Tonight I released the latest version of HSMAdvisor and the plugin for Mastercam 2022, 2021 and 2020

Most of the issues reported by our users have either been fixed or otherwise addressed.

It has bug fixes and an improved tool creation routine.

Additionally, the Tool Path Write dialog now has an option to disable the toolpath regeneration and the actual values that will be written in the toolpath:

The Save button saves the current state of checkboxes as default.

Mastercam plugin can be downloaded here: https://hsmadvisor.com/hsmadvisor_for_mastercam

The latest standalone HSMAdvisor version is available here: https://hsmadvisor.com/download

It has some back-end improvements plus additional materials.

Please let me know if you have any feedback or questions!

The long-awaited feature, that has been available on FSWizard for some time now is now available in HSMAdvisor as well!

It is currently in the MVP stage, but now when you log in to HSMADvisor Cloud on both the FSWizard and HSMAdvisor (sharing is only allowed within the same account), the cloud tools are automatically synchronized between the two apps.

Check out the latest version here: https://hsmadvisor.com/download

To enable cloud libraries in HSMAdvisor, please Register and/or Log-in to the HSMAdvisor Cloud in Settings or by clicking on Actions->Cut Cloud->Log-in in the Tool Database tab.

Then select the Tool Library you want to sync with the cloud and go to Actions->Tool Library.
Enable the "Sync with HSMAdvisor Cloud" option.

Synced tools are now available on both apps:

Also, a couple of materials were added:

• AISI431, 1.4057, X17CrNi16-2 (QT800 and QT900)
• Aluminum 3.1645; EN AW-2007
• AISI4820 (1.6587, 18CrNiMo7-6)

Please make sure to send me any feedback you have on this or other issues!

As a software developer, I am always looking for quality feedback on my software and ideas.
Sometimes it is useless like "speeds and feeds are wrong" or "my cutters are breaking" without explaining what they think is wrong. 
However, the feedback is often thorough and helps propel HSMAdvisor development by miles ahead in a very short time frame.

Here is the HSMAdvisor workflow step-though by our user Jake. He posted on the support forums as an answer to another user's question. And I thought it was so good, I asked his permission to post it on the HSMAdvisor website Help section:

I've been using HMSA for about 3 years now (maybe more) and have running it down to a pretty quick science.

If I need to create a new tool I do the following:

Press reset, select tool type and fill in all parameters as accurately as possible. I click the DOC and WOC labels to set them back to default then I press the "Add Tool" button. This will bring the naming/inventory box up. I only ever fill in the the "Comment" field as this is what the tool database uses to search for tools. Once this is done I click the save button. I use multiple databases (Flat End Mills, Radius End Mills, Jobber Drills, etc) to keep thing a little more organized in my head, however this is absolutely NOT necessary...you can have 1 giant library if you want. I never delete a tool once it is defined. This makes it SUPER fast to toss a tool into a holder and get some quick feeds/speeds by just searching for the tool. It also allows me to go back and search for a tool that I have used in the past. If it is in my HSMA library, it is most likely in one of the many places tools end up hiding in my shop.

If you have the tool saved it is as simple as pressing the "Load Tool/Cut" button. Once your tool database has popped up you can simply start typing and it will find any tools with a "Comment" that matches what you have entered. It's really fast and works really well once you get used to the steps...I can type in "3/8" and get every 3/8 endmill I've ever run to come up on the screen. To make this easier on myself I always include the decimal size as well (I run quite a few regrinds) so I can type in "0.3425" and it will bring up that particular end mill instantly.

Now that your tool is defined and saved you are ready to get some cutting data. If you pick the materials list drop-down you are able to type your material in to do a quick search. I work with 6061, 7075, A2, D2, some CPM, and some plastics. All of them have come up without fail by just starting to type the material designation into the drop-down bar. Once your material is selected you can start entering cutting parameters. I pretty much always enter a DOC and then click the label for WOC to get the recommended width for the depth I am taking. I can then take this WOC value and tweak it until I max out my MRR using a combination of HSM and Chip Thinning. If I need to helix into a pocket I bring up the Circle/Ramp calculator. It is rather self-explanatory, however, you need to make sure you enter your ramp angle every time. It doesn't save a default and can give you a wonky plunge rate if you aren't careful to get the right data entered. If your pocket is going to be larger than 2xD of your tool I just enter the diameter that it will cut during the ramp. Something like 195% of the tool diameter so as to not leave a nub in the center. I also lock the spindle speed and plunge spindle speed so they are the same. I used to use different speeds for them however my machine has a gearbox that doesn't shift from low to high reliably while running a program.

Next, I verify all the green/red bars are in the "safe zones." I leave the deflection/torque sliders at the default of 70%. With long end-mills, I tend to back down the deflection limit and lower the speed slider significantly.

Finally, I can take the calculated values from the top right box and enter them into Mastercam. I tried to set up the integration between HSM and MCAM years ago but it kinda shoehorned the functionality of HSMA from my standpoint. I use 2 monitors and leave HSM on one and MCAM on the other so I can bounce back and forth. If you only have 1 monitor there is a button for a "Floating Feed/Speed" window that will stay on top of MCAM and allow you to get the data moved without tons of switching programs on a single screen.

So that's the basic workflow I use for HSMA and MasterCam. It is not a perfect system but it is really quick. I can grab a tool I have defined in the past, select material, type in DOC, and have workable numbers to start from. It takes about 10 seconds....this program works exactly like my brain does.... it's almost weird how natural it feels.

Sorry if this is an overwhelming post on a necro thread, it is so much harder to explain how to use the software than it is to just....use the software. lol.

Jake

FSWizard Machinist Calculator Update that iOS users will like: new big drop-down select boxes replaced the standard iOS spinners make it easier to select Tools, Tool Materials and Coatings. Because of this we will soon also be able to show tool images as well!

In this update a lot of work was done to make it work flawlessly for iOS devices.

Check it out here: https://FSWizard.com

Screenshot

This update marks a major pivot in HSMAdvisor development.

Behind the scenes the groung-work has been laid for tight integration between HSMAdvisor and FSWizard.

Next steps will include sharing of the tool and cut data with the FSWizard mobile app.

Whats new in this HSMAdvisor update:

• New materials: DME Steel 1, 2,3 & 7 and others.
• Improved Machine Definitions: Program now does not allow to upload duplicate machines to the cloud: you need to clone your machine first.
• Fixed issues with acessing CutCloud Fixed labelling and incorrect cut filtering

Thank you, our supporters, for the continuing feedback and support!

It has been long time since FSWizard iOS app was updated.

Now finally the wait is over!

With new design, new materials and tool types....

And with the new instant update functionality, that allows me to publish updates within hours for both the iOS and Android platforms, new features will be soon and many!

Check out the new FSWizard apps over here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/developer/eldar-gerfanov/id741521900?mt=8

Also you can get FSWizard for Android here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.beta.fswizard_lite

By the way. The only difference between the Lite and the PRO version is limited number of materials. All other restrictions have been permanently removed!

After more than a year in development and having its entire code base rewritten FSWizard Android app has finally been released to production!

The main goal of the initial production release was to not drop the ball. So the number of new features is relatively small.

The biggest visible improvement is the new design that conforms to the mobile UI standards.

We also support more materials in the lite version of the app than ever:

For HSMAdvisor customers all the available materials will be downloaded after the Login.

Another improvement is the sliding Speed and Feed overrides that are now located not only on the usual Overrides panel, but also on the Result panel:

This allows you to see the effect your changes make in the real time.

The new version of the app also allows to push immediate updates and hot fixes.
So expect a lot of new features delivered to you faster.

As you might have guessed I did not re-design the whole app just to add a couple of new sliders and a new design.

My plans is to fully integrate FSWizard with HSMAdvisor having them exchange tool libraries and cutting data.
Ant the core design changes that i made will allow for this work to proceed forward.

New FSWizard. Check it out if you have not already!

PS. for now the update is only available for Lite Android version of the app. FSWizard PRO Android and all version for iOS are still sporting old version. But I expect to update them within a week as well.

3D Prining is about to to take over traditional machining the same way CNC Machining took over manual machining.
Eventually 3D printing will replace casting too.

Since 3D Printing does not require complicated setup and programming, this in turn will lead to massive loss of machining-related jobs.

Read more to see if this is true!

I have done quite some work on HSMAdvisor in the last couple of weeks.

Let's just cover real quick the new things in this update.

Howdy everybody!

I hope you guys enjoyed your weekend.

Mine was a productive one.

FSWizard Online has had a big update and now Materials list contains all material groups:

There is a catch, however: In the free version, ONLY material groups are available.

To get all the avialable materials you need to go to Settings, click on the "Customer Login" button and enter your FSWizard PRO credentials.