Tutorial: X4-Mcfsw-7X9-Tutor - Indd 1 8/4/2009 12:53:50 PM

TUTORIAL
X4-MCfSW-7x9-Tutor.indd 1
8/4/2009 12:53:50 PM
Mastercam for
SolidWorks Tutorial
September 2009
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II MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Mastercam for SolidWorks X4 - Mastercam for SolidWorks Tutorial

Date: September 2009
Copyright 2009 CNC Software, Inc. All rights reserved.
First Printing: September 2009
Software: Mastercam for SolidWorks X4
Part Number: X4-SW-Tutor
TERMS OF USE
Use of this document is subject to the Mastercam End User License Agreement. A
copy of the Mastercam End User License Agreement is included with the
Mastercam product package of which this document is part. The Mastercam End
User License Agreement can also be found at:
www.mastercam.com/legal/licenseagreement/
III
Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................... 1
Tutorial Goals ...................................................................................2

Before You Begin .............................................................................2
If You Need More Help ....................................................................3
Additional Documentation ..............................................................4
2D Toolpaths ....................................................................................... 5
1. General Setup - Mold Core.........................................
Lesson Goals ....................................................................................7

About the Mold Core Part ...............................................................7
Exercise 1: Selecting Your Machine ......................................... 8
2. The 2D Facing Toolpath ...........................................
11
Lesson Goals ..................................................................................11

Exercise 1: Defining the Tool plane......................................... 11
Exercise 2: Setting Up the Stock Model ................................. 13
Exercise 3: Creating the Facing Toolpath................................ 14
Exercise 4: Backplot and Verify the Facing Toolpath .............. 17
Exercise 5: Verifying All of the Toolpaths ............................... 19
Exercise 6: Posting the Toolpath ............................................ 20
3. 2D Area Mill .............................................................
23
Lesson Goals ..................................................................................23

Exercise 1: Creating the Area Mill Toolpath............................ 23
Exercise 2: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpath............... 27
Exercise 3: Verifying All of the Toolpaths ............................... 28
Exercise 4: Posting the Toolpath ............................................ 29
IV MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
3D High Speed Toolpaths........................................................ 31

1. General Setup - Phone Cradle................................... 33
Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 33

About the Phone Cradle Sample Part.......................................... 33
Exercise 1: Selecting Your Machine........................................ 35
Exercise 2: Defining the Tool Plane ......................................... 36
Exercise 3: Defining the Stock ................................................ 38
2. The Core Roughing Toolpath..................................... 41
Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 41

Exercise 1: Creating the Toolpath ........................................... 41
Exercise 2: Backplotting and Verifying the toolpath ................ 45
Exercise 3: Posting the Toolpath............................................. 46
3. The Rest Roughing Toolpath ..................................... 49
Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 49

4. The Scallop Toolpath ................................................ 57
Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 57

5. The Waterline Toolpath ............................................ 65
Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 65

Exercise 1: Creating the Waterline Toolpath ........................... 65
FBM Toolpaths ................................................................................ 71

1. FBM Mill.................................................................... 73
About the FBM Sample Part ........................................................ 73

Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 74
Exercise 1: Set Up .................................................................. 74
Exercise 2: Defining the Stock ................................................ 75
Exercise 3: Creating the Mill Toolpaths................................... 76
Exercise 4: Customizing the Toolpaths.................................... 78
Exercise 5: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpaths ............. 80
2. FBM Drill ..................................................................
83
Lesson Goals ..................................................................................83

Exercise 1: Creating the Drill Toolpaths .................................. 84
Exercise 2: Customizing the FBM Drill Toolpaths.................... 86
Exercise 3: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpaths ............. 87
VI MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
INTRODUCTION
Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks provides Mastercam X4 CAM functionality within SolidWorks.

Inside SolidWorks, you can access many toolpath strategies:
3D high speed (HST) toolpaths

2D feature based machining (FBM) mill toolpaths
2D feature based machining drill toolpaths
Non-FBM high speed 2D toolpaths
Besides these powerful toolpaths, Mastercam for SolidWorks features many supporting functions,
including:
Boundary creation
Part setup (including tool and material managers)
Toolpath transformations
Backplotting
Verification
Post processing
Communications
Thread management
In this tutorial, you learn to use many strategies to apply toolpaths to parts in Mastercam for
SolidWorks.
2 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL
Tutorial Goals
Set up a part in Mastercam for SolidWorks.
Define a tool plane and stock.
Create 2D High Speed toolpaths.
Create HST milling toolpaths.
Create FBM Mill and Drill toolpaths.
Backplot and verify toolpaths.
Post toolpaths.
Before You Begin

This tutorial focuses on Mastercam for SolidWorks. You can learn more about the standalone
version of Mastercam in the Mastercam Getting Started Tutorial series, which includes the following
modules:
Welcome to Mastercam
Files and Mastercam
Working in the Graphics Window
Basic 2D Design
Basic 2D Machining
For information and availability, please contact your local Mastercam Reseller.
General Tutorial Requirements

Because each lesson in the tutorial builds on the mastery of preceding lessons skills, we
recommend that you complete them in order. In addition, this tutorial has the following
requirements:
You must be comfortable using the Windows operating system.

You must have installed SolidWorks 2009 or higher and Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks.
You must have the part files that accompany this tutorial. You can store them in a folder
with the tutorial or in a location that you prefer.
Preparing for the Tutorial

Before you start the tutorial, be sure you have completed the following tasks:
INTRODUCTION 3
1 Start SolidWorks using your preferred
method:
Double-click the SolidWorks

desktop icon.
Or
Launch SolidWorks from the

Windows Start menu.
2 In SolidWorks, verify that you have a
Mastercam menu. If you do not have the

Mastercam menu, please refer to
installation instructions in Getting Started
in Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks, which is
included in the Mastercam for SolidWorks
package.
If You Need More Help

There are many ways to get help with Mastercam for SolidWorks, including the following:
Mastercam for SolidWorks HelpAccess Mastercam for SolidWorks Help by selecting Help,
Contents from SolidWorkss menu bar.
Mastercam for SolidWorks videosTo see videos of many Mastercam for SolidWorks
features, choose Videos in the Mastercam X4 Help section of the SolidWorks Help menu.
Mastercam for SolidWorks tutorial videosIn your Start menu, under Mastercam X4 for
SolidWorks, Documentation, You can find a full set of interactive tutorials that are based
on the lessons in this book.
Context Sensitive HelpMost dialog boxes feature a Help button
for SolidWorks Help directly to related information.
that opens Mastercam
Online helpYou can search for information or ask questions on the Mastercam Web
forum, located at www.emastercam.com.
Mastercam ResellerYour local Mastercam Reseller can help with most questions about
Mastercam for SolidWorks.
Technical SupportCNC Softwares Technical Support department (860-875-5006 or
support@mastercam.com) is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. USA
Eastern Standard Time.
Documentation feedbackFor questions about this or other Mastercam documentation,
contact the Technical Documentation department by e-mail at techdocs@mastercam.com.
Additional Documentation
You can find more information on using Mastercam for SolidWorks in the book Getting Started in
Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks, which is included in the Mastercam for SolidWorks package. You can
also find a PDF version of the book in the \Documentation folder of your Mastercam for
SolidWorks installation. The default installation path is C:\Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks.
Section 1
2D Toolpaths
LESSON 1
General Setup - Mold Core
Before generating toolpaths for a part, you must prepare Mastercam for SolidWorks and the part
file. This preparation includes such tasks as selecting a machine definition and defining a tool
plane. Failure to set up the part correctly will give unpredictable results. This lesson introduces the
tutorial part files for Section 1, 2D Toolpaths and shows how to create a machine group.
Lesson Goals
Explore the part files.
Select a machine.
Copy a toolpath.
About the Mold Core Part

The lessons in this section are based on the MoldCore.SLDPRT file, which is included with the
tutorial. The following picture shows the part file as it displays in SolidWorks. This demo part
contains nearly 20 operations, which demonstrate many of Mastercam for SolidWorkss 2D
toolpaths.
This tutorial covers only two of the toolpaths: Facing and Area Mill.
Note: To fully machine the part requires more operations than are described in this book.
The part files included for this portion of the tutorial are:
2DToolpath01.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 1

2DToolpath02.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 3
2DToolpathComplete.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 3
MoldCore.SLDPRTThe fully toolpathed part
Exercise 1: Selecting Your Machine

Toolpaths are contained in Machine groups. For this reason, your part file needs at least one
machine group before you can toolpath the part. Mastercam for SolidWorks automatically creates a
machine group for each machine you select from the Machine Selection menu item. To see how
machine selection works, complete the following exercise.
1 Open the part file 2DToolpath01.SLDPRT,
which was provided with this tutorial.
2 Save the part under the name

2DToolpath01Tutorial.SLDPRT.
Saving the part under a new name helps

prevent your accidentally modifying the
original file.
3 From the Mastercam X4 menu, choose
Machine Selection, and then select your

machine from the submenu.
Mastercam for SolidWorks creates a
machine group for the selected machine.
GENERAL SETUP - MOLD CORE 9
TIP: To customize the Machine Selection list, choose Mastercam X4, Machine Selection,
Manage List. For more information on the dialog box that displays, click the dialog boxs
Help button (
).
4 In the SolidWorks FeatureManager, click
the Mastercam Toolpath Manager tab to

display the Toolpath Manager.
Note: The Toolpath Manager in Mastercam for
SolidWorks is nearly identical to the Toolpath
Manager in the standalone version of
Mastercam.
5 Click the 2D High Speed (2D Core Mill)
operation to select it.

A green check mark shows that the
operation is selected.
6 Right-click the selected toolpath, and
choose Cut from the menu that displays.

Mastercam for SolidWorks removes the
operation from the Toolpath Manager.
7 Click the toolpath group in your new
machine group.
8 Right-click the selected toolpath group,
and choose Paste from the menu that

displays.
Mastercam for SolidWorks pastes the
operation into your new machine group.
Note: The red arrow in the machine group
indicates where Mastercam will paste the
operation. For Step 8, the red arrow should be
located below the new toolpath group. If its
not, drag it down with your mouse.
9 Right-click Machine Group-1, and select
Groups, Delete from the pop-up menu.

Mastercam for SolidWorks removes the old
machine group, leaving only the one you
created.
10 Right-click your new machine group, and
select Groups, Rename from the pop-up

menu.
Mastercam for SolidWorks highlights the
current group name.
11 Type a new machine group name.
TIP: The machine group name can be anything you want, but choose a name that describes
the machine and its operations.
12 If the copied operation is dirty (marked
with a red X), click the Regenerate all dirty

operations button.
Mastercam for SolidWorks regenerates the
toolpath for the new machine.
13 Select File, Save to save the file.
LESSON 2
The 2D Facing Toolpath
The first toolpath you explore in this tutorial is 2D Facing. Your starting part file,
2DToolpath01Tutorial.SLDPRT, already has a single toolpath defined (the 2D Core Mill
operation). In this lesson, you add the facing operation to the part file.
Lesson Goals
Define the parts tool plane.
Set up the parts stock model.
Add the 2D Facing toolpath.
Backplot the toolpaths.
Verify the toolpaths.
Exercise 1: Defining the Tool plane

1 If necessary, open the
2DToolpath01Tutorial.SLDPRT file that
you created in the previous lesson.
2 In the CommandManager, click the
Mastercam X4 tab.
The CommandManager displays
Mastercam for SolidWorks commands.
3 Click View Manager.
The View Manager dialog box displays.
4 Click the Geometry button.
The View Manager dialog box minimizes to

uncover the SolidWorks graphics area.
5 Click the upper surface of the parts base,
as shown in the image to the right.

The selected surface becomes highlighted,
and Face<1> displays in the Define View
with geometry dialog box, which is
docked on the left side of the SolidWorks
window.
6 Click OK (the green check) in the Define
View with geometry dialog box.

Mastercam for SolidWorks creates a new
view based on your selection, and the View
Manager reappears.
7 Right-click NEW VIEW #1, and choose
Rename from the menu that displays.

8 Type MACHINE, and press [Enter].
9 Click in the MACHINE rows T column.
A T displays in the column, indicating that

MACHINE is now your tool plane.
THE 2D FACING TOOLPATH 13
10 If necessary, select the Enable origin
option, and then click the Select a new

origin for the selected view button.
The View Manager dialog box again
minimizes to uncover the SolidWorks
graphics area.
11 In the graphics area, click the parts lower-
left corner, as shown in the picture to the

right.
A point named Vertex<1> displays in the
Selection dialog box, which is docked on
the left edge of the SolidWorks window.
12 Click OK in the Selection dialog box.
Mastercam for SolidWorks places the new

views origin at the selected point.
13 Click the View Managers OK button to
finalize your choices.

You have now defined your parts tool
plane.
Exercise 2: Setting Up the Stock Model

Before Mastercam for SolidWorks can generate toolpaths, it must know the dimensions and
orientation of the stock from which your part will be cut. The following exercise shows how to set up
the stock for your part.
1 In the SolidWorks FeatureManager, click
the Mastercam Toolpath Manager tab to

display the Toolpath Manager.
2 In the machine groups Properties, click
Stock setup. (If necessary, click the + to

expand the options.)
The Stock Setup tab of the Machine Group
Properties dialog box displays.
3 Click the All Entities button.
Mastercam for SolidWorks calculates the

dimensions of the stock required.
4 Click the OK button to close the Machine
Group Properties dialog box.

The stock model shows in the graphics
area with dashed red lines.
Exercise 3: Creating the Facing Toolpath

1 In the Mastercam X4 CommandManager,
click Pocket Toolpaths.

The Chain Manager displays, docked on
the left edge of the SolidWorks window.
2 Right-click to select the line segement
shown in the picture to the right, and then

choose Select Loop from the menu that
displays.
Mastercam for SolidWorks chains the selected geometry, as shown below, and Loop<1>
appears in the Chain Managers Selection tab.
3 Click OK in the Chain Manager to finalize
your choice.
The 2D Toolpaths dialog box displays.
4 In the 2D Toolpaths dialog box:

a Select the Toolpath Type page.
b Click the Facing toolpath.
TIP: Notice the Chain geometry section in the Toolpath Type page. To the left of the Select
chains button is (1), which means you have specified one chain for the toolpath. The chain
referenced is the one you created in Step 2.
5 In the 2D Toolpaths dialog box:

a Select the Tool page.
b Select the 5/8 FLAT ENDMILL tool.
6 Set the following options:

a Set Feed rate to 120.
b Set Spindle speed to 6000.
c Select Rapid Retract.
7 Select the Cut Parameters page, and then:

a Set Across overlap to 50.
b Set Along overlap to 75.
c Set Max stepover to 50.
d Turn off the Reverse direction of last
pass option.
8 Select the Linking Parameters page, and
then:
a Set Retract to 2.0.
b Set Feed plane to 1.6.
c Set Top of stock to 1.5.
d Set Depth to 1.25.
e Ensure that all values are set to
Absolute.
9 Click OK to finalize your choices.
Mastercam for SolidWorks creates the

toolpath shown in the following picture.
Exercise 4: Backplot and Verify the Facing Toolpath

1 In the Toolpath Manager, click the
Backplot selected operations button.

The Backplot controls display at the
bottom of the graphics area.
2 Click the Play button to watch Mastercam
for SolidWorks backplot the toolpath.
TIP: To increase Backplots speed, drag the Backplot dialog boxs slider to the right.
3 When Backplot finishes, click OK or Cancel
(the red X) to close the Backplot controls.

4 In the Toolpath Manager, click the Verify
selected operations button.

The Verify controls appear.
5 Click the Fast Forward button to start
Verify.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation, as shown in the following
picture.
6 Click the OK or Cancel to close Verify.
Exercise 5: Verifying All of the Toolpaths

1 In the Toolpath Manager, click the Select
all operations button.

Mastercam for SolidWorks places green
check marks on both the Core Mill and
Facing toolpaths.

The Verify controls appear.
Verify.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates both of the cutting operations, as shown in the
following picture.
TIP: To verify the toolpaths more quickly, click the Fast Forward button( ), instead of Play.
Mastercam for SolidWorks then processes the toolpath without updating the screen until the
Verify completes.
4 Click OK or Cancel to close Verify.
Exercise 6: Posting the Toolpath

1 If necessary, click the Mastercam Toolpath
Manager tab to display the Toolpath

Manager.
2 Click the Post selected operations button.
The Post processing dialog box displays.
3 If they are not already selected, select the
NC File and Edit options, and then click

OK.
The Save As dialog box displays.
4 Enter a file name for the NC File, and click
Save.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes all operations and creates the NC file for the part.
Because you selected the Edit option, the NC file displays in Mastercam Editor, as shown in
the following picture.
5 Close Mastercam Editor.

6 Save your work by choosing File, Save
from the SolidWorks menu bar.

7 Choose File, Close to close the file.
LESSON 3
2D Area Mill
Another toolpath used to cut the mold core part is Area Mill, which will cut the pocket using a
smooth, clean motion. In this lesson, you add the Area Mill toolpaths to the part. Note that the part
file you use contains three toolpaths, the two from the previous part file and an Area Clearance
toolpath.
Lesson Goals
Add the Area Mill toolpath.
Exercise 1: Creating the Area Mill Toolpath

1 Choose File, Open, and then load the
2DToolpath02.SLDPRT file, which was
provided with this tutorial.

2 Save the file as
2DToolpath02Tutorial.SLDPRT.
Saving the file under a new name prevents

you from accidentally modifying the
original.
3 In the CommandManager, click the
Mastercam X4 tab.
4 Click 2D High Speed Toolpaths.
The Chain Manager dialog box displays.
5 Right-click on the edge shown in the
picture to the right, and then choose

Select Loop from the menu that appears.
6 If necessary, click the yellow arrow to
switch the selection from the face to the

edge.
Mastercam for SolidWorks chains the
entire selected edge, as shown in the
following picture.
7 Click OK in the Chain Manager dialog box.
In a few moments, the 2D High Speed Toolpath dialog box displays.
2D AREA MILL 25
8 Click Toolpath Type, and select Area Mill.
9 Click Tool, and select the 1/2 FLAT
ENDMILL.
10 Change the Feed rate to 80 and the
Spindle speed to 8000.
11 Click Cut Parameters to display the Cut
Parameters page, and change % of dia. to

40.0.
12 Click Depth Cuts, and then turn off the
Depth Cuts option.

13 Click Linking Parameters, and set the
following (as seen in the next picture):

a Retract to 2.0, Absolute
b Feed plane to 1.5, Absolute
c Top of stock to 1.25, Absolute
d Depth to 1.125, Absolute
14 Click OK to finalize your choices.
Mastercam for SolidWorks generates the toolpath shown below.
2D AREA MILL 27
Exercise 2: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpath


The Backplot controls display at the
bottom of the graphics area.

3 When Backplot finishes, click OK or Cancel
to close the Backplot controls.

The Verify controls display.
Verify.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation, as shown in the following
picture.
Exercise 3: Verifying All of the Toolpaths


Mastercam for SolidWorks places green
check marks on all of the toolpaths.

Verify.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates all of the cutting operations, as shown in the picture
below. The full verification might take several minutes.
TIP: You can click the Stop button at any time to see how far the verification process has
proceeded, and then click Fast Forward to pick up where Verify left off.
2D AREA MILL 29


Manager.

OK.
Save.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes all
operations and creates the NC file for the
part. Because you selected the Edit option,
the NC file displays in Mastercam Editor.

7 Choose File, Close to close the file.
Section 2
3D High Speed Toolpaths
LESSON 1
General Setup - Phone Cradle
As you learned in Section 1, before generating toolpaths for a part, you must prepare Mastercam for
SolidWorks and the part file. Because the exercises in this lesson use a different part than the first
three lessons, you need to set up the new part for your machine. As before, this preparation
includes such tasks as selecting a machine definition and defining a tool plane. Failure to set up the
part correctly will give unpredictable results. This lesson introduces the tutorial part files, as well as
teaches you to set up the parts for toolpathing.
Lesson Goals
Understand the part files.
Select a machine.
Create and set the tool plane.
Define the stock.
About the Phone Cradle Sample Part

Lessons 1 through 3 of this section are based on the PhoneCradle.SLDPRT file, which is included
with the tutorial. The following picture shows the part file as it displays in SolidWorks.
This tutorial covers only a subset of the toolpath types used to machine the part. These toolpath
types are as follows:
Core Roughing
Rest Roughing
Scallop
Waterline
Note: To fully machine the part (shown in the following picture) requires more operations than
are described in this book.
The part files included for the phone cradle portion of the tutorial are:
PhoneCradle01.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 1

PhoneCradle02.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing Lesson 1
PhoneCradleComplete.SLDPRTThe tutorial file after completing all lessons
PhoneCradle.SLDPRTThe phone cradles full SolidWorks drawing, with no toolpaths
GENERAL SETUP - PHONE CRADLE 35
Exercise 1: Selecting Your Machine

Toolpaths are contained in machine groups. For this reason, your part file needs at least one
machine group before you can add a toolpath to the part. Mastercam for SolidWorks automatically
creates a machine group for each machine you select from the Machine Selection menu item. To
see how machine selection works, complete the following exercise.
1 Open the part file
PhoneCradle01.SLDPRT, which was
provided with this tutorial.
2 Save the part under the name

PhoneCradleTutorial.SLDPRT.
3 Optional: If you want to use a machine
definition other than the default:

a From the Mastercam X4 menu, choose
Machine Selection, and then select

your machine from the submenu.
machine group for the selected
machine.
TIP: To customize the Machine Selection list, choose Mastercam X4, Machine Selection,
Manage List. For more information on the dialog box that displays, click the dialog boxs
Help button (
).
b Click the Mastercam Toolpath

Manager.
c Right-click Machine Group-1, and
select Groups, Delete from the pop-up

menu.
old machine group, leaving only the
one you created.
Exercise 2: Defining the Tool Plane

Mastercam for SolidWorks uses planes to determine the orientation of the toolpaths it creates. The
following exercise shows one way to define the tool plane for a part.
1 On the SolidWorks CommandManager,
select the Mastercam X4 tab.

Commands specific to Mastercam for
SolidWorks display in the
CommandManager.
2 Click View Manager.
The View Manager dialog box displays.
3 Click the Geometry button.
View Manager minimizes to uncover the

SolidWorks graphics area.
4 Click the upper surface of the parts
rectangular base.
The selected face highlights, and its default
name, Face<1>, displays in the Define
View with geometry dialog box.
5 Click OK (the green check) to finalize your
selection.
The View Manager redisplays.
6 In View Manager, right-click NEW VIEW
#1, and select Rename from the pop-up

menu.
7 Type MACHINE, and press [Enter].
You now have a user-defined plane named

MACHINE.
8 With the MACHINE plane selected, click
the Set your current tool plane and origin

to the selected view button.
Mastercam for SolidWorks aligns your tool
plane to the MACHINE plane.
9 Select the Enable origin option, if
necessary, and then click the Select a new

origin for the selected view button.
The View Manager minimizes to uncover
the SolidWorks graphics area.
10 Click the bottom left corner of the parts
base, and then click OK in the Selection

dialog box to finalize your choice.
Mastercam for SolidWorks places the
origin at the selected point.
11 Click the View Managers OK button.
You have now defined your parts tool

plane.
Exercise 3: Defining the Stock

Before Mastercam for SolidWorks can generate toolpaths, it must know the dimensions and
orientation of the stock from which your part will be cut. The following exercise shows how to set up
the stock for your part.
1 In the SolidWorks FeaturesManager, click
the Mastercam Toolpath Manager tab.

The Toolpath Manager displays.
2 In your machine groups properties, select
Stock setup. (If necessary, display Stock

setup by clicking the + next to the
Properties icon.)
The Stock Setup dialog box displays.
3 Click All Entities and then OK.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes the parts geometry and creates stock of the
appropriate size, as shown in the following picture.
4 Click OK, and save your work by choosing
File, Save from the SolidWorks menu bar.
LESSON 2
The Core Roughing Toolpath
In this lesson, you program the roughing toolpath that removes the majority of the material from
the phone cradle. Because the feature to cut is a dome-shaped core, and because the tool can
approach the feature from the outside, you will create an HST Core Roughing toolpath to rough out
the part. The following picture shows the Core Roughing toolpath being cut on a Makino vertical
machining center.
Lesson Goals
Set a containment boundary.
Set toolpath parameters.
Generate the toolpath.
Backplot and Verify the toolpath.
Post the toolpath.
Exercise 1: Creating the Toolpath

1 If necessary, load the file
PhoneCradleTutorial.SLDPRT that you
saved at the end of the previous lesson.
Alternatively, you can start this lesson with

the file PhoneCradle02.SLDPRT.
CAUTION: The steps in this exercise describe only the key settings required to create the
Core Roughing toolpath for the phone cradle part. Your toolpath settings might vary
depending on your selected parameters, including machine definition, tooling, material,
toolpath type, surface finish requirement, and cycle time requirement. For this reason, as
you work through this exercise, review all settings in each dialog box to ensure that the
settings are correct for your situation.
2 If necessary, click the Mastercam X4 tab to
show the Mastercam CommandManager.
3 In the CommandManager, click Surface
High Speed Toolpaths.

The Enter new NC name dialog box
displays.
Note: If you are asked to try the Toolpath
Refinement feature, select Suppress this
feature and OK.
4 Type a name for the toolpaths NC file, and
click OK.
In a few moments, the Surface High Speed
Toolpaths dialog box displays.
5 On the Toolpath Type page, select Core
Roughing.
THE CORE ROUGHING TOOLPATH 43
6 Click the Select containment boundaries
button.
The dialog box minimizes to uncover the
7 To create the containment boundary:

a Right-click the edge shown highlighted
in the image to the right.

b Choose Select Loop from the menu
that displays.
Mastercam for SolidWorks highlights all
four edges of the upper rectangle.
8 Finalize your choice by clicking OK in the
Selection dialog box.

Mastercam for SolidWorks sets the selected
geometry as the toolpaths containment
boundary.
9 Select the dialog boxs Tool page, and click
Select library tool.

The Tool Selection dialog box displays.
10 Select a 3/4 flat endmill.
11 Set Feed rate to 80 and Spindle speed to
2000.
12 Select the Cut Parameters page, choose
the Add cuts option, and then enter a

Stepdown of 0.125, a Min stepdown of
0.0125, and a Max profile stepover of
0.375.
13 Set the stock to leave on walls and floors to
0.05
14 Select the Arc Filter/Tolerance page, and
set Filter ratio to 2:1. Make sure that Filter

tolerance is 0.001333, Cut tolerance is
0.000667, and Total tolerance is 0.002.
15 Click OK.
Mastercam for SolidWorks generates the

Core Roughing toolpath. (It might take a
minute or so.)
Exercise 2: Backplotting and Verifying the toolpath


The Backplot controls display in the
PropertyManager.

TIP: To increase Backplots speed, drag the
Backplot dialog boxs slider to the right.
3 When Backplot finishes, click the OK or
Cancel (the red X) to close the Backplot

controls.

Verify.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation as shown in the following
picture.


Manager.

OK.
Save.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes all operations and creates the NC file for the part.
Because you selected the Edit option, the NC file displays in Mastercam Editor, as shown in
the following picture.

LESSON 3
The Rest Roughing Toolpath
Before you apply the finishing toolpath, the part needs further roughing. The Rest Roughing
toolpath is a good choice, because it removes only stock remaining from previous toolpaths, rather
than cutting the entire part. Here, you program the Rest Roughing toolpath that will smooth out the
surface of the main phone cradle. The following picture shows the toolpath being cut on a Makino
vertical machining center.
Lesson Goals
Create a containment boundary from construction geometry.
Set the toolpath parameters.
Generate the Rest Roughing toolpath.
Backplot and Verify the toolpaths.

Rest Roughing toolpath for the phone cradle part. Your toolpath settings might vary
depending on your selected parameters, including machine definition, tooling, material,
toolpath type, surface finish requirement, and cycle time requirement. For this reason, as
you work through this exercise, review all settings in each dialog box to ensure that the
settings are correct for your machine.


2 Hide previously generated toolpaths:
a Display the Toolpath Manager, by
clicking the Mastercam Toolpath

Manager tab.
b Click the Select all operations button.
c Click the Toggle toolpath display on

3 Click the Mastercam X4 tab to display the
Mastercam CommandManager.
4 In the CommandManager, click Surface
High Speed Toolpaths.

In a few moments, the Surface High Speed
Toolpaths dialog box displays.
5 On the Toolpath Type page, select Rest
Roughing.
button.
THE REST ROUGHING TOOLPATH 51
7 If necessary, click the plus mark in the
upper left corner of the graphics area to

display the flyout design tree.
8 In the design tree, select Sketch6.
SolidWorks highlights Sketch6 on the

screen, and Sketch6 displays in the
selection box.
9 Click OK to finalize your selection.
You have now defined a containment

boundary for this toolpath.
10 Select the Tool page, and choose the 3/4
flat endmill.
11 Also on the Tool page, set Feed rate to 80
and Spindle speed to 2000.
12 Select the Cut Parameters page, ensure
that Add cuts is still selected, and then

enter 0.03 for Stepdown, a Min stepdown
of 0.003, and a Max profile stepover of
0.375.
0.02
14 To set how to compute the remaining
stock:
a Select the Rest Material page
b Select the One other operation option
c Choose the Core Roughing operation,
as shown below.
make sure that Filter ratio is still set to 2:1,

and that the other values are still set as
shown in the image to the right.
16 Click OK.

Rest Roughing toolpath. (It might take a
minute or two.)


PropertyManager.
2 Click the Play button to watch a backplot
of the toolpath.
3 Click OK or Cancel to close the Backplot
controls.
all operations button and then the Verify

The Verify controls appear in the
PropertyManager.
5 Click the Fast Forward button to start the
Verify function.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the
cutting operation. The first picture
following shows the result. The second
picture following shows the part after Rest
Roughing has been completed.
TIP: To turn off the animated display, and so get to the results quicker, click the Fast
Forward button in the Verify dialog box. Verify might still take a while to complete, but not as
long as it would take if Mastercam for SolidWorks needed to concurrently update the
display.
6 Click OK or Cancel to close the Verify
dialog box.
LESSON 4
The Scallop Toolpath
With the roughing complete, its time to apply a finishing toolpath to the phone cradles surface.
The high speed Scallop toolpath uses a 3D stepover distance that is measured along the surface,
instead of parallel to the tool plane. This ensures a consistent scallop height, regardless of the
surface direction. In this lesson, you create a Scallop toolpath to finish the surface of the main
phone cradle. The following picture shows the toolpath being cut on a Makino vertical machining
center.
Lesson Goals
Set Scallop toolpath parameters.
Generate a Scallop toolpath.
Backplot the toolpath.
Verify the toolpath.

Scallop toolpath for the phone cradle part. Your toolpath settings might vary depending on
your selected parameters, including machine definition, tooling, material, toolpath type,
surface finish requirement, and cycle time requirement. For this reason, as you work
through this exercise, review all settings in each dialog box to ensure that the settings are
correct for your situation.


Manager tab.
selected operations button twice.

3 Click the Mastercam X4 tab to display the
4 Click Surface High Speed Toolpaths in the
CommandManager.
The Surface High Speed Toolpaths dialog
box displays.
THE SCALLOP TOOLPATH 59
5 On the Toolpath Type page, select the
Finishing option, and then choose Scallop.
button.
7 If necessary, click the plus mark in the
upper left corner of the graphics area to

display the flyout design tree.
8 In the design tree, select Top TCB.
SolidWorks highlights the Top TCB

geometry on the screen, and Top TCB
displays in the selection box.
9 Click OK to finalize your selection.
You have now specified a containment

boundary for the Scallop toolpath.
10 On the dialog boxs Tool page, click the
Select library tool button.

The Tool Selection dialog box displays.
11 Click the 3/32 ball endmill, and click OK.
13 Select the Cut Parameters page, and enter
a Stepover of 0.005. Make sure that

Scallop height is 0.000067.
0.0.
15 Select the Steep/Shallow page, and set
From to 0.0 and To to 60.
then set Filter ratio to Off and Total

tolerance to 0.001.
17 Click OK.

Scallop toolpath. (It might take several
minutes.)


PropertyManager.
of the toolpath.
controls.
4 In the Toolpath Manager, click Select all
operations and then Verify selected

operations.
PropertyManager.
Verify function.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation for all the toolpaths. The first
picture following shows Verify in progress, whereas the second picture following shows the
completed cut on the actual part.
dialog box.
LESSON 5
The Waterline Toolpath
The last toolpath covered in the phone cradle tutorial finishes the wall areas of the part. Due to the
angles involved, which can be constrained to between 30 and 90 degrees, a Waterline toolpath is
appropriate. Waterline toolpaths are similar to finish contour toolpaths, but use Mastercam's high
speed toolpath techniques for a smoother, more efficient tool motion. In this lesson, you generate
the Waterline toolpath for the phone cradle part.
Lesson Goals
Set Waterline toolpath parameters.
Generate a Waterline toolpath.
Backplot the Waterline toolpath.
Verify the Waterline toolpath.
Exercise 1: Creating the Waterline Toolpath

Waterline toolpath for the phone cradle part. Your toolpath settings might vary depending
on your selected parameters, including machine definition, tooling, material, toolpath type,
surface finish requirement, and cycle time requirement. For this reason, as you work
through this exercise, review all settings in each dialog box to ensure that the settings are
correct for your situation.


Manager tab.
selected operations button twice.
3 Click the Mastercam tab to display the
4 Click Surface High Speed Toolpaths in the
CommandManager.
The Surface High Speed Toolpaths dialog
box displays.
5 On the Toolpath Type page, select the
Finishing option, and then choose

Waterline.
button.
7 If necessary, display the flyout design tree
by clicking the plus mark in the upper left

corner of the graphics area.
8 In the design tree, select Wall TCB Upper
and Wall TCB Lower.

SolidWorks highlights the selected
geometry and displays Wall TCB Upper
and Wall TCB Lower in the selection box.
THE WATERLINE TOOLPATH 67
TIP: If SolidWorks ignores your second

selection, click on the screen away from the
flyout list, and then try the second selection
again.
9 Click OK to finalize your selections.
You have now specified containment

boundaries for the Waterline toolpath.
10 Go to the dialog boxs Tool page, and
choose the 3/32 ball endmill.
12 On the Cut Parameters page, ensure that
Add cuts is still selected, and then enter a

Stepdown of 0.005, a Min stepdown of
0.0005, and a Max profile stepover of
0.046875.
0.0.
14 Select the Steep/Shallow page, and set the
From value to 30 and the To value to 90.
15 On the Arc Filter/Tolerance page, make
sure that Total tolerance is 0.001.
16 Click OK.

Waterline toolpath. (It might take several
minutes.)


PropertyManager.
of the toolpath.
controls.
all operations and Verify selected

operations button.
PropertyManager.
THE WATERLINE TOOLPATH 69
Verify function.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the
cutting operation.
dialog box.
Section 3
FBM Toolpaths
LESSON 1
FBM Mill
About the FBM Sample Part

Lessons 1 and 2 of this section introduce the Feature-Based Machining (FBM) functions in
Mastercam for SolidWorks. The following picture shows the part file as it displays in SolidWorks.
The part files included for the FBM portion of the tutorial are:
FBMPart01.SLDPRTThe file for starting the FBM section of the tutorial

FBMPart02.SLDPRTThe file after completing Lesson 1
FBMPartComplete.SLDPRTThe FBM tutorial file after completing Lessons 1 and 2
FBM Mill is a powerful feature-based machining (FBM) strategy that analyzes a solid part, detects
all machining features in a specified plane, and generates the 2D milling toolpaths needed to
machine the detected features. In this lesson, you use FBM Mill to generate toolpaths for the part
shown in the following picture. The goal is to generate toolpaths for the following operations:
Facing the top surface

Contouring the parts outside edges
Cutting the main pocket
Cutting the slots in the main pocket
Cutting the two large holes in the main pocket
Lesson Goals
Set up a machine group.
Define the parts stock.
Generate FBM Mill toolpaths.
Modify FBM Mill parameters.
Backplot and Verify the toolpaths.
Exercise 1: Set Up
1 Load the part file FBMPart01.SLDPRT,
which was supplied with this tutorial

2 So that you do not overwrite the original
during this tutorial, save the file as

FBMPartTutorial.SLDPRT.
3 Optional: If you want to use a machine
definition other than the default:

a From the Mastercam X4 menu, choose
Machine Selection, and then select

your machine from the submenu.
machine group for the selected
machine.
b Click the Mastercam Toolpath

Manager.
FBM MILL 75
c Right-click Machine Group-1, and
select Groups, Delete from the pop-up

menu.
old machine group, leaving only the
one you created.
Exercise 2: Defining the Stock

FBM Mill requires that you set up stock for the part. The following exercise shows how to complete
this task.
1 In the SolidWorks FeaturesManager, click
the Mastercam Toolpath Manager tab.

The Toolpath Manager displays.
2 In your machine groups properties, select
Stock setup. (If necessary, display Stock

setup by clicking the + next to the
Properties icon.)
The Stock Setup dialog box displays.
3 Click All Entities.
Mastercam for SolidWorks analyzes the

parts geometry and creates stock of the
same size as the parts geometry.
4 Change the X, Y, and Z dimensions to 102,
152, and 27, respectively.

Now you have extra stock for a facing
operation and to cut the outside contour.
5 Change the Z coordinate of the stock origin
to 2.
This change takes all of the extra stock that
is normal to the Z axis and places it above
the parts front face, which is the tool
plane.
6 Click OK.
The Stock Setup dialog box closes, and

Mastercam for SolidWorks displays the
stock as dashed red lines.
Exercise 3: Creating the Mill Toolpaths

click FBM Mill.

The FBM Toolpaths - Mill dialog box
displays.
2 Select the Setup page.
FBM MILL 77
3 Select Rough outside of part and Finish
outside of part.
FBM Mill will now create rough and finish
toolpaths for the outside edges of the part.
4 Deselect the Create as needed option.
Now FBM Mill can only use tools from the

library selected in the Tool library box.
5 Click the Detect button.
FBM Mill analyzes the part to identify

features to machine, and then displays the
detected features in the Features page.
6 Click OK to generate toolpaths for the
detected features.
The Enter new NC name dialog box
displays.
7 Type a name for the NC file, and click OK.
FBM Mill generates all of the 2D operations needed to machine the detected features, as
shown in the following picture.
Exercise 4: Customizing the Toolpaths

Notice that FBM Mill identified the largest hole as a feature to cut, but missed the smaller, 20mm
hole. In this exercise, you change the FBM Mill parameters to include the smaller hole.
1 In the Toolpath Manager, click the FBM
Mill Parameters icon.

The FBM Toolpaths - Mill dialog box
displays.
2 Select the Feature detection page.
FBM MILL 79
3 Change the Recognize holes greater than
this diameter as features setting to 10.

The value of 10 ensures that FBM
generates a toolpath for the 20mm hole
that is located inside the pocket.
FBM Mill reanalyzes the part to identify

features to machine and then displays the
features in the Features page. Notice the
new Zone 5 operation, which is the 20mm
hole.
5 Click OK.
The dialog box closes, and Mastercam for

SolidWorks marks the FBM Mill operation
as dirty.
6 Click the Regenerate all dirty operations
button.
FBM Mill regenerates the toolpaths, this time including the smaller hole as a detected
feature, as shown in the following picture.
Exercise 5: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpaths

2 Click the Backplot selected operations
button.
PropertyManager.
of the toolpaths.
controls.
FBM MILL 81
5 Click Verify selected operations.

PropertyManager.
Verify function.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation. The following picture shows
the results.
dialog box.
LESSON 2
FBM Drill
FBM Drill is a feature-based machining (FBM) strategy that can detect holes in a solid and
automatically generate a complete series of drill operations for the selected features. With FBM
Drill you can:
Detect holes in a solid using specified criteria.

Review the detected features list and edit or delete features.
Preview toolpath operations and make additional changes before they are generated.
Automatically generate a complete series of drill operations for the selected features.
In this lesson, you use FBM Drill to generate toolpaths to drill the holes indicated in the following
picture.
Lesson Goals
Generate FBM Drill toolpaths.
Adjust feature detection.
Customize FBM Drill toolpaths.
Exercise 1: Creating the Drill Toolpaths

1 If necessary, load the part file
FBMPartTutorial.SLDPRT that you

the file FBMPart02.SLDPRT.
click FBM Drill.

The FBM Toolpaths - Drill dialog box
displays.
FBM Drill analyzes the part and displays a set of operations for all detected holes, as shown
in the following picture. Notice that the 20mm hole, which was toolpathed by FBM Mill in
the previous lesson, is in the list.
FBM DRILL 85
4 Select the Hole Detection page.
5 Set the Minimum diameter and Maximum
diameter settings to 0.5 and10.0,

respectively.
Reducing Maximum diameter to 10
ensures that FBM Drill does not generate a
toolpath for the 20mm hole.
6 Click the Detect button again.
FBM Drill uses the new parameters to

reanalyze the part. The 20mm hole no
longer appears in the feature list.
7 Click OK.
FBM Drill generates the drilling toolpaths

and adds them to the mill toolpaths that
FBM Mill generated in the previous lesson.
8 To hide the FBM Mill toolpaths so that you
can see the drill toolpaths more clearly:

a Select the FBM Mill toolpaths by
clicking FBM Mill-FRONT in the

Toolpath Manager.
Mastercam for SolidWorks selects the
entire toolpath group and deselects all
others.
b Click the Toggle toolpath display on

FBM Mill toolpaths from the display,
leaving only the unselected FBM Drill
operations, as shown in the following
picture.
Exercise 2: Customizing the FBM Drill Toolpaths

Suppose now that you decide that the 8mm holes should be counterbored instead of just drilled.
You can adjust the parameters for the drilling operations to get the results you want. This exercise
shows you how.
1 Click the minus sign to the left of FBM
Mill-FRONT in the Toolpath Manager.

Mastercam for SolidWorks collapses the
mill toolpaths to remove them from view.
2 Click the FBM Drill Parameters icon.
The FBM Toolpaths - Drill dialog box

displays.
FBM DRILL 87
3 On the Features page, choose the Select
common features option.

You can now select entire groups of similar
features with a single mouse click.
4 In the features list, click one of the 8mm
holes.
FBM Drill automatically selects all four of
the 8mm holes.
5 In the Hole type column, right-click one of
the 8mm holes, and select Hole type,

Counter bore from the pop-up menu.
FBM Drill changes the hole type for all four
8mm holes.
6 Click OK to dismiss the dialog box.
Mastercam for SolidWorks marks the FBM

Drill operations as dirty.
7 Click Regenerate all dirty operations.
FBM Drill regenerates the toolpaths based

on the new parameters.
Exercise 3: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpaths

1 In the Toolpath Manager, click Select all
operations and Backplot selected

operations.
The backplot controls display in the
PropertyManager.
of the toolpaths.
controls.

PropertyManager.
Verify function.
Mastercam for SolidWorks simulates the cutting operation. The following picture shows
the results.
FBM DRILL 89
dialog box.
7 Save the file.
671 Old Post Road

Tolland, CT 06084 USA
www.mastercam.com
X4-SW-PDF-Tutor
Mastercam is a registered trademark of CNC Software, Inc. Copyright 1983-2009. All rights
reserved. SolidWorks is a registered trademark of DS SolidWorks Corporation.
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TUTORIAL

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II MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

Mastercam for SolidWorks X4 - Mastercam for SolidWorks Tutorial

Tutorial Goals ...................................................................................2

Lesson Goals ....................................................................................7

2. The 2D Facing Toolpath ...........................................

Lesson Goals ..................................................................................11

3. 2D Area Mill .............................................................

Lesson Goals ..................................................................................23

IV MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

3D High Speed Toolpaths........................................................ 31

Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 33

2. The Core Roughing Toolpath..................................... 41

Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 41

3. The Rest Roughing Toolpath ..................................... 49

Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 49

4. The Scallop Toolpath ................................................ 57

Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 57

5. The Waterline Toolpath ............................................ 65

Lesson Goals ................................................................................. 65

FBM Toolpaths ................................................................................ 71

About the FBM Sample Part ........................................................ 73

Exercise 5: Backplotting and Verifying the Toolpaths ............. 80

2. FBM Drill ..................................................................

Lesson Goals ..................................................................................83

VI MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

Mastercam X4 for SolidWorks provides Mastercam X4 CAM functionality within SolidWorks.

3D high speed (HST) toolpaths

2 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

Before You Begin

General Tutorial Requirements

You must be comfortable using the Windows operating system.

Preparing for the Tutorial

1 Start SolidWorks using your preferred

Double-click the SolidWorks

Launch SolidWorks from the

Mastercam menu. If you do not have the

If You Need More Help

that opens Mastercam

4 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

6 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

General Setup - Mold Core

About the Mold Core Part

8 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

2DToolpath01.SLDPRTThe tutorial file for starting Lesson 1

Exercise 1: Selecting Your Machine

which was provided with this tutorial.

2 Save the part under the name

Saving the part under a new name helps

3 From the Mastercam X4 menu, choose

Machine Selection, and then select your

GENERAL SETUP - MOLD CORE 9

the Mastercam Toolpath Manager tab to

5 Click the 2D High Speed (2D Core Mill)

operation to select it.

6 Right-click the selected toolpath, and

choose Cut from the menu that displays.

7 Click the toolpath group in your new

10 MASTERCAM FOR SOLIDWORKS TUTORIAL

8 Right-click the selected toolpath group,

and choose Paste from the menu that

Groups, Delete from the pop-up menu.