The title bar should display the proper network path:
5 Make sure that the Control type displays the desired machine type.
6 Click the Post Processors button.
7 Click Add files and select the desired post processor from the network location.
Click OK.
8 Select the network post from the Post processors drop-down menu.
9 Save the new control definition:
Click the Save button to save the new control definition in the current .control file, or;
Click the Save As button to create a new .control file with the control definition.
X Copying data from the old control definition to the new one
Now that you’ve created a new control definition that points to the post on the network, you need to copy the control definition settings from the original control definition—the one that points to the local copy of the post processor—to the new one. The data that you’ll be copying are the values from all the control definition pages (except for the Operation Defaults page and the Text page).
1 Go to any data page—for example, Tolerances—and right-click. (Right-click in a gray area, not inside a field.)
2 Select Import, All pages.
3 Select the .control file that you copied to the network location and click Open.
4 Mastercam should now display all of the control definitions in the selected .control file. There should be two that list the same post processor: one that points to the version on your local drive, and one that points to the network location.
Select the one that points to your local drive and click OK.
5 Save the control definition.
X Copying post text to the new control definition
Next, you need to copy the post text from the original control definition to the new control definition. You only need to do this if you did a Save As in Step 9 above, renaming the new .control file on the network. If you kept the same name, skip ahead to Deleting the original control definition on page 52.
1 Go to the Text page.
2 Right-click in any data cell and choose Import, All sheets, From post.
3 Select the post that contains the original post text. This can be either the network copy or the local copy.
4 Mastercam will display the names of all the control definitions to which the post has been added. Select the name of your original control definition and click OK.
5 Save the control definition.
X Deleting the original control definition
At this point, your .control file has two control definitions with the same post name: one points to the local copy of your post, the other points to the network copy of your post.
Mastercam will not allow you to keep both versions, so you need to delete your original control definition.
1 Click the Post processors button.
2 Select the local copy of your post processor.
3 Click Delete files and OK.
4 Click the Post processors drop list. The local copy should no longer be visible, just the network copy.
5 Save the control definition.
6 Close the Control Definition Manager.
X Editing the machine definition
The final procedure is to edit the machine definition so that it points to the new, network version of the .control file, not the version on your local drive.
1 Start the Machine Definition Manager from the Machine Type menu.
If your part file already has at least one machine group in the Toolpath Manager, Mastercam will alert you that it is loading that machine definition;
click OK to clear the message from the screen.
2 Click the Open button and navigate to the network location where you copied the machine definition.
3 Select the desired machine definition and click Open.
4 Click the folder button under Control Definition.
5 Select the network folder with the new .control file and click OK.
6 Select the new .control file. Make sure that you see the network path as shown below.
7 Select the new post processor. Make sure that you see the network path as shown below.
8 Save the machine definition and exit.