This video looks at some things you can do inside of Mastercam, as well as external to Mastercam, to help speed up your overall workflow!

Once you get a handle on how to program in Mastercam, you are probably going to want to start programming faster so you can get more done. Here are a couple things to look at that will certainly make you more productive in Mastercam.

1. Keyboard Shortcuts. Keyboard shortcuts are when you use a combination of keyboard keys clicked together to execute a command in Mastercam. For example, switching to a Top View in the graphics area. Using your mouse, you could right click and then move to the Top icon in the right click menu. You could use the menu bar at the top by clicking on the View tab and then moving over to the Top icon. Using a Keyboard shortcut, you would click ALT+1. Keep in mind you don't have to click them at the same time, you would click and hold ALT and then press the number 1. Your mouse is not required to move at all for this as you are using your free hand. Mastercam has a lot of predefined keyboard shortcuts and you can also define your own.

2. 3D Mouse. A 3D mouse is a peripheral tool for controlling three-dimensional objects. This allows users to use more natural movements in manipulating three-dimensional objects on a screen. When comparing to your typical mouse, the control provided by a 3D mouse is a night and day difference in Mastercam. Typically, a 3D mouse is used in conjunction with a normal mouse and is used in the off hand. This really helps with accurate view manipulation especially when clicking on surfaces or faces on complex forms for toolpaths. Here's a link to the 3D mouse I use...

3D Mouse

3. Programmable Mouse. Speaking of mice, the main mouse that you use can also help speed up your workflow. When buying a mouse, look for one that has programmable buttons. The mouse I use is referred to as a MMO gaming mouse and it has an extra 12 buttons (plus shift functions of those buttons) which can all be programmed. What do you program them for? Refer back to item #1, keyboard shortcuts! You can also program in text or trigger programs etc etc. This is useful for not only Mastercam but in your other work, like emails, excel etc. Heres a link to the mouse I use...

MMO Mouse

These 3 are just a few things in a long list of things you can do in Mastercam to help speed up your workflow. Keep an eye out for a part 2 where we explore some other options.

Want to learn more about Mastercam? Check out;

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