Versions 1.6.3 through 1.6.6 address a range of practical turning problems: toolpath generation, multi-project work, and controlling how the tool behaves at vertical walls. The latest version adds the essentials: CAM works for both channels, stock can be defined as a cylinder without drawing a DXF, and you can control exactly how the generated program looks.
New CAM dialog (4 tabs) and presets
The CAM dialog for roughing and finishing toolpaths has been split into 4 tabs: contour, strategy, tool, and output. Each tab holds only what belongs there, so the dialog is less cluttered and faster to navigate.
The dialog header now has a preset menu: save the complete setup (e.g. "OD roughing steel") under a name and load it with one click. Settings are remembered even after Regenerate. A new CAM operation automatically suggests the next free T number (T0303, T0404…). X allowance and U retract are entered per side (radius), which is how CNC programmers normally work with these values.
Regenerate replaces the old toolpath block in one step; Undo restores the previous paths. The CAM Grooving dialog got the same treatment (3 tabs, presets, Recent/My tools).
CAM settings dialog
The ⚙ CAM settings dialog in the Misc menu covers two areas: G-code output formatting and safe positions for tool changes.
The Shorter G-code toggle removes the header, parameter line, section comments and blank lines in one click. If you want to keep some of them, each part can be controlled individually: the long comment in the header, the parameter line (nose radius, depth of cut, feed, allowance), section comments at the finishing pass and other segments, and blank lines between blocks.
The Comment style option handles the control system. With Control default, Fanuc gets parentheses and Siemens and Fagor get a semicolon; alternatively you can force a specific format. With a shortened header the tip code P, needed by the simulation, is appended to the holder comment so it is not lost.
The CAM: and CAM end: markers remain in the code in all cases so that Regenerate Toolpath continues to work. The Defaults button restores the original settings and changes take effect in newly generated code.
The approach X and Z positions after a tool change are calculated by CAM from the stock, workpiece and contour: diameter plus margin, face plus margin. The margins are set in CAM settings, defaulting to 20 mm on the diameter and 10 mm in Z before the face.
If the machine does not use G28 reference return, you can set a custom home position (Position before the tool change (no G28)), optionally directly in machine coordinates via Write in machine coordinates (G53). This position is then used before every tool change.
At the end of an operation with a tool change, the tool returns to its starting position: G28 U0 W0, on Siemens SUPA G0 G28 X0 Z0, or to the custom home position. The line is inserted just before CAM end, so Regenerate rewrites it together with the block. Parking is on by default and is turned off in CAM settings. It applies to roughing, drilling and grooving.
Dual-channel CAM (CH1 + CH2)
The simulator supported two channels from the start, but toolpaths were generated for one channel only. Now CAM generates toolpaths for both CH1 and CH2, so the full workflow from DXF through CAM to synchronised simulation of both channels runs in a single application.
The CAM dialogs (roughing, grooving, drilling) now include a channel selector. Before generating a toolpath you choose whether it goes to CH1 or CH2. Stock and workpiece can be a separate DXF for each channel (Separate per channel), or a single shared one (Shared CH1+CH2). When importing a workpiece, the option Use for both channels (CH1 and CH2) is available and the application remembers the choice until the next import.
Each channel has its own workpiece zero point. CH2 inherits the zero from CH1 until you set its own. The contour stays where it is and the CH2 program is recalculated against its zero.
The Z direction is set in the DXF panel (◀ Z− (left) or Z− ▶ (right)). On opposed-spindle machines the second channel has a mirrored Z direction and the CAM output is converted to its coordinate frame automatically. The Z ruler and tool-change positions apply separately for each channel.
A finished program block can be Regenerated into the second channel, so you do not need to re-enter the operation. For drilling, drills in the +Z direction were added and the drill is checked against the full DXF workpiece.
No Dragging: insert edge stays clear of vertical walls
When turning a flat face next to a cylindrical diameter, the insert edge contacts the perpendicular wall and slides along it instead of cutting. The result is poor surface quality and shortened insert life.
No Dragging handles this: as the tool approaches a vertical wall it stops short of the wall (adjustable clearance, default 0.8 mm), retracts, and re-cuts the wall with a return pass away from it (back in Z) with an overlap (default: nose radius). Fillets between the diameter and the wall are handled in reverse.
Works during roughing, semi-finish and finishing passes. Dialog parameters: wall clearance, overlap, angle limit (the function activates only below it), and insert edge angle (if left empty, taken from the tool).
Cylindrical stock without DXF (Misc → Stock)
For a standard bar or a cut-off piece you do not need to draw a DXF. In Misc → Stock you enter the stock by diameter and length and the application creates a cylinder from it.
Zero is at the face and on the axis by default, material extends in the minus Z direction. The zero point and offsets can be shifted. The DXF panel has a toggle Import from DXF / Define cylinder; applying the cylinder replaces the DXF stock and vice versa, and the application warns you. The dimensions are saved in the .mpcnc project file, so the stock is in place when you reopen it.
This is the fastest way to start a simulation with material whenever the stock has no special geometry.
Rest stock and From previous operations
Roughing can start only from the material that actually remains, skipping unnecessary air passes between operations.
The "From previous operations" button uses the simulated stock state after all previous tools in the same channel. It is on by default for the second operation. After loading a stock DXF, CAM opens directly on the rest stock with the blank contour, and Stock and Workpiece views switch on automatically.
For ID (internal) roughing: starts from the existing bore, including the drill tip. Typical case: roughing with right-hand tool on CH1, second roughing with left-hand tool on CH2. CH2 wastes no time in air and avoids collision with remaining material.
Face turning: pass continues to the bore
When facing (X direction, OD) with material from previous operations, the passes continue to the nearest bore, not just to the edge of the selected contour. The roughing pass extends past the edge by the nose radius so no burr is left on the bore wall. The entire remaining face is cleaned in one operation with no steps.
CAM Grooving: RMPX and minimum groove width
Two new features in the CAM Grooving dialog:
- RMPX (maximum ramp angle): the lead-in and lead-out follow the contour instead of a steep plunge the holder cannot handle. Both roughing and finishing respect the ramp reach from the catalog. Works in "Finishing pass only" mode as well.
- Minimum groove width: grooves narrower than the set value are skipped; the dialog shows a warning that the groove should be handled by the next tool.
Angled lead-in and negative Z clearance
- Z clearance can be negative. The approach plane shifts inside the contour, so finishing and rest roughing start close to the material with no wasted air cutting.
- Angled lead-in: the approach is a single diagonal G1 move at an adjustable angle instead of "rapid + perpendicular plunge". New parameter: Lead-in height (mm above the contour) and a separate lead-in feed (the finishing feed resumes after the lead-in).
- Finish pass direction is selectable: same as roughing / opposite / same as contour. In G41/G42 mode the contour can also be traversed in reverse.
Project tabs
Multiple projects open at the same time: tabs in the application header, a dot on tabs with unsaved changes, "+" for a new tab, drag a file onto the header to open it as a tab. Each tab has its own Undo/Redo history. When closing a tab or quitting with unsaved changes, a dialog appears: Save and close / Close without saving / Cancel.
A .mpcnc project file can also be opened by dragging it into the application window. Each tab also remembers its own view state: stock and workpiece visibility and hidden tools, so switching between projects resets nothing.
Tool colors and editor improvements
Tool colors: right-click the T button (T0101…) → change color. The color appears in the minimap and in the Setup Sheet. Red is reserved for G0.
Editor: optional red G0 highlighting (Settings → Editor), right-click → Regenerate Toolpath, Undo/Redo works even after Regenerate.
DXF overlay: measurement and layer appearance
The ruler snaps to DXF geometry as well, meaning to the workpiece and the stock, not only to the toolpath. If both are at the same point, the toolpath takes priority.
A DXF layer can have its colour and opacity set (Appearance, Line colour, Opacity from 10 to 100 %). Where workpiece and stock overlap it is finally clear which is which. The Default button restores the original appearance.
Numeric fields in the DXF offset accept a typed 0.1 as well as a comma from the numeric keypad.
Inch support (mm / inch)
The application now works in both millimetres and inches. The unit is set by the program (G20 = inches, G21 = mm; Siemens: G70 / G71), or by the switch in Settings → Units. In inch mode, all CAM inputs, Machine Config, the generated G-code (header G20, 4 decimal places), DXF import/export, calculators and Setup Sheet use inches.
ANSI inserts (e.g. CNMG 432, CCMT 32.51) are automatically recognized and mapped to their ISO equivalent. Holder, collision check and Setup Sheet work without changes. Fractional, number and letter drills are also supported. The .mpcnc project file stores the unit.
Semi-finish and consistent roughing
Semi-finish pass: one pass with allowance after roughing, following the surface roughing left behind and evening out stair-steps before the final finish. Works for OD and ID, on by default.
Consistent roughing: the set depth of cut is never exceeded anywhere on the contour. The grid is re-anchored for each interval separately; redundant extra passes are eliminated. Tool load stays even and the generated program is shorter.
Further improvements
- Automatic Stock from DXF collision check: loading a DXF stock now switches collision check on automatically.
- Keyboard shortcuts: assignable for display toggles, playback controls, CAM tools and project management.
- Project buttons (Open / Save / Save As) in the header, right-click CAM context menu on the canvas.
- DXF overlay: the overlay settings now include a Z- direction option, allowing correct contour alignment when the coordinate system is oriented in reverse.
- When a program contains internal tools, the workpiece is drawn around the bore wall and the excess stock inside, so drilling and boring are visible in the simulation as they actually happen.