TRAINING

GUIDE

SOLIDS-LESSON-3
Mastercam Training Guide

Objectives
You will generate the solid model from the existing 2-dimensional geometry. This Lesson covers
the following topics:

 Open an existing 2-dimensional drawing

 Create the solid model

Revolve and Create a solid body
Boolean remove a solid body
Create Solid Chamfers
Create Solid Fillets

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SOLIDS-LESSON-3 DRAWING

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SOLIDS-LESSON-3 - THE PROCESS

Solid Model Creation

TASK 1: Setting the environment
TASK 2: Open an existing Mastercam file
TASK 3: Create the revolved solid
TASK 4: Create the block solid body
TASK 5: Boolean subtraction of a solid
TASK 6: Create chamfers 4 places
TASK 7: Create Fillets 4 places
TASK 8: Save the drawing

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TASK 1:
SETTING THE ENVIRONMENT
 Before starting the geometry creation, you should set up the grid and machine type as
outlined in the Setting the environment section at the beginning of this text:
1. Set up the Grid. This will help identify the location of the origin.

TASK 2:
OPEN AN EXISTING MASTERCAM FILE
 In this lesson you will use an existing Mastercam file that contains the 2D geometry only.
 In this lesson we will only be creating the Solid Geometry.
 The Mastercam file for this lesson is located on the Disk accompanying the Training Guide
or as a download in one of the Steps in Solids Lesson 3 of the Online Course.

1. Select FILE>Open> - select Computer and then Browse to Solids-Lesson-3.

2. If confronted with the System Configuration dialog box activate the radio button for All
settings.

 System Configuration (switch units) dialog box

 When you open a part file that uses different units (English or metric) from those currently in
 use, Mastercam automatically displays this dialog box, which informs you that Mastercam is
 switching units and loading an alternate default configuration file. In order to complete the
 operation, select one of the following options:
 Units: Tells Mastercam to use only the units from the new configuration file. (default)
 All settings: Tells Mastercam to load all settings from the new configuration file.

3. Select the OK button to exit the System Configuration dialog box if required.

 The screen should look like the one below:

4. Select File.
5. Select Save As.
6. Click on the Browse icon.
7. In the “File name” box, type “SOLIDS-LESSON-3”, if required.
8. Browse to an appropriate location.
9. Select the Save button to save the file and complete this function.

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Solid Body Creation

TASK 3:
CREATE THE REVOLVED SOLID
 In this task you will create the solid cavity of the part by revolving the geometry created.
1. Right mouse click in the graphics area and click on Top.

2. Right mouse click in the graphics area and click on Unzoom 80% to shrink the display.
3. Click on the Solids tab and in the Create section select Revolve.

 On the screen you will now see the Chaining dialog box, with the Chain Button selected as
shown by the arrow. In the graphics screen a prompt to “Select chain(s) to revolve” is
displayed.
4. Select the chain as shown in the Graphics Screen diagram:

5. Click on the OK icon.

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6. The “Select a line to be used as axis of rotation” prompt appears. Select the centerline
of the cavity as shown below:

7. Right mouse click in the graphics area and click on Isometric.

8. In the lower right corner of the screen click on the Wireframe icon to change the display to
wireframe.

9. An arrow will appear as shown below, make sure the arrow is pointing down. If it is pointing

up click on the Reverse All icon in the Solid Extrude panel. Note: you
may have to unzoom the image to see the direction the arrow is pointing.

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10. Make the necessary changes as shown below in the Solid Revolve dialog window. Activate
Create Body and set the Start Angle to 0 and End Angle is set to 180.

11. Click on the OK icon in the Solid Revolve dialog window.

 Your screen should look like the screenshot below left:

12. Select Alt and S to shade the solid extrusion or click on the Outlined Shaded icon at the
lower right corner of the screen.

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TASK 4:
CREATE THE BLOCK SOLID BODY
1. Activate a wireframe image if required by selecting the Alt and S keys or by clicking on the
Wireframe icon at the lower right of the screen:

2. Right mouse click in the graphics area and click on Top.

3. On the Solids tab and in the Create section select Extrude.

 On the screen you will now see the Chaining dialog box, with the Chain Button selected as
shown by the arrow. In the graphics screen a prompt to “Select chain(s) to extrude” is
displayed.
4. Select the chain as shown in the Graphics Screen diagram:

5. Click on the OK icon .

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6. Right mouse click in the graphics area and click on Isometric.

7. An arrow will appear on one of the corners as shown below, make sure the arrow is pointing

down. If it is pointing up click on the Reverse All icon in the Solid

Extrude panel. Note: you may have to unzoom the image to see the direction the arrow is
pointing.

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8. Make the necessary changes as shown below in the Solid Extrude panel. Activate Create
Body and set the Distance to 1.0.

9. Click on the OK icon in the Solid Extrude panel.

10. Right mouse click in the graphics area and click on Fit.
 Your screen should look like the screenshot below:
Wireframe image Solid Shaded image

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TASK 5:
BOOLEAN SUBTRACTION OF A SOLID
 In this task, the two separate solid bodies that have been created will be combined. In the
solids tree, both bodies are present as shown in the image below. Using Boolean remove the
solid body representing the cavity can be removed from the solid representing the stock
material.

1. Activate a wireframe image by selecting the Alt and S keys or by clicking on the Wireframe
icon at the lower right of the screen:
2. Click on the Solids tab and in the Create section select Boolean.

Boolean

Boolean functions construct a solid from combinations of two or more existing solids.

You can merge solids, remove solids from one another, and find the common region of overlapping
solids.

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3. When prompted to “Select a target body”, select the stock solid body shown below.

4. The Boolean panel will now activate, and the Target Solid will be set with the body that was
just selected.
5. On the Boolean panel, activate Remove.

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6. Click on the selection arrow shown below left to “Add Selection”.

7. The prompt “Select one or more tool bodies” will now be displayed and the Solid
Selection dialog box appears. In the Solid Selection dialog box only activate Body
selection. Select the cavity solid body as shown above right, the Revolved solid.

8. Click on the OK icon in the Solid Selection dialog box.

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9. Make the necessary changes as shown below in the Boolean dialog window. Ensure
Remove is activated.

10. Click on the OK icon in the Boolean panel.

11. In the solids tree there is now only one solid entity which contains the Boolean Remove
feature, as seen below:

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12. To change from a wireframe image to a solid shaded image select the Alt and S keys or
the Outline Shaded icon. Your screen should look like the screenshots below:
Wireframe image Outline Shaded image

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TASK 6:
CREATE CHAMFERS 4 PLACES
 In this task you will create four 0.0625” x 45 degree chamfers on the edges of the stock.
The chamfers are not called out on the drawing; this task is to get some experience using Solid
Chamfers.

1. Activate a wireframe image by selecting the Alt and S keys or by clicking on the Wireframe
icon at the lower right of the screen.
2. On the Solids tab and in the Modify section select One Distance Chamfer.
One-Distance Chamfer uses edge blending to
create a symmetrical beveled edge with the same
chamfer distance for both edge faces.

You determine the size of the chamfer by entering

the distance value.

Two-Distance Chamfer

Two-Distance Chamfer uses edge blending to create a bevel based on two distances and a
reference face. Mastercam uses Distance 1 to calculate the extent of the chamfer between the
reference face and the selected edge. Distance 2 determines the extent of the chamfer between
the complementary face and the selected edge.

Distance and Angle Chamfer

Distance and Angle Chamfer uses edge blending to create a bevel based on a distance, an
angle, and a reference face. Mastercam uses the distance and the angle to calculate the extent
of the chamfer on the selected edge, relative to the reference face.

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3. On the screen you will now be prompted to “Select entities to chamfer” and the Solid
Selection dialog box appears. In the Solid Selection dialog box only activate Edge
selection.
Solid Selection dialog box
Use this dialog box to set filters for solid selection functions.
The following table lists the available options:

The Last button reselects the entities selected for the previous operation.
The Verify Selection button displays a toolbar (shown below) with which you can cycle through
selectable entities.

4. Now select the four edges on the top of the stock as shown below. As you position the

cursor close to an edge you will see the visual cue for edged selection .

5. Click on the OK icon after completing the selection of the four edges.
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6. Make the necessary changes as shown below in the One-Distance Chamfer panel. Set
Distance to 0.0625.

7. Click on the OK icon in the One-Distance Chamfer panel.

8. Select Alt and S to shade the solid extrusion or click on the Outlined Shaded icon at the
top of the screen.
 Your screen should look like the screenshot below:

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TASK 7:
CREATE FILLETS 4 PLACES
 In this task you will create four 0.0625” fillets on the vertical edges of the stock. The fillets
are not called out on the drawing; this task is to get some experience using Solid Fillets.

1. Activate a wireframe image if required by selecting the Alt and S keys or by clicking on the
Wireframe icon at the bottom right of the screen.
2. On the Solids tab and in the Modify section select Constant Fillet.
Constant Fillet uses edge blending to produce a
rounded edge, introducing new faces that are tangent
to the edges' adjacent faces.

You determine the extent of the fillet by inputting a

constant radius value.

Variable Fillet

Variable Radius Fillet uses edge blending to produce a rounded edge, introducing new faces
that are tangent to the edges' adjacent faces. You determine the extent of the fillet by inputting
various radius values along the edge. You can also specify radius positions.

Face-Face Fillet

Face-Face Fillet uses two faces or two sets of faces that are blended together to create a fillet.
Mastercam will use various ways of creating the fillets depending on the operation type that is
selected

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3. On the screen you will now be prompted to “Select entities to fillet” and the Solid
Selection dialog box appears. In the Solid Selection dialog box only activate Edge
selection.
4. Now select the four vertical edges on the stock as shown below. As you position the cursor

close to an edge you will see the visual cue for edged selection .

5. Click on the OK icon after completing the selection of the four vertical edges.

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6. Make the necessary changes as shown below in the Constant Radius Fillet dialog window.
Set Radius to 0.0625.

7. Click on the OK icon in the Constant Radius Fillet panel.

8. Select Alt and S to shade the solid extrusion or click on the Outlined Shaded icon at the
top of the screen.
 Your screen should look like the screenshot below:

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TASK 8:
SAVE THE DRAWING
1. Select the Save icon from the Quick Access toolbar at the top left of the screen.
IF YOU WISH TO CREATE THE TOOLPATHS FOR THIS LESSON THE
TOOL LIST AND PROCESS IS LISTED BELOW:

NOTE:
For step by step instructions on how to create the toolpaths for this
solids lesson please refer to the Mastercam Training Guide - Mill 2D
by CamInstructor
 0.500 diameter bull end mill with a 0.125 corner radius to rough machine the pocket.
 0.500 diameter ball end mill to finish machine the pocket.

SOLIDS-LESSON-3 - TOOLPATH PROCESS

Toolpath Creation
TASK 10: Define the rough stock using stock setup
TASK 11: Rough the pocket using surface pocket
TASK 12: Finish the pocket using surface high speed waterline
TASK 13: Verify the toolpath
TASK 14: Save the updated Mastercam file
TASK 15: Post and create the CNC code file

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SOLIDS-LESSON-3A EXERCISE

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SOLIDS-LESSON-3B EXERCISE

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