FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

DOLPHIN PARTMASTER CAD

Dolphin Cadcam is designed to work on PC's running Windows 7, Vista, or Windows XP. The PC may be a laptop or a desktop machine. The machine must conform to the following general specification.

•  The PC must have a CD-ROM drive

• The PC must have at least 100MB free hard disk space. 

• The PC must have a serial RS232 port if you wish to send programs to a machine tool that is fitted with a RS232 port.  If no RS232 port is available on the PC then a USB to RS232 adapter can be fitted.

• The PC must have at least 128MB RAM fitted, recommended is 256MB for PartMaster and 512MB for 3DCAM 

• The PC’s graphics must be capable of displaying at least 800 x 600 resolution; it is recommended that it be capable of displaying 1024 x 768 resolution for PartMaster and 1280 x 960 for 3DCAM.

•  A Microsoft mouse or other compatible pointing device.

•  The software is protected from unauthorised duplication.

 If you are unsure about any of the about you should contact your PC supplier.

From the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘View’, and from the options listed Select ‘Defaults..’ This displays the defaults dialogue on screen, select the ‘Fonts’ tab, and chose ‘Select ANY font without regard to compatibility’, then select ‘Apply’ and ‘OK’, which enables True Type Fonts.

To select the required font when adding text to a drawing, from the top File Toolbar select ‘Draw’, and from the options listed select ‘Text’. The drawing options - Text options toolbar is displayed, select the ‘Properties’ icon from this toolbar (last one). The ‘Text style info..’ dialogue box is displayed on screen, to change font, select ‘Modify’ and choose required font, style, size etc. Then select OK to enable your selection. Text ‘properties’ may also be accessed by right clicking the mouse in the drawing area after selecting ‘Draw - Text’.

From the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘View’, and from the options listed Select ‘Properties’. This displays a dialogue on screen, select the ‘Grid Settings’ tab, and select required X Y interval etc, to make the grid visible, simply use the mouse to tick that box. To enable your choice, left click to select OK.

The Files toolbar also contains three icons related to the drawing grid, which can be used to access and alter the Grid setup

• Grid setup (Define grid spacing and angles)
• Grid origin (Set origin point using cursor)
• Toggle grid on\off (Switch current grid display on or off)

From the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘View’, and from the options listed Select ‘Properties’. This displays a dialogue on screen, select the ‘Page Setup’ tab, and select required units.

From the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘Edit’, and from the options listed chose ‘Select’, note that the User Information Bar (bottom left of screen) displays ‘Click and drag mouse to select item(s)’. Use mouse to select required item(s), which then change colour. Now from the top toolbar select ‘File’, and from the options listed select ‘Print…’ This displays the Print dialogue box, from the options chose ‘Selection’.

From the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘Draw’, and from the options listed select ‘Text’. Select style of text (underline, centre, italics etc) from the Drawing options toolbar, and enter required text to drawing.

To convert this text to contours for transfer to Dolphin Cam select ‘Draw’, and from the options listed select ‘Curve’. Now select ‘Aa’, which is the NC Text icon from the Drawing options toolbar. Note that the User Information Bar at the bottom of the screen displays ‘Indicate the Text block to be converted’, use the mouse to position the cursor on the required text, and left click, this displays the ‘Contour\Profile’ dialogue box. Enter required line thickness, style, and layer. In the NC data area each text block MUST be given a name, select The shape is a ‘Contour’, and you can enter depth, group no etc as required. Finally, left click to select OK. Your text has now been converted to a series of contours, which can be transferred to Dolphin PartMaster Cam.

From the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘View’, and from the options listed use the mouse to point to\highlight ‘Toolbars’. A list of toolbars is displayed to the right, left click the mouse to select (tick) required toolbars, which are then enabled. To disable, simply follow the same procedure and ‘untick’ toolbars. See below:

DOLPHIN PARTMASTER CAM

The same method is used in the machining module as in the CAD module - that is, from the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘View’, and from the options listed use the mouse to point to\highlight ‘Toolbars’. A list of toolbars is displayed to the right, left click the mouse to select (tick) required toolbars, which are then displayed.

When transferring geometry from Cad, the units in Cam default to the same settings as used in the Cad module.
To override this default, from the main screen menu on the top File Toolbar select ‘Setup’, and from the options listed select ‘Machine type…’ This displays a dialogue on screen, select the ‘Machine Type’ tab, and select required units.

Post Processor

The Post Processor will default to the same unit settings as used in the Cam module.
Either through user choice or necessity a particular CNC Control may be limited to always work in one particular Unit setting regardless of Cam module settings.
To achieve this the AXES section of the Post Processor should contain one of the following statements:

OR

OR

AXES:
UNITS MM
END: