Mastercam CAM CNC frequently asked questions

Tech Support

Mastercam FAQs

Below please find a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding Mastercam. For additional questions email mctech@prismeng.com.

Question: Will our HASP3 work with Mastercam X?
Answer: No. Your HASP3 needs to be updated to HASP4 to run Mastercam X. ALL SIM swap requests must first go through the verification process at http://www.simswap.com/. Please note: All USB and NetHASP SIMs are HASP4 and do not need to be swapped.

Questions: How will we know if we have a HASP3?
Answer: Go to http://www.simswap.com/ and download the HASP checking program.

Question: What can I do if I get the following error message: "HASP not found"?
Answer: Two option; Option 1: download the Latest HASP Device Driver at the following link: http://www.ealaddin.com/support/hasp/enduser.asp#latestDD or Option 2: Call Prism at 215-784-0800 and ask for Mastercam Technical Support.

Question: How can I change my part geometry without having to regenerate the operations that I have already preformed on the part?
Answer: You can lock programming operations. Go to operation manager, right click on the operation you want to lock, pick option, then pick lock. This will allow you to change the geometry of a part you just programmed.

Question: How can I control where the End Mill will plunge into a previously drilled hole or a known start location in the work piece when creating a pocket toolpath?
Answer: Create a point where you want the tool to plunge. When chaining the geometry for your pocket select the Area option. When you backplot your toolpath notice that the End Mill centers on the plunge point in the geometry.

Question: What are the Groups in the Operation Manager used for?
Answer: The Groups are used to organize the tollpaths based on criteria, such as WCS operations, specific posting operations and tool callouts.

Question: How to import a SolidWorks File (.sldprt) into Mastercam?
Answer: Select File, Converter, Parasolid. Next select files of type and select SolidWorks. Direct pathway to SolidWorks part file. Select Open. The part will read into Mastercam as a solid model if the user has the solids option for Mastercam, otherwise the part will be converted to surfaces.

Question: How do I get my Lathe program to find stock boundaries for toolpath information?
Answer: It is a two step process. Step1- define stock boundaries in Job Setup. Step2 - on toolpath parameter page enable "use stock boundaries".

Question: Should I update my post from 9.0SP1 to 9.1SP1?
Answer: Yes, for every time you upgrade your Mastercam you need to run the update for your post. To get to the post update start from the main menu>NC utils>Post Proc>Update PST.

Question: What to do in Mastercam when having video related problem.
Answer: First make sure shading mode is turned off. Then from the Main Menu in Mastercam go to Screen>Configure> and select the SCREEN tab. Then uncheck the “Enable OpenGL Drawing Box. If there are still Video issues make sure you have the latest video drivers for you card.

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