Design Software Enhancements Simplify Modeling

Mastercam software isn’t limited to NC programming. Developer CNC Software also offers Mastercam Design, which includes a suite of modeling tools ranging from 3D surfacing and solids to hole filling, direct editing without solids history, geometry repair and more. The system also supports advanced geometry creation, including solid modeling; hybrid machining; NURBS curves and surfaces; 2D and 3D associative dimensioning; surface extension; blending; trimming; splitting; variable filleting; solid modeling; and hybrid modeling.

Enhancements in the latest version of the software, Mastercam 2017 Design, include features for optimizing, disassembling and preprocessing solids. The optimization capability repairs imported solids (whole bodies or individual faces) by improving the accuracy of edges and by identifying and optimizing blends. This reportedly enables other Model Prep functions to work better. Tool paths on the repaired solid maintain associativity to faces.

Disassembly is via a Model Prep function that lays each body in a solid assembly out in a single plane. It works on models with and without history, imported from other systems, or created from within Mastercam. According to the company, user interface improvements enable users to place each solid body on its own level at the toolpath origin, saving time and extra steps.

The Preprocess solid option, part of the Surface From Solids function, is designed to help clean errors in imported solids by assisting in the conversion of solid faces into surfaces.

Other design improvements in the software’s latest iteration include enhanced X, Y, and Z options in the Plane Selection dialog box. The changes are said to increase functionality, accuracy and efficiency by eliminating extra steps and guesswork. Repair Small Faces analyzes solid bodies (with no history) and reports if it finds small entities such as spikes, sliver faces, edge pinches or gashes. Solid Impression can speed up the creation of an electrode tool without having to create extra operations. Transform Dynamic now supports AutoCursor snapping to horizontal, vertical and tangent positions when rotating geometry. Finally, users can now dynamically manipulate geometry with Mastercam’s new trio of single-axis arrow controls.