X Style Coolant

[Mick]

Ok, I'm sure I have asked this before, but I can't remember the answer..

 

I want to force the position of the coolant command output, using X Style coolant, in a post. Can I do this? Using the old style coolant I can do so, but I can't find where I can force it out. Basically, I want it to ignore the parameter setting of before/with/after, and plonk it at the end of the line containing the length offset call, or a line by itself for a null tc.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

I should do that too. The extra click for each and every toolpath adds up to a lot of time.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Mick,

 

X Style coolant uses the Canned Text function to control where the coolant is output. You must use the Before, With, or After setting.

 

Before will output a separate line of NC code (containing your "On" Mcodes). The location of that line is controlled with the placement of 'pcan'.

 

With will build a string (strcantext) and output those codes on the same output line, using 'pcan1'. This basically lets you 'append' the M codes on an existing output line.

 

After will output a separate line of NC code, using 'pcan2'. Note that 'pcan2' is called automatically from 'pcom_movea', so you'll need to remove the post block call from 'pcom_movea', and put it in yourself if you choose to go that route.

 

Regardless of how you handle this, you will always have to select one of the options: Before, With, or After, and your choice will determine which Canned Text Post Block is used.

 

BTW, we covered this in one of the Office Hours sessions in MP101. You might want to go back and review those videos. (We showed moving 'pcan2' to control the placement of X Style coolant codes.)

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

You might want to go back and review those videos.

 

Could you post a link to those videos please? A quick search didn't turn them up.

[Matthew Hajicek - Singularity]

I commented out "pcan" and added it just before "pcan2" in "ptlchg_com" and it seems to be working. Now I can leave it at the default "before" and still get the output I want. I'm sure those videos would still be quite informative though.

 

Thanks.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Matthew,

 

The videos I was referring to are part of an online class I teach called MP 101. Mick is a student in my class, and the videos I referred to are part of the course. To get access to the videos, you would need to take the class. You can get more information about the class at www.eapprentice.net if you are interested.

 

Moving 'pcan' is exactly the way you should handle moving the coolant option with X style coolant, but it also depends on if you use Canned Text for anything else in your post. If not, then that is exactly what you should do.

 

Keep in mind that you will still get a separate line of NC code for the coolant commands with 'pcan' or 'pcan2'.

[Mick]

Thanks Colin. I'll check out the video. I'm a bit behind the eight ball, because of a) illness, and timezones. Thats life, and I am living it by video at the moment LOL

 

Am I able to make the post ignore, or more precisely, force, the selection of Before/With/After, and therefore alter the position through the post?

[Colin Gilchrist]

No worries Mick, I know the time zone thing is a pain.

 

The Before/With/After settings are written to the NCI file in the 1025 line. Can you get around it? Sure, but it is easier to just work with how it is designed.

 

Since you don't want to worry about setting it, just use the default setting of "Before", and move the 'pcan' line to where you want the coolant output. Just realize that if you do that, you are basically breaking the Canned Text functionality for anything besides X Style coolant...

[Mick]

That is no problem, I don't use canned text for anything else. I did just modify it, and it works nicely.

 

However, (hah, there is always a however), if I choose to switch on multiple coolant codes at once (say I needed M8, M51 and M120 together), is there any way to make it output them on the same line (the Okumas are happy with multiple M codes on one line).

 

With the pcan moved, it outputs the M8 on the G56 Z* H* length offset call line, so that is right, but the M51 is output on a line by itself after that, and then the M120 is output on a line by itself after the M51:

 

G56 Z3. H25 M8

M51

M120

G1 Z-1. F300.

 

It is too bad the old style coolant doesn't support more than three options. It sure is a little easier to work with...

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Mick,

 

To get output all on one line, you'll need to make the logic in 'pcan' match the logic in 'pcan1'. This means you'll need to build up a string (strcantext), and include both the 'pcan' and 'strcantext' on the same output line. I can talk about this during Office Hours.

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[Mick]

Thanks for your help Colin, I appreciate it.

 

Is office hours today (tonight for you?). I may try and sneak away to check that out. Bandwidth out here isn't so great.

 

I did actually manage to fix it though. Seems I do know some beans after all.. LOL. There is one issue though. If for example, M8, and M12 both switch off with M9 and eg M120 switches off with M121, on the retract I get M9 M9 M121, instead of M9 M121. I'm guessing I need to put a bit more logic in there to handle that.