Introduction To
Introduction To
Introduction To
Work Coordinate
System (WCS)
April 2015
Mastercam® X9 Introduction to WCS
Date: April 2015
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Software: Mastercam X9
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iii
Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1
Tutorial Goals................................................................................................. 1
Working With Views and Planes ............................................................. 3
Views and Planes .......................................................................................... 3
1. Changing the TPlane vs Changing the WCS ......................... 7
Lesson Goals ................................................................................................. 7
Exercise 1: Selecting the TPlane ........................................................... 7
Exercise 2: Cutting the Slot................................................................. 10
Exercise 3: Backplotting the Toolpath................................................. 13
Exercise 4: Reviewing the NC Code.................................................... 14
Exercise 5: Changing the WCS to Machine the Slot Lying Flat ........... 15
Exercise 6: Using the New WCS for a Toolpath .................................. 16
Exercise 7: Reviewing the NC Code.................................................... 19
2. Machining Two Parts on Different Fixtures....................... 21
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 21
Exercise 1: Creating the First Plane .................................................... 21
Exercise 2: Creating the Second Plane................................................ 23
Exercise 3: Using the First Plane......................................................... 24
Exercise 4: Creating the First Toolpath ............................................... 25
Exercise 5: Using the Second Plane to Create a Toolpath ................... 28
Exercise 6: Reviewing the NC Code.................................................... 31
3. Updating Previously Created Toolpaths ............................. 35
Lesson Goals ............................................................................................... 35
Exercise 1: Rotating the Part............................................................... 35
iv MASTERCAM X9
Welcome to the Introduction to the Work Coordinate System (WCS) tutorial. Before
you begin the lessons, it is recommended you first complete the Introduction to
Mastercam tutorial, which gives an introduction to Mastercam’s views and planes.
Tutorial Goals
Learn about views and planes, specifically WCS.
Understand the difference between tool planes (Tplanes) and WCS.
Machine two parts on different fixtures using one setup.
Create and change the WCS for previously created toolpaths.
The focus of this tutorial is the Work Coordinate System, or WCS. The WCS refers to
the alignment of the coordinate system itself. You can choose to align the coordinate
system axes with any view you wish.
When you create a new WCS the following happens:
You map the XY plane to the plane of the view.
The origin of the view becomes your new (0,0,0) point.
The plane becomes the Top plane in the new working coordinate system.
Gviews, Cplanes, and Tplanes are all measured relative to the WCS and its
origin.
Views and planes are used frequently in Mastercam for many drawing and machining
purposes. However, you select a new WCS much less often, and only for specific
machining purposes.
example, you can look at your part in Isometric Gview, while drawing
geometry in the Front Cplane.
Tool planes (Tplanes) - This plane is typically normal to the tool axis. Tplanes
are only used when creating toolpaths. They determine the tool orientation. In
most cases, your Cplane is the same as your Tplane (the most common
exceptions are Mill/Turn operations).
In addition, you can create a new WCS by mapping the entire coordinate system to a
different plane.
Most of the tools for working with planes are
located on the Status Bar at the bottom of
the Mastercam window. The Gview menu,
the Planes menu, and the WCS menu bring
up similar sets of options. The WCS menu is
shown to the right.
Use the Plane Manager to look at your planes and set their properties. Display the
Plane Manager from the Planes, WCS, or Gview menu.
In the first lesson, you create a toolpath to machine a part in two ways, one by using a
Tplane and one by changing the WCS.
WCS
In this lesson, you create a Dynamic toolpath to cut the slanted slot face of the part.
You create toolpaths to machine it in two ways:
First, you machine the part as if it were mounted on a table. You use a
machine with rotary axis capability so that the tool axis is rotated to the
proper orientation. To do this, you select a Tplane aligned with the slanted
face.
Second, you machine the part as if it were mounted in a fixture. You create a
toolpath that machines the part as if it were lying flat, without moving or
transforming geometry. To do this, you change the WCS so that it aligns with
the slanted faces of the part.
Lesson Goals
Create a Dynamic Contour toolpath with the selected Tplane.
Change the WCS on the Dynamic Contour toolpath.
Review both NC files to see rotary position commands.
the Tplane, you must align it with a view. You must also keep in mind the following
when setting a view:
The XY plane of your toolpath is parallel to the selected view.
The origin of the selected view determines the zero point of your part
program.
Unless the Tplane is parallel to the default XY plane, selecting a Tplane typically results
in A- and/or B-axis codes when you post your toolpaths.
NOTE: To post A- and B-axis code results, your machine definition must
be configured with the proper rotary axis components, and your post
must be properly configured for rotary output.
In this exercise, you align the Tplane with the slanted face of the part.
1 Start Mastercam using your
preferred method:
Double-click Mastercam’s
desktop icon.
Or
Launch Mastercam from the
Windows Start menu.
2 Select the default metric configuration file:
c Click OK.
3 Open the part file, BRACE W-VIEW, which was provided with the tutorial.
4 If necessary, fit the geometry to the screen using [Alt+F1] or the Fit button.
7 Choose File, Save As, and save the part file under a different file name. This
protects the original tutorial file from being overwritten.
5 Click OK in the Chaining dialog box and in the Chain Options dialog box.
The 2D High Speed Toolpath - Dynamic Contour dialog box displays.
6 Select the Tool page.
The tool is rotated to stay normal to the slanted face of the part. The face
defines the Tplane FACE OF PART.
5 Click OK in the Backplot dialog box when you have finished reviewing the tool
motion.
3 Click Save if prompted to save the NC file. Mastercam Code Expert opens.
You can see that the part looks like it has been rotated. When you look at the gnomon
in the lower-left corner, however, you can see that the axes have been rotated, not the
part.
6 Verify that your Planes (WCS) page matches what is shown below:
9 Backplot this toolpath like the previous one. You can see that the tool axis is
not rotated at all. This means that the part is lying flat when machined, so the
tool does not need to rotate around to machine the slanted face.
NOTE: A0 only appears because you posted this toolpath with the same
post used in the previous toolpath. Because you used the WCS to elimi-
nate rotary output, you could safely use a 3-axis post and machine defi-
nition.
You have now successfully changed the Tplane and the WCS of a toolpath. In the next
lesson, you machine two parts with the same NC file.
Fixtures
In this lesson, you machine two parts with the same NC file. Each part is mounted on a
different vise on your table.
To machine the parts, you assign a different work offset to each vise. Then, create two
different toolpaths and include the offset number in each. By basing each toolpath on
an offset number of a coordinate position, your operator can run the job without
knowing how the vises are positioned. All they need to do is touch off the parts prop-
erly before running the job to set each position in the control.
Lesson Goals
Create a new plane for each vise and define its origin.
Create a toolpath for each created plane.
Review both NC files to see the correct offset codes.
2 Fit the geometry to the screen using [Alt+F1] or the Fit button, if necessary.
22 MASTERCAM X9/ Machining Two Parts on Different Fixtures
8 Choose File, Save As, and save the part file under a different file name. This
protects the original tutorial file from being overwritten.
NOTE: The fixture table has been hidden to make the axes easier to see.
4 Chain the contour at the top of the pocket in the G57 vise. Chain direction
does not matter for this operation.
5 Click OK in the Chaining dialog box and in the Chain Options dialog box.
The 2D High Speed Toolpaths - Dynamic Mill dialog box displays.
6 Select the Tool page.
NOTE: The fixture table has been hidden to make the axes easier to see.
6 Chain the contour at the top of the pocket in the G58 vise. The chain direction
should be clockwise for this operation.
7 Click OK to close to Chaining dialog box and again in the Chain Options
dialog box.
The 2D High Speed Toolpath - Dynamic Contour dialog box displays.
8 Select the Tool page.
For each operation, Mastercam has reset the part zero (0,0,0) and output the proper
work offset.
In the next lesson, you rotate and position a part and update previously created tool-
paths with a new WCS.
Lesson Goals
Rotate the part and place it on the fixture.
Create two new WCS planes for the toolpaths.
Update each toolpath to use the new WCS planes.
2 Fit the geometry to the screen using [Alt+F1] or the Fit button, if necessary.
5 The graphics window now displays the Contour (Ramp) toolpath. Notice how
the toolpath looks.
6 Display the toolpath motion for the Dynamic Mill toolpath and the Contour
(2D) toolpath. When you finish viewing the toolpaths, turn them all off.
7 Select Xform, Dynamic Xform from
the Mastercam menu.
The Dynamic Xform Ribbon bar
displays.
8 Window select the solid body and wireframe and press [Enter]. The Dynamic
Gnomon displays.
9 Select the midpoint of the arc as the gnomon origin position.
You may need to zoom in to find the correct position.
12 Press [Enter] again to accept the changes. Click OK in the Dynamic Xform
Ribbon bar.
The part has now been rotated 10 degrees around the X axis.
13 Choose File, Save As, and save the part file under a different file name. This
protects the original tutorial file from being overwritten.
5 Window select the solid body and wireframe, then press [Enter].
9 Select the circle center point indicated below on the solid part. Be sure that
you select the center point of the circle on the bottom of the part.
11 Select the circle center point indicated below on the fixture. Be sure that you
select the center point of the circle on the top of the fixture.
12 Click OK in the Translate dialog box to exit the dialog box and move the part
onto the fixture.
Notice that after moving the solid body and geometry, the toolpaths are
marked dirty.
The toolpaths are no longer dirty, but they are not machining the part
correctly.
17 Click the Toggle display on selected operations button again to hide the
toolpaths.
18 Save your file.
6 Select the arc shown below. The Select plane dialog box displays, along with
the XYZ Gnomon.
9 Click OK to close the New Plane dialog box and create the new plane.
Now you create the plane for the Dynamic Mill and Contour (2D) toolpath.
11 Select the lines shown below, in the order they are numbered. The Select
plane dialog box displays, along with the XYZ Gnomon.
You may need to zoom in to select the second line.
14 Click OK to close the New Plane dialog box and create the new plane.
8 Click OK.
9 Click the Copy to tool plane and Copy to construction plane buttons,
shown below.
By setting the Tool plane and Comp/construction plane to the WCS, you will
see tool motion commands dimensioned from the part origin, as if it were
lying flat.
10 Click OK to save your changes and exit the 2D Toolpaths - Contour dialog
box.
11 In the Toolpaths Manager, click the
Regenerate all dirty operations
button.
This regenerates the Contour
toolpath.
15 Click the Toggle display on selected operations button again to hide the
toolpath.
16 Save your file.
5 Click the Copy to tool plane and Copy to construction plane buttons.
6 Click OK to save your changes and exit the 2D High Speed Toolpath -
Dynamic Mill dialog box.
7 In the Toolpaths Manager, click the
Regenerate all dirty operations
button.
This regenerates the Dynamic Mill
toolpath.
11 Click the Toggle display on selected operations button again to hide the
toolpath.
12 Save your file.
5 Click the Copy to tool plane and Copy to construction plane buttons.
6 Click OK to save your changes and exit the 2D Toolpaths - Contour dialog
box.
7 In the Toolpaths Manager, click the
Regenerate all dirty operations
button.
11 Click the Toggle display on selected operations button again to hide the
toolpath.
12 Save your file.
3 Click Play in the backplot controls to see the tool machine the toolpath.
The tool axis does not rotate.
4 Click OK in the Backplot dialog box when you have finished reviewing the tool
motion.
5 Save your file.
Conclusion
Congratulations! You have completed the Introduction to the Work Coordinate
System (WCS) tutorial. Now that you have mastered the skills in this tutorial, explore
Mastercam’s other features and functions.
You may be interested in other tutorials that we offer. The Mastercam tutorial series is
in continual development, and we will add modules as we complete them. Visit our
website, or select Tutorials from the Help menu to see the latest publications.
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