New to working with Posts

[sflow25]

Hi All,

 

I am an instructor/Tech support and I am getting more and more calls about editing posts. I've been reading over the MP post processor reference guide which is helpful, however, as some one who is unfamiliar with post language, I still have a ton of questions.

 

For example, in the book it doesn't specify what a dollar sign "$" does to a line of code and when you're supposed to use them, or a pound sign "#". I am just looking for a guide that will truly start me from scratch because I am sure a lot of this is just common knowledge when it comes to coding.

 

Thanks!

[Guest]

Seems to me if you're tech support for a reseller, that should be where you start asking some of these questions.

 

There are Post Processor classes available at CNC I'm sure your employer would pay to have you take

[EX-wccprogrammer]

The majority of the guide was written for V9, which did not use the '$' on the variables. I believe '#' has been used for a long time, though.

 

The short answer is.... '$' has been reserved for system calculated variables. Do not try to use them anywhere else, you will get an error. '#' is the symbol that tells the post to stop reading a line. Any comments or other information after this symbol will be skipped. It is handy to suppress test code when modifying a post.

[sflow25]

JP - I do plan on taking classes at CNC, however, none are available in the very near future. I will surely jump into one of those classes when they become avaliable, my boss would be happy to send me. I am just trying to dabble since this holiday week is slower than molasses for tech support. I have a great post guy here to work with too. But I learn better through literature, and his pre-verison 9 book isn't helping all that much.

 

EX- Thanks for the response, I would really like if they had simple definitions like that in the MPref guide!

[EX-wccprogrammer]

If you are reading a book (not the PDF portfolio), that would explain why you are so lost.

 

You will need (NEED) to get the full portfolio in PDF form if you want to make sense of current posts. Ask your boss to get you a copy.

[sflow25]

I am reading both. I started off the old book and I have been reading the PDFs this morning.

[Colin Gilchrist]

As mentioned, we offer Post Processor training for free to our Resellers here at CNC Software in Connecticut. In addition, I also teach an online Post class through www.eapprentice.net, but that class does cost money (although it is very cheap for what you get), and is not directly affiliated with CNC Software.

[MSL]

I am reading both. I started off the old book and I have been reading the PDFs this morning.

 

I highly recommend the post processor courses from eapprentice.net. Lots of good information.

[Guest]

Colin knows his stuff. There's a very small handful of guys I'd take a post class from and he's one of 'em.

[Ben Wood]

It would be nice if Mastercam included a very basic post editing guide to help people get started. I could have saved many hours when I first started. I found some good info in this thread http://www.emasterca...showtopic=70429

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Ben,

 

We do have extensive documentation available for post editing. This is the MP Documentation Portfolio. Please contact your Reseller so they can provide you with a copy. I don't believe there is a "basic post editing guide", but if you start with Volume 1 of the Post Reference Guide, it will start at the beginning and does a good job of explaining how posts work, and how the MP Language works. This guide is not distributed with the normal Mastercam installation so that we can help prevent piracy.

 

If you are the kind of person that does well with "figuring it out" on your own, then the MP Documentation Portfolio is a great place to start.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Colin

[Ben Wood]

The MP Documentation Portfolio would likely have been a huge help. I still plan on asking for it but I will wait tell money isn't so tight. I wasn't really supposed to be editing posts when I first started so getting the file would have been tough.