G-Code Simulator users please step inside.

[new2BC4bass]

Back story:

Going to be working from home soon as I am trying to get my wife in a nursing home in Florida where I can get more help from family plus see her more often. Will require me retiring. Company has already said they would provide me with a new computer.

Lathe is all I need. Use MasterCam. Going to learn AutoDesk Inventor for drawing before retiring. Feel that will be much more useful for the company in the long run. Have a super smart guy to teach me.

Been accused of not being as fast on MasterCam as the guy who quit 6 years ago, but as someone that has been at it 36 years, I am a bit anal about putting out as clean and short a program as will do the trick properly. His programs worked fine, but I invest time on Leadins/Leadouts to get as near as possible to my manually written programs of years ago. Result: Much cleaner with no rapid .0008 moves. But there are times where this requires me to modify the NC output file. I also use Macro B which often requires changing some absolute moves to incremental. Another spot for making an error.

Not a problem if physically on the property. All it takes is a quick look for me to see my error. I want to avoid sending out a program (from home) where I missed a G-code or didn't properly finishing a block due to possible interruptions. Program 26 lathes and at 73 my memory simply isn't what it used to be.

Am willing to invest my own money in it if the company won't.

Don't need feeds/speeds. Do some live tooling work. Don't need help formatting programs for our various lathes. Just looking to avoid sending out a program with an error in it.

This one looked nice. Eureka G-Code. Probably way more detail than I need, but it sure looks great running.

As an aside, years ago I did try working from home on occasion, but my terminal at work had to be on. SLOW is an understatement. I will be a greeter at Walmart before I will work that slow again.

Thanks in advance.

[flyinghappy]

Vericut is one of the big ones for simulating g code. Sticker shock may be an issue though, pretty sure it can run up to $30k. That's the only one I've had experience with.

Mastercam should come with Cimco Edit. It also has the capability to simulate your g-code and you should already have it. You'd have to get it setup though.

[basscatcher89]

I've been using Fusion 360 for cam and simulating. Free to hobbyists. Works good. I haven't tried importing a G code file to it yet and working on it. I've only generated G code with it.

[new2BC4bass]

Vericut is one of the big ones for simulating g code. Sticker shock may be an issue though, pretty sure it can run up to $30k. That's the only one I've had experience with.

Mastercam should come with Cimco Edit. It also has the capability to simulate your g-code and you should already have it. You'd have to get it setup though.

Yup, but I want to run checks after manually modifying programs produced by the initial post processor created programs. Very few of my programs are sent to the floor without a couple minor modifications. Most also contain Macro B modifications for controlling diameters done with the same tool, groove widths, etc. Obviously the actual Macro B statements wouldn't be implemented until I knew the math conversions I made for it had been tested.

Macro B makes everyone's life easier. I force people to learn the simple stuff. They can make make minor program adjustments without the necessity of bothering me. Say a groove width is tight. Operator can put .0015 in the proper variable and bingo groove is .0015 wider. I am the only lathe programmer for 26 lathes. Also the only set-up person for several of the lathes. Also something that will have to change when I move south.

[Mcfish]

I use MasterCam verify for all of my programs. It's not great, but if you set up your stock correctly it will do a passable job.

[PJ-Rohlf]

I think what we used in school was a milltronics emulator on PC.

[new2BC4bass]

I use MasterCam verify for all of my programs. It's not great, but if you set up your stock correctly it will do a passable job.

Again, I know how to run Back Plot and Verify on MasterCam to check the tool paths I created using the software. I rarely use either as I can solve most any problem just regenerating the tool path in the Operations Manager.

What I don't know is how to take a G-code program made outside of MasterCam and use MasterCam to run that program. Seriously doubt it can be done, but I can contact our MasterCam provider.

Looking like I just need to triple check myself before deciding no mistakes were made by yours truly.

Again, thanks to all for trying to help. It is appreciated. I used to be on Practical Machinist and cnczone a lot. I know there are plenty of people out there whose vast knowledge is such that I am not qualified to tie their shoes. Yet at the same time I've never met one. Had a guy come in a few years ago that worked for us a short time. He ran my programs. Saw all the work I did, and told me I should be making 6 figures. I busted a gut laughing at that.

[CDN Bass]

I still use a hammer and chisel.

[flyinghappy]

Yup, but I want to run checks after manually modifying programs produced by the initial post processor created programs. Very few of my programs are sent to the floor without a couple minor modifications. Most also contain Macro B modifications for controlling diameters done with the same tool, groove widths, etc. Obviously the actual Macro B statements wouldn't be implemented until I knew the math conversions I made for it had been tested.

Macro B makes everyone's life easier. I force people to learn the simple stuff. They can make make minor program adjustments without the necessity of bothering me. Say a groove width is tight. Operator can put .0015 in the proper variable and bingo groove is .0015 wider. I am the only lathe programmer for 26 lathes. Also the only set-up person for several of the lathes. Also something that will have to change when I move south.

I get that. Cimco Editor runs the actual gcode. It is separate from Mastercam. It will run backplot and solids verify independent of Mastercam. I've attached a picture, I got curious and tried it. The backplot worked good, but the solids parts needs some tweaks I think.

Capture.PNG

[new2BC4bass]

I get that. Cimco Editor runs the actual gcode. It is separate from Mastercam. It will run backplot and solids verify independent of Mastercam. I've attached a picture, I got curious and tried it. The backplot worked good, but the solids parts needs some tweaks I think.

Capture.PNG

Never too old to learn something new. I'll look into this once I get to actually use M/C again. Thanks a bunch. Know there are a lot of knowledgeable people from all walks of life on this site. Which is why this was where I turned to ask for help.

[flyinghappy]

Never too old to learn something new. I'll look into this once I get to actually use M/C again. Thanks a bunch. Know there are a lot of knowledgeable people from all walks of life on this site. Which is why this was where I turned to ask for help.

It truly is incredible what you can learn here! Gonna go run that program and see how much damage I can do ha.