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Products : MCU : Feature List |
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"Competition?
...nothing comes close.
MCU is indispensable to my work."
--Jeff Wallace, Makino R&D
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No other
software available at any price provides the wealth of useful tools,
information and functionality for people working in the CNC
industry. MCU is not a CAM system, it's a collection of
powerful utilities for machinists and anyone working with CNC
machines and toolpaths.
Take a look at
this partial feature list below, then continue on to the options.
After reviewing the feature list download the trial to see it all in action!
Multiple
"active" views into the CNC file
Each view (graphic, edit, and tree) is actively linked with each of the
others to provide more information together than would be possible
alone. A brief description of each of the views follows:
Graphics view - A 3D dynamic backplot
drawing of the CNC file
Edit View - A text view of the CNC file,
which can be edited and saved.
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Renumber
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Insert/delete spaces
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Undo/redo typing
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Find/replace text
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Selection of lines by range
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Automatic detection of file type. Open a CNC
file, and the standard MCU interface opens. Open any other type
of file, and the interface changes to a standard text editor! MCU
was designed to be the one editor that works for all your editing
needs.
Tree View - The CNC file is sorted by
tool call, and further sorted by paths within each tool
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Change visibility in the graphics area by
selecting tools in the tree
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Select lines in the edit view by selecting
tools in the tree view
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Assign tool geometry and color
The
Toolbox
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The toolbox provides detailed information about
the CNC file and also contains controls to work with the file.
General information - such as: the
physical size, the low point and high point, the number and type of
entities and the cutting time length. This information is available
for the entire file, a single tool or even just two entities.
Detailed geometric information - This
information is automatically updated as entities are selected from
the edit view or the graphics screen. Also displays the current
feed and speed for any selected entity.
Imagine visually checking your
editing with the push of a button.
...and easily returning to any
revision you made along the way...
...then visually comparing your
changes from the original file to any particular revision.
MCU's Graphical Edit option will make
you wonder how you ever edited a CNC file without these powerful
tools. You have to see this option in action to understand the full
power.
Graphical refresh - When you
begin to edit a file, the refresh button lights to let you know that
there are changes to the file, and that you can make a new revision and
see the changes with the push of the button.
Revision history - The
revision history keeps a list of each revision that is made during a
session. You can step through the revisions, or go directly to any
particular revision at any time.
The graphical compare feature
allows you to SEE the smallest changes between revisions of the same
file or even between two different files. And it works with both the
backplot and with solid verify models. Graphical compare locks the
files into the same 3D space then lets you toggle between the files.
If something moves... it's different. It's that simple.
The Verify option works with 3-axis
milling type toolpaths to create a 3D solid model of a part based upon
the motion of the path and the shape of the tool.

MCU's Verify option provides
unbelievable detail in seconds, not hours and the model can be
referenced right from the graphics screen! If you see a problem, just
click on it, and the line of code that made it is instantly
highlighted.
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Some
of the other
standard MCU features include:
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DNC send and receive (provided by
RYM)
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3-axis machine Simulation.
Dynamically move like the machine tool.
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STL viewer. View one or many STL files,
control color and visibility. Import an STL of your part to
check it against the verification model.
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STL spindles and
tables. Associate any STL file as a spindle or a table for
backplot.
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Chip volume graph. An interactive graph of the changing chip
volume.
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DXF out (export any wireframe path as a
DXF file. Great for reverse posting.
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World's easiest and most powerful CNC file
interpreter. Most CNC file types are automatically recognized
without the need for customization, Including, Fanuc style,
Heidenhain, Dynapath, Anilam and more.
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Visual import customization is available for the
few CNC styles that are not automatically recognized.
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Highly optimized for speed in all areas of the
program.
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Drag and Drop support (NC code, STL
files, or text files).
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Interactive "Quick tours" which use MCU to show
you MCU!
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Multiple view-ports in the graphics view.
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Toggles for the visibility of tools, endpoints,
rapid motions, axis and more.
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Color coding by entity type.
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Support for Fanuc style NURBS.
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Support for non-interpolated rapids ("dog-leg"
rapids).
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LOTS MORE!
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At just $99, MCU Light is exactly like MCU
but IT DOES NOT INCLUDE the
following MCU features:
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No DXF out
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No Verification
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No
STL view
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No
STL spindle or table
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No
3-axis machine backplot simulation
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No
upgrade path
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No Graphical Editing and
Compare
(You can still edit with MCU Light, but without the "one button"
revision that lets you instantly see your changes and
maintain multiple revisions of your file. With MCU Light you
have to save and reload the file to see your changes.)
The STL Pack adds the ability
to use:
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The Wizard pack adds 3
powerful wizards to MCU.
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Restart Wizard - When a
tool breaks, the restart wizard will have you machining again in
minutes with a new toolpath that includes only the remaining
code needed to complete the machining of your part. It
automatically checks for crashes on remaining stock and allows
you to dynamically create custom entry motions in the restart
area.
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Tool Wear Wizard - On long
toolpaths, the tool may wear out before the toolpath is finished.
The MCU Tool Wear wizard automates the process of inserting
additional toolchanges while automatically checking for crashes with
remaining stock and allowing you to create custom entry motions.
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Surface Compare Wizard - The
surface compare wizard provides an easy way to directly compare the
surface finish of different machining strategies. Create a
verification model on a small area of a toolpath, then select a
different file, and MCU automatically creates a new verification
model in the same area and at the same resolution on the second
toolpath. Selecting the graphical compare button in the graphics
area will toggle between the two models for a direct comparison of
the finish.
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The Merge option temporarily
combines multiple CNC files to allow analysis and verification of
the files as if they were a single file. The files can be
selected all at once with { File | Merge } or sequentially using {
File | Append }
This option is especially useful to anyone
who creates separate files for each of the operations needed to make a
complete part. Merging is a powerful, faster, and
easy way to verify the results of machining with sequential but
separate files.
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Simulate the
motion of your 4-Axis machine during backplot. Load an STL file
of the finished part to help visualize, understand and check complex
indexed or simultaneous motions. Dynamically scroll
through your file, or run in "Play" mode.
Exceptional performance, incredible
value for 4-axis mills.
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Simulate the
motion of your 5-Axis machine during backplot. Load an STL file of
the finished part to help visualize, understand and check complex
indexed or simultaneous motions. Dynamically scroll
through your file, or run in "Play" mode.
Exceptional performance and
incredible value for 5-Axis visualization and simulation.
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Download
the free trial now!
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