Introduction to Mastercam X7

2014
Lecture 1

Learning Objectives:

Understand the Mastercam Interface

Switch Units
Understand the Operation Manager
Learn how to use grids
Understand the Auto Curser
Use Selecting and Viewing Methods
Create a Geometry
Points

Before You Start !

Mastercam is installed on all computers in CAWP
computer lab
Some drawings and materials used in these notes are
referenced from the Mastercam Help Manual

Introduction - Mastercam Interface

Layout

Ribbon Bar allows user to enter values and/or settings for the entity that you are
currently creating or modifying
Function prompt prompts the current command
Status Bar allows user to change and set attributes like color, level, style and width)
(Similar to Layer in AutoCAD)

Introduction - Mastercam Interface Layout

Operation Manager list of the tool paths and solids operation

Origin Indicator defines the point coordinates in X, Y, and Z axis in the current view
Drawing Area workspace area where the geometry is created and displayed
MRU Toolbar short cuts of the most recently used functions and commands
Unit Indicator indicates the unit of the drawing and the scale of the current view

Units Metric or Imperial

1. Select Setting
2. Select Configuration
3. At the bottom of the window in
the pull down menu, select the
Unit you want to work in. (CNC
Router can read both imperial &
metric units)
4. Confirm with OK
Note: The unit setting is in the main
window. Thus, changing the
categories on the left will not hide
the unit setting pull-down menu.

Operation Manager Tool Path

In case the
Operation
Manager is not
displayed
Go to View in
the Pull Down
Menu
Select Toggle
Operations
Manager

Operation Manager Tool Path

Mastercam can be used for many kinds and types of CNC machines. In
our case, it is a CNC Router

1. Select Machine Type

2. Go to Router
3. Select

UBC SCM ROUTECH.RMD

or

Weeke_WoodWop.RMD

1. In the Operation Manager,

Machine Group will appear

BEFORE WE START FOR SCM Machine

Please be aware of a few rules when programming in Mastercam.

1) Stock setup has to be done

(Red hidden lines)
2) Mastercam origin has to
be the top of the part
3) Part has to be drawn in the
X+ Y+ Z- quadrant

BEFORE WE START FOR Homag Machine

Please be aware of a few rules when programming in Mastercam.

1) Stock setup has to be done

(Red hidden lines)
2) Mastercam origin has to
be the bottom of the part
3) Part has to be drawn in the
X+ Y+ Z+ quadrant

Introduction X & Y Origin (0,0)

Hit F9 to turn on the X & Y axis origin

Introduction Grid Parameters

Hit Alt + G to display the menu above

Select Active Grid & Visible Grid to display the grid

Auto Cursor
1. Right click with
your mouse
inside the
drawing area
2. Select Auto
Cursor
3. Adjust the
settings and
functions you
need
4. Confirm with
ok

Power keys - one-character short cut keys associated with different types
of points that you set in this dialog box.
O Origin
E Endpoint
M Midpoint
P - Point

C - Arc Center
I - Intersection
Q - Quadrant

Auto Cursor
1.

2.
3.

4.

Right click with

your mouse
inside the
drawing area
Select Auto
Cursor
Adjust the
settings and
functions you
need
Confirm with ok
FastPoint mode when a command requires to enter the coordinates of X, Y, and Z,
the user can simply type in the values
ex: 10,20,30 coordinates in x,y,z to indicate the location

Selecting Methods

The left and top parts are

selected.
(Color changes to yellow when
selected)

Clicking the
Invert Selection

The right and bottom parts are

selected. This function instantly
selects currently unselected items,
and at the same time unselecting all
the selected items.

Selecting Methods

Selection Methods selecting items (geometry) with different methods

Chain select all the items that are linked together, ex: square select one
line will automatically selecting the whole square (all 4 lines)
Window select items with a box (window)
Polygon select items by creating a multi-line polygon
Single select only 1 item at a time
Area select closed boundaries around the point selected in the drawing
area (mouse click location)
Vector select items by drawing a multi-line, any items intersected by that
vector line will be selected

Selecting Methods

Entity selection settings Determines how the Selection Method Window

is selecting items
In items which are completely inside the selection box
Out items which are completely outside the selection box
In+ - items which are inside and touching the selection box
Out+ - items which are outside and touching the selection box
Intersect items which are touching the selection box

Note: When selecting:

Holding down shift automatically go to Chain selection
Holding down Ctrl automatically go to Window selection

Selecting Methods
Quick Masks (QM) by left and right clicking the Quick Masks
button:
Left-clicking a mask function set masking to select all entities of the
specified type
Right-clicking the function sets masking to single selection. When
this function is On, a * will appear beside Only

Selecting Methods
To turn off the Right-clicking QM
function
1. Left click on Only*
2. The window Select Only appears
3. Select the categories which need to
be unselect
4. Items of that category will appear
below
5. Unselect the items
6. Confirm with OK

Note: if the whole category needs to be

unselected, user only need to unselect the
box beside the categories

Viewing

Top Gview Look at the drawing from the top X - Y Plane

Front Gview Look at the drawing from the front X - Z Plane

Right Gview Look at the drawing from the right Y - Z Plane

Isometric Gview Look at the drawing in isometric view 3D view

- Zoom Target
- Zoom Window

- Zoom Selected
- Un-Zoom previous

- Un-Zoom

Viewing Middle Scroll-Wheel

Mouse Button
Middle Scroll-Wheel Mouse Button Zoom in and out
Hold Down the Middle Scroll-Wheel Mouse Button User can custom define the
function of Panning and Rotating
1. Go to Setting
2. Configuration
3. Screen
4. Select Pan as the
middle button
Pan move the view window
within the drawing area without
changing the scale and
viewpoint.
Spin -dynamic rotation of
entities in the drawing area
around a selected point or
position.

2D/3D Construction Modes

This button switches from 2D construction mode to 3D construction mode. The default
setting for this button is 3D construction mode.

2D mode - all the geometry is created parallel to the current construction plane at
the current Z depth setting.
3D mode - the X, Y, and Z coordinates are all read from AutoCursor when sketching
dynamically. When working in a 3D environment, you can create entities
which points are in different planes, or create entities (such as arcs or 2D
splines) in planes other than the predefined planes.

Create Geometry
There are two methods to create geometry:
1. Pull down Menu
2. Toolbars & Short Cut Keys

For the pull down menu, there are sub-menus for some of the function.
To access the sub-menus of Toolbars & Short Cut keys, the user can click the drop down arrow
to the right of the icon

Geometry Creation Ribbon Bar

Some of the functions to create geometry allows the user to enter values and/or settings in the Ribbon Bar
during the process.
Ex: Creating a Rectangle

If the geometry is blue, users can modify the yellow highlighted values in the Ribbon Bar. However,
the geometry can only be modified before it has been confirmed (changes color to green).
Note: As long as the rectangle is blue it is not been confirmed yet.

Geometry Creation Ribbon Bar

To confirm the geometry, users can click
in the Ribbon Bar. This will confirm the geometry (its color changes
to green), but remain in the function of creating an element of the same kind.
Or the user can click in the Ribbon Bar. This will confirm the geometry (its color changes to green) and ends
the function of creating an element of this and any kind.

Note: The rectangle is blue which indicates that it is not been confirmed yet. Once, the rectangle
is confirmed, it will act as 4 lines instance of a rectangle.

Geometry Creation Ribbon Bar

For ease of repetitions values in the Ribbon Bar can be locked (set to be fixed, color changes to red) by the user.
Ex: Creating a rectangle

Users can lock the value by left clicking the button beside any yellow highlighted value in the Ribbon Bar.
The color of the value will change to red. The values will stay locked whenever this command is in use.
To unlock the value, left click the button beside the red value again.

Automatic Unit Conversion

Note: You can enter imperial or metrics value into the Ribbon Bar no matter which default unit
system you are using. Mastercam will automatically convert the unit for you.
Ex: For imperial in metric system 1 inch enter 1
For metric in imperial system mm for millimeter or m for meter

Geometry Creation Point

Access the Point command by Pull down menu or toolbars

For normal uses, pick Create Point Position.

Users can pick the locations with AutoCursor function which will automatically located the point to ex: end
point, centre etc.
In case the user knows the exact location of the point, it can be entered by the X, Y, and Z coordinates. These
values can be entered in the Ribbon bar.

Geometry Creation Point

EXERCISE: Create_Point_Pos

1. In a text file, type

x,y,z
x,y,z
x,y,z
and so on
2. Go to File
3. Open
4. Open the text file
*.txt
5. Points will
automatically
generate according
to the x, y, & z
coordinates
provided in the text
file

Geometry Creation Line Create Line Endpoint

EXERCISE: Create_Lines

There are different option in the Ribbon Bar for the Create Line Endpoint function
- Location of the point by X,Y, & Z coordinates
- Length of the line

- Create a horizontal or vertical lines parallel to X or Y axis by

entering the distance between the origin of X or Y

- Angle of the line

-Lines will join together at endpoints