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Most CAD/CAM software—or computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing software—will come with various libraries as part of its base package. These digital collections of tools and data can be game-changers for most shops, but, unfortunately, libraries are one of the most underused tools within a CAD/CAM program. In this blog, we will explain the different types of libraries you can find in a CAD/CAM system and how best to use them. Tooling Libraries A tooling library [...]

Today we will explore the differences between Incremental and Absolute Depths in Mastercam’s Linking Parameters. There are 3 options available to define the depth of different features in the Linking Parameters page in a pocket toolpath. They are Absolute, Incremental, and Associative. In this post, we will only focus on Absolute and Incremental. Using the Absolute Depth settings allows you to define all depths referenced on the Linking Parameters page from the Z Zero of [...]

2023 marks the 40th anniversary of Mastercam CAD/CAM software! How did it all begin? In 1983, two brothers, Mark and Jack Summers, developed a new concept for programming CNC (Computer-Numerical-Control) machine tools. A third brother, Brian Summers, soon joined and together developed a PC-based CAD/CAM software package that laid the foundation for what is Mastercam, the world’s most widely used CAD/CAM software. Mark Summers, Advisor of Mastercam, says, “It started out as a simple idea. [...]