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The defined stock in Mastecam Mill can play a couple different roles in your programming. Lets have a look the two different stock definition methods and why you would use one or the other.

The typical stock definition is done within the Properties of the selected machine. Here, on the Stock Setup page, you can define your stock using setting depending on the shape or defining method. There are options from basic rectangles and cylinders, with several functions each to describe the location, shape, and size, and the more advanced options of selecting existing solids, meshes, or external files. I would call this stock definition method the easiest only because once you set your stock here there are no other steps needed to use this stock. However, this stock is only useful for verification. If you need your stock to drive a toolpath, you will have to look at option B.

Option B is using a Stock Model to define your stock. The settings to define the size, shape and location are exactly the same as the Stock Setup method, however, here you also have a few more options as far as color, material, and you can even apply toolpaths to cut the defined stock...more on that later. This Stock Model is needed if you are wanting to have your toolpath look at stock as a machining boundary. This method will also require you to take the extra step of selecting it as the stock to use for verification if you only define stock in this manner. 

Either method for stock definition will work, just keep in mind what it is you want to do with your defined stock.

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