QUICK REFERENCE CARD

Icon Function
Analyze entities

Keyboard Shortcut

Icon Function

F4

Keyboard Shortcut

Mastercam version, SIM serial number

Alt+V

AutoSave Alt+A

Motion controller rotation point

C-Hook or user app

Alt+C

Pan

Configure Mastercam

Alt+F8

Paste from clipboard

Ctrl+V

Copy to clipboard

Ctrl+C

Previous view

Alt+P

Cut to clipboard

Ctrl+X

Redo an event that has been undone

Ctrl+Y

Delete entities

F5

Alt+F12
Arrow keys

Regenerate screen

Shift+Ctrl+R

Drafting global options

Alt+D

Repaint F3

Exit Mastercam

Alt+F4

Rotate

Fit geometry to screen

Alt+F1

Select all

Ctrl+A

GviewBack Alt+3

Selection grid options

Alt+G

GviewBottom Alt+4

Shading on/off

Alt+S

GviewFront Alt+2

Show/hide all axes (WCS, Cplane, Tplane)

Alt+F9

GviewIsometric Alt+7

Show/hide coordinate axes

GviewLeft Alt+6

Show/hide displayed toolpaths

Alt+T

GviewPrevious

Show/hide Operations Manager pane

Alt+O

Alt+P

Alt+Arrow keys

F9

GviewRight Alt+5

Undo the last creation or event

GviewTop Alt+1

Unzoom to 80% of original

Help Alt+H

Unzoom to previous or 50% of original

Hide entities

Alt+E

Zoom around target point

Level Manager

Alt+Z

Zoom with window selection

Main attributes, set from entity Alt+X

Zoom/unzoom by 5%

Alt+U, Ctrl+U, Ctrl+Z

Alt+F2
F2
Ctrl+F1
F1
Page Up, Page Down

Customizing Mastercam
Create your own keyboard shortcuts.
Choose Settings > Key mapping.
Save sets of shortcuts to different key map files
(.KMP).
Open .KMP files in any text editor.

Customize the right-click menu.

Choose Settings > Customize > Dropdowns/
Right mouse button to
add your own functions
(.MTB file).

Change toolbar layouts.

Choose Settings > Customize.
Name sets of toolbars and save them to different
toolbar files (.MTB).
Choose Toolbar States to hide or display toolbars.

Use drop-down menus.

Choose Settings >
Customize > Dropdowns tab to add dropdown menus to toolbars.

AutoCursor

FastPoint mode. Type the coordinate

position and press [Enter].

AutoCursor is automatically activated whenever you need to

specify a location in the graphics windowfor example, when
creating geometry. Use AutoCursor to snap to geometry
positions, to sketch points in space, or to type coordinate
positions.

AutoCursor settings. Set the kinds of

locations you want to snap to, and activate
power key shortcuts for selection modes.
AutoCursor Tips
Press [Spacebar] to enter
FastPoint mode.
Hold [Ctrl] to temporarily
release all snap settings
and free-sketch point
locations.
[Shift+click] a location to
enter relative coordinates.
Right-click a selection
option to lock it as the
selection mode. Press [Esc]
to unlock.
Double-click AutoCursor
to undock it, or drag it
anywhere in the window.
If you close AutoCursor,
Mastercam automatically
displays it again when it is
needed.

To select a single
location based
on part geometry,
choose the type
of location from
the drop-down list,
and then click on
the entity in the
graphics window.

AutoCursor Visual Cues

AutoCursor uses the icons at left to tell you
the type of location it is snapping to.
Data Entry Shortcuts
Built-in calculator
Fields that take number values have a built-in calculator. Enter formulas
or mathematical expressions; Mastercam will use the result.
Automatic inch/metric conversion
In inch mode, type a metric value followed by mm, cm, or m; Mastercam
will convert it. In metric mode, follow an inch measurement with in or ft to
convert it.
Reading values from geometry
Mastercam can read dimensions, coordinate positions, and other
values directly from geometry in the graphics window.
Right-click in the field or type ? to see the complete list of shortcuts.
Select a shortcut from the menu or type the hot key.
Type X, Y, Z, press [Tab] or [Enter], select point.
Dynamic Gnomon
Displayed with certain functions
(Dynamic Plane, Dynamic Xform)
to orient entities or planes in the
graphics window. Select specific
positions on the gnomon to control
function.

1 Origin - Place the axis origin; translate XYZ/polar.

2 First leg Move/translate along the selected axis.
3 Axis label (X, Y, Z) X rotates about Y; Y and Z
rotate about X.
4 Second leg Z rotates about Y; X and Y rotate
about Z.
5 Axis arrowhead Align axis with existing geometry.

Selecting Geometry
Use the General Selection ribbon bar to select or pre-select geometry.
Selection masks.
Set selection
criteria: Only the
entities that match,
or All matching
entities.

Invert selection.
Toggle
between selected or
unselected entities.

Standard selection.
Click an entity to select
it or drag a selection window.
[Shift+click] to select a chain.
[Shift+click] again to end a
partial chain. [Alt+click]
to drag a selection vector.

Selecting multiple entities

Solid selection. Activates

solid selection mode. Select
edges, faces, or solid bodies.
Choose Select from back to select
hidden edges or faces.

Use these tools in all selection modes:

Chain. Select entities that form

a chain.

Select last. Reselect selections

from the previous operation.

Window. Drag a rectangle to

select all the entities inside it.
Choose how boundary entities
are included.

Verify selection. When many

entities are close together, highlight
one after another. Click when the
one you want is displayed.

Polygon. Draw an irregular shape and choose boundary options.

Cancel selection. Unselect all

entities.

Single. Select one entity at a time.

End selection. Accept selection.

Area selection. Select entities inside a closed boundary.

Vector. Drag a line to select all entities that intersect it. Create a
compound vector by clicking each corner; double-click when done.
Quick Masks
Use Quick Masks (QM) to mask by entity type:
By default, QM functions are docked vertically to
the right of the graphics window.

QM Points

QM Splines

QM Lines

QM Surface Curves

QM Arcs

QM Surfaces

Left-click a QM function to toggle selection of all

matching entities.

QM Level

QM Drafting

QM Solids

Right-click a QM function to allow selection of only

matching entities. Right-click again to clear the list.

QM Results

Clear Masking

QM Wireframe

QM Group

Invert

QM Color

Chaining Geometry
Enable dynamic start and end point selection.
1 Chain wireframe geometry.
2 Chain solid edges or faces.
3 C-plane - Chain entities in the
same plane as first chained entity.
3D - Manually select when multiple
entities share an endpoint.
4 Select all continuous entities.
5 Chain all entities inside window.
6 Create a chain from a single entity.
7 Chain all entities intersecting a
vector (simple or compound).
8 Chain a single point.
9 Chain all entities inside a closed
boundary.

10 Draw polygon and chain all entities

inside.
11 Partial chaining. Select first and last
entity to chain everything in between.
12 Re-select chain from previous
operation.
13 End current chain and begin another.
(Only used in certain modes.)
14 Cancel selection, one chain at a time.
15 Reverse chain direction.
16 Set attributes for feature chaining.
17 Chain features with specified attributes.
18 Access advanced options and
settings.

3
4
5

10
11

12
14
16
18

13

15
17

Backplot
Use Backplot to examine individual tool moves.
Click the button in the Toolpath Manager toolbar to backplot toolpaths.
Conditional stops pause at a predetermined step,
coordinate position, tool change, or new operation.

Play toolpath continuously, or stop/pause.

Advance/rewind toolpath to next conditional
stop.
Advance/rewind toolpath to next step or move.

Slide the bar to advance the toolpath. Click a location to

jump to that tool position. Click the slider to activate the
mouse wheel for advance and rewind.

Display entire toolpath at once.

Colored areas show tool changes.

Display one move at a time.

White bars indicate new operations.

Drag to control playback speed

Hot keys
S Step forward one move at a time.
B Move back one move.
R Toggle continuous run mode.
P Go back to previous stop.
N Advance to next stop.

Black tic marks indicate conditional stops.

Toolpath information (on expanded dialog box)

Click this tab to see information about the current toolpath
move. See the type of move, coordinates, feed rate, and
cutter compensation direction (for comp in control).
Click this tab to see cycle time and path length for the
toolpaths or segments currently backplotting.
Click the
button to save the displayed toolpath as geometry. Click
the button to save the tool geometry. You are prompted to select a
level, so the backplot entities will be separate from the part geometry.

Solids Manager
The Solids Manager lists each solid body in the current part file. Expand the solid body to see the solid
operations used to create it and the toolpath operations that machine it. Click an operation to select it.
Mastercam highlights the feature in your part model.
Click Parameters to edit the operation settings.
Click Geometry to reselect the geometry.

Right-click a solid body to change its color or other

attributes, check it for errors, or create a duplicate.
Solid operations that have been changed need to
be regenerated.

When you create new solid operations, Mastercam

inserts them before the Stop Op icon.
Drag the Stop Op icon to prevent regenerating
operations following it.
Regenerate regenerates all invalid operations.

Art Manager
The Art Manager lists all Art operations in the current part file. The Toolpath Manager lists Art toolpaths.

Operations Manager
The Toolpath, Solids, and Art Managers share the Operations Manager pane on the left side of your
window. Use them to review, edit, and manage toolpath, solid, and Art operations. Drag the right border to
resize it, or click and drag the Operations Manager title bar to undock it anywhere on your desktop. Press
[Alt+O] to hide it completely. Most functions will work on multiple operations if more than one is selected.
Toolpath Manager
The Toolpath Manager lists all toolpath operations in the current part file, grouped by machine definition.
Select all operations.
Select all invalid operations, which must be regenerated before
posting.
Regenerate all selected operations.
Regenerate all invalid operations, whether or not they have been
selected.
Backplot selected operations, or click the icon in the operation list to
backplot a single operation. Shows tool movements and positions.
Verify the selected operations; shows the stock model.
Post selected operations.
Highfeed machining; optimize for machine dynamics and constant
chip load.
Start a new operations list; delete all operations and tools from the
part file.
Lock the operation from changes. Edit geometry but protect the
toolpath from changing.
Toggle selected toolpath display in the graphics window.
Disable selected toolpath posting.
Display toolpaths only when selected.
Display only the geometry associated with the selected toolpaths.
Working with geometry
Click the Geometry icon to edit
or reselect geometry for an
operation, or drag it to another
operation.
Using the insertion point
The insertion point shows where
the next operation will be placed,
which also determines the active
machine and control definition.
Move insertion point up
or down.
Position insertion point
immediately after the currently
selected operation.
Automatically scroll Toolpath
Manager so that the insertion
point is visible.

Toolpath uses surfaces or

wireframe geometry.

Right-click menu

Toolpath uses solids or surfaces.

Select drive/check surfaces,
start points, and containment
boundaries.

Select operations that match

criteria, such as the same tool.

Hot keys

E Expand or collapse all operations.

L Lock or unlock selected
operations.

P Toggle posting on selected

operations.
T Toggle toolpath display for
selected operations.
[Ctrl+X], [Ctrl+C] Cut or copy
selected operations.
[Ctrl+V] Paste operations at the
insertion point.

Create new machine and

toolpath groups.

Sort or renumber operations and

tools.
Display options customize
operations and properties.
Recalculate/update feeds and
speeds.
Import/export library operations.
Post batch jobs.
Create job setup sheets.
Run collision/gouge check
utilities.

Mastercam is a registered trademark of CNC Software, Inc. Copyright 2010 CNC Software, Inc. All rights reserved. September 2010 X5-Quick Reference Card