CNC Software says that Mastercam X4 is going to go into beta testing very shortly.
Supposedly Mastercam X4 will have a reworked WCS and all the existing 2D toolpaths will have the tree style interface that 2D high-speed toolpaths and HSM Surfacing toolpaths have in X3. This leaves the older Roughing and Finishing Surfacing toolpaths still using the old interface. This tree style interface dialog window is superior in every way to what CNC Software came up with for Mastercam X and can be made to be modeless as SolidCAM R12 proves.
Anyone get the feeling that Mastercam X4 is really what Mastercam X3 should have been?
I don’t expect to see any major improvements in Mastercam’s selection tools or in Mastercam solids in X4. I do expect to see some of Mastercam’s toolpath taking advantage of multi-core processors. Sadly almost all their competition already is taking advantage of multi-core processors and many are hard at work on 64bit version of their CAM software.
To get an idea how far behind CNC Software is with Mastercam it’s probably a good idea if you take a close look at SolidCAM’s user interface in its R12 release to see how badly behind Mastercam is in adopting the kind of modeless / much more productive user interface that SolidCAM R12 has and Mastercam doesn’t have
http://www.solidcam.com/new_user_interface_en,44853.html
Note that whatever machining data entry field is clicked on in SolidCAM R12 a picture on the left hand bottom side shows you graphically what machining parameter you are modifying. So far CNC Software has not made use of this feature even in the new 2D high-speed toolpaths added in X3 or in the X3 HSM Surfacing toolpaths. Is any of the e-Mastercam clique asking why this is the case? It’s a rhetorical question… not a chance.
The verdict on Mastercam X is in: Mastercam X needs a total rewrite. Mastercam X was really just a cosmetic rehab of Mastercam V9.
In 2009 I don’t expect CNC Software to catch up with other CADCAM packages. In fact, I expect to see Mastercam fall much further behind if companies like SolidCAM, OpenMind (HyperMill), DP Esprit, etc. don’t cut back on development because of the economy. SoildCAM is very close to offering almost everything Mastercam has and doing all of it better!
Don’t you think that’s a little harsh?
“2D High speed milling toolpaths which were not developed by CNC Software and instead are a 3rd party component that CNC Software licenses.”
Why does it matter?
I’ve used many cam packages, you can make many 2d toolpaths much quicker with MC then with Powermill, or WorkNC.
Comment by greg13hsm — November 28, 2008 @ 12:22 am
Hello Greg,
No, I don’t think it’s a “harsh” comment at all. I think it’s an honest and fair comment. As one poster recently said on the e-Mastercam forum, Mastercam X3 doesn’t offer much and is really a step backwards. I agree with those sentiments. Very little work seems to have gone into Mastercam X3 except Feature Based Machining (which most people don’t use at all) and adding a third party component for 2D high speed toolpaths.
Mastercam is very badly behind development wise and this is evidenced by Mastercam’s badly outdated modal user interface that takes way to much time to use, surfacing toolpaths that take far too much time to process, Chaining that is hard to see and often disappears, a Machining Operations Manager that is not robust, A WCS that needs plenty of work, Selection tools that feel like you’re back using a badly dated wireframe modeler, etc.
Powermill and WorkNC don’t bill themselves as being good for 2 1/2 mill work, Greg. When you compare Mastercam to programs that are good at 2 1/2 axis mill work it becomes very obvious how far behind Mastercam is.
I’d like to suggest that you evaluate a program like Siemens NX CAM Express so that you can understand for yourself how badly behind Mastercam X3 is. The programs are very close in price and the difference in functionality and quality is obvious immediately.
Mastercam X3 is such a huge disappointment because no work was done on the core basics in Mastercam that are so badly broken. When I say broken core basics I’m referring to:
1. Chaining… hard to see Chains that often disappear. Chains shouldn’t have thin wireframe arrows but rather thick shaded arrows. Chaining is often needed in Mastercam where in a product with powerful integrated CAD many times you don’t have to waste time chaining at all! If you take a demo of Siemens NX you will understand exactly what I’m talking about.
2. A modal user interface that kills productivity.
3. Surfacing toolpath processing speed that’s insanely slow.
4. Solid cut part verification that is much too slow compared to other products that use the exact same component (MachineWorks) for solid cut part verification.
5. A Machining Operations Manager that isn’t robust, doesn’t offer inheritance, doesn’t allow the WCS to be accessed directly or dragged and dropped, a red insertion arrow that jumps around when it shouldn’t move, Toolpath Groups that don’t allow you to add a program number, etc.
6. Badly outdated Selection tools. Solid selection is so bad in Mastercam X3 that you are better off converting the solid to surfaces.
Comment by jonbanquer — November 28, 2008 @ 1:01 am
Do you hope that pointing out the faults of MC that you will get them to change?
Tell me some of the strong points.
Greg
Comment by asplendidtime — November 28, 2008 @ 1:43 am
“Do you hope that pointing out the faults of MC that you will get them to change?”
CNC Software, the authors and owners of Mastercam, seem to squander many, many chances to make good use of available resources. Other CADCAM companies do a much better job of making use of available resources.
Specific Examples of CNC Software not making best use of available resources:
1. Mike Mattera should be courted and offered a job producing training material for Mastercam. His Mastercam training videos are far better than what CNC Software or anyone else creates. It’s not even close. I can think of 2 others who produce video content for Mastercam and both are good but they don’t get their product to market. Mike Mattera consistently and steadily delivers varied video training content for Mastercam. The other two don’t. They promise but consistently fail to deliver.
2. Dave Thomson should be courted and offered a job working for CNC Software. If you’re not aware Dave Thomson started the e-Mastercam forum when he worked for In House Solutions. CNC Software needs to care about losing him as a resource.
3. Other CADCAM companies quickly pick up on what I notice and create content for on this blog and make use of my positive comments. CNC Software doesn’t appear to be interested or care at all.
“Tell me some of the strong points.”
Of Mastercam or of Siemens NX?
Comment by jonbanquer — November 28, 2008 @ 2:09 am
Of Mastercam or of Siemens NX?
Mastercam.
Siemens NX is what you prefer?
Greg
Comment by asplendidtime — November 28, 2008 @ 2:19 am
Some of Mastercam’s strong points:
1. Edit Common Parameters. A good start that has been neglected.
2. Change At Point. A good start that has been neglected.
3. Backploting. A good start that has been neglected
4. Transform Toolpath. Powerful. Needs some work.
5. Machining Operations Manager. A good start that has been neglected.
6. Better wireframe geometry tools than most CAM programs.
Siemens NX:
This program is so powerful that it will take me months / years to document how good it really is. At this point I can’t do it justice. I hope to be able to soon. I have never read anyone who can properly describe NX because it’s so powerful.
Here is a video showing NX Feature Based Machining which shows how powerful it is but doesn’t do the proper job explaining it:
Comment by jonbanquer — November 28, 2008 @ 2:35 am
I completely agree that MasterCam has made alot of promises over the years, but have not delivered. If they spent as much money on development as they do on advertisement they would have a great product.
Like the X3 release, X4 is proving to be CNC Software’s worse release when it comes to bugs.
Also, because my experience with emastercam hasn’t resulted in anything, I have decided to start a new mastercam forum at http://www.mastercamforum.com. This site is not affiliated with CNC Software nor a retailer, just a user trying to create an unbiased forum to share experiences with.
Thanks,
Mike in MN
http://www.cncbasics.com
http://www.mastercamforum.com
http://www.mastercamblog.com
Comment by cncmike — August 22, 2009 @ 4:20 pm