Table of Contents

1 Introduction………………………………………………………………. 1
Hardware requirements ……………………………………………………………… 2
Compatibility with other Mastercam products…………………………….. 3
If you need more help ………………………………………………………………… 3
Resellers ……………………………………………………………………………… 4
Technical support………………………………………………………………………. 4
Additional resources………………………………………………………………….. 6
2 Mastercam X2 Art Overview……………………………………….. 7
Frequently asked questions……………………………………………………….. 8
Mastercam X2 Art terminology …………………………………………………… 9
The Mastercam Art process ……………………………………………………… 12
2D Art to 3D Surface…a short example …………………………………….. 16
Basic features………………………………………………………………………….. 17
New toolpaths for Art surfaces…………………………………………………. 24
What’s Next ……………………………………………………………………………. 26
3 Mastercam X2 Art Quick Start ………………………………….. 27
Parts used in the tutorial examples…………………………………………… 27
Geometry sources and creation ……………………………………………….. 28
Exercise 1 – Starting Mastercam X2 Art ……………………………………. 30
Exercise 2 – Starting the design process ………………………………….. 31
Exercise 3 – Creating the base surface …………………………………….. 33
Exercise 4 – Creating an organic surface operation ………………….. 35
Exercise 5 – Viewing options……………………………………………………. 39
Exercise 6 – Saving the file ………………………………………………………. 47
Exercise 7 – Creating an elliptical organic surface ……………………. 48
Exercise 8 – Creating multiple surfaces ……………………………………. 51
Exercise 9 – Creating swept surfaces……………………………………….. 57
Exercise 10 – Challenge …………………………………………………………… 61
4 Introduction to Mastercam X2 Art …………………………….. 63
Exercise 1 – Exploring Mastercam X2……………………………………….. 64
Exercise 2 – Starting Mastercam X2 Art ……………………………………. 71
Exercise 3 – Opening a file……………………………………………………….. 72
Exercise 4 – Creating an Art base surface ………………………………… 74
Exercise 5 – Creating an organic surface………………………………….. 78
Exercise 6 – Saving the file ………………………………………………………. 88
Exercise 7 – Exploring Art base surface parameters …………………. 89
Exercise 8 – Exploring organic surface parameters ………………….. 95
Exercise 9 – Challenge …………………………………………………………… 104
5 Machining and Verifying Organic Surfaces……………… 105
Exercise 1 – Opening a saved file……………………………………………. 107
Exercise 2 – Selecting the machine type …………………………………. 108
Machine type and machine definition ……………………………………… 108
Machine group properties ………………………………………………………. 109
Exercise 3 – Defining the stock boundary……………………………….. 115
Exercise 4 – Changing levels and views………………………………….. 120
Exercise 5 – Creating the medallion toolpath ………………………….. 122
Exercise 6 – Creating a contour toolpath ………………………………… 135
Exercise 7 – Simulating machining (Verify)……………………………… 140
Exercise 8 – Exploring with Verify…………………………………………… 147
Exercise 9 – Holding the part ………………………………………………….. 148
Exercise 10 – Challenge …………………………………………………………. 150
6 Using Art Manager…………………………………………………. 151
Exercise 1 – Modifying a convex arc shape …………………………….. 152
Exercise 2 – Modifying the parabolic cross section…………………. 157
Exercise 3 – Using Undo and Redo…………………………………………. 162
Exercise 4 – Changing a parabolic shape to an angle ……………… 165
Exercise 5 – Documenting surfaces………………………………………… 172
Exercise 6 – Examining Art Manager in detail………………………….. 174
Art Manager functions ……………………………………………………………. 175
Art Manager history tree…………………………………………………………. 179
Art Manager right-click menu………………………………………………….. 182
Editing in the Art Manager………………………………………………………. 185
Exercise 7 – Challenge …………………………………………………………… 188
7 Reshaping Surfaces ………………………………………………. 189
Exercise 1 – Defining the Art base surface ……………………………… 190
Exercise 2 – Creating and stacking base surfaces…………………… 192
Exercise 3 – Stacking surface details (Celtic knot) ………………….. 200
Exercise 4 – Modifying the Celtic knot – model 1 …………………….. 204
Exercise 5 – Modifying the dish surface………………………………….. 207
Exercise 6 – Modifying the Celtic knot – model 2 …………………….. 209
Exercise 7 – Reversing changes……………………………………………… 219
Exercise 8 – Challenge …………………………………………………………… 222
8 Integrated Design, Border and Plane Surfaces………… 223
Exercise 1 – Converting a file with Trace Image………………………. 224
Exercise 2 – Dragging to position …………………………………………… 232
Exercise 3 – Scaling geometry………………………………………………… 233
Exercise 4 – Working with levels…………………………………………….. 235
Exercise 5 – Creating Border and Plane surfaces ……………………. 236
Exercise 6 – Creating the part’s base ……………………………………… 245
Exercise 7 – Using the Blend application style………………………… 248
Exercise 8 – Smoothing surfaces……………………………………………. 262
Exercise 9 – Adding textures ………………………………………………….. 266
Exercise 10 – Modifying a texture……………………………………………. 270
Exercise 11 – Converting a part to a mold……………………………….. 272
Exercise 12 – Setting Art base surface top to Z0……………………… 274
Exercise 13 – Exporting to STL format ……………………………………. 277
Exercise 14 – Challenge: translating a bounding box………………. 279
Appendix A Machining Practices ……………………………….. A-1
Factors affecting cutting conditions ……………………………………….. A-1
Tool selection ………………………………………………………………………… A-5
Cutting ………………………………………………………………………….. A-5
Preparing to machine……………………………………………………………. A-10
About cutting tools……………………………………………………………….. A-11
Tools used in Mastercam X2 Art……………………………………………. A-17
About chips ………………………………………………………………………… A-18
Tool holders ………………………………………………………………………… A-23
Workpiece/work holding……………………………………………………….. A-26
Tool offsets ………………………………………………………………………… A-32
Tramming the head ………………………………………………………………. A-33
Aligning the vice…………………………………………………………………… A-39
Locating part positions…………………………………………………………. A-41
Machining square and parallel………………………………………………. A-44
Challenge ………………………………………………………………………… A-48