PowerMill users: What version do you use?

[Dan B]

To the PowerMill users on this forum, which version are you using? We're finding the latest to be problematic, so we're wondering which version people can use productively.

 

[jelrod1]

I still use 2021 mostly. It's been very stable. There are performance enhancements with 2022 but I've only been testing with it.

 

[5 axis Fidia guy]

I use the latest version with no issues. There was an important fix and the latest version was taken of their site. Is it a possibility you got the bad version? If so, re download the latest.
Autodesk PowerMill Ultimate 2023
Version: 2023.1.1.2023121
Build Date: Tue Jan 17 10:42:22 UTC 2023

 

[Mr.M]

We are running 2022 with the latest updates. Not switching to 2023 yet at the recommendation of the reseller

 

[Dan B]

Thanks for the feedback.

I use the latest version with no issues.

Do you use set-ups? Or do you make a project for each set-up? We find set-ups to be broken. Embedded patterns don't work. Drilling shows gouging and the page has to be manually reset. The show rest material display is broken. Constant Z finishing won't go past the bottom of the detail. The list goes on. Are you not seeing any of these in your version?

 

[5 axis Fidia guy]

Thanks for the feedback.

Do you use set-ups? Or do you make a project for each set-up? We find set-ups to be broken. Embedded patterns don't work. Drilling shows gouging and the page has to be manually reset. The show rest material display is broken. Constant Z finishing won't go past the bottom of the detail. The list goes on. Are you not seeing any of these in your version?

I do not use setups, I only have one project and one setup for each core or cavity I make, in the unlikely event I do work on the backside of the block, I just have a workplane back there and it's all in one project. I also don't do any drilling, or at least for quite some time. I don't see any other issues you mention. You are somewhat new to PM correct? Switched over from something else. For embedded patterns, select the pattern AND the surface you want to embed it on, this should work. The rest material display works for me fine. Constant z won't go past the bottom of the block unless the block is extended lower.

 

[Dan B]

Thanks for your reply. I'm new to PowerMill, but these complaints are coming from a long time PowerMill user who is spearheading our transition. He's used it for at least 20 years at previous companies. It seems that it's the setups that are the main culprit here. Our reseller was able to confirm that the setups are the problem. So we're waiting for that to get fixed. We're not real eager to start making separate projects for each setup, as most of our work does have multiple setups, even on our 5-axis machines.

So maybe the better question would be: Are there any PowerMill users that are having success using the setups, and if so, in what version?

 

[jelrod1]

I don't use setups either and don't make separate projects for each setup. Setups to me looked like an extra step, not a necessity. I organize toolpaths for each side of a part in toolpath folders instead of using setups. You can do anything you want without ever having to use the setup function. It's fairly new to powermill anyway. A guy here messed with them some in the beginning but it all looked like extra work to me and so I stopped it.

 

[Dan B]

Setups have some advantages that we would like to use as we attempt to transition from WorkNC to PowerMill. WorkNC does a lot of things very well. The new setups feature in PowerMill is suppose to have behaviour that is similar to what our programmers are already used to. For example, pick on the setup and the appropriate machining plane is activated, the correct machine model is activated, and so on. We could do it without using the new setups feature but the margin for error increases. Hopefully they get this fixed soon. Our reseller tells us that Autodesk is working on it.

 

[5 axis Fidia guy]

I have been a PM user for 28 years, give or take, so I became very efficient without the setup option. I looked at it when it first came out but for the life of me, I cannot see how this option could help me. By no means am I implying your wasting your time making use of it, guys just get used to a method which works and stick with it, maybe good, maybe bad.

 

[jelrod1]

I can understand the similar behavior being wanted. I do think on things like this Autodesk moves slow so you may need to look at other methods. Powermill can be customized so much. Grouping things like setups can actually make that customization harder at the macro level. If you can give a simple, but pretty detailed example of what you are wanting I'm sure we here can give some ideas to a solution. As an example I have a macro I run after programming that groups and renames toolpaths per operation and does checks and balances on the toolpath parameters to ensure things are correct. Wanting what you want to "just be in there" sometimes just isn't the case. Fortunately Powermill has enough customization available to create exactly what you want. Or at least it has for us.

 

[Mr.M]

I use setups and find them very helpful for me in PowerMill as well. I come from more GibbsCam and MasterCam experience. 2022 has been good, so maybe switch to the last 2022 release.

 

[Dan B]

Thanks for the conversation.