Any way to insert formulas into Active Reports setup sheets?

[nholcom]

I'm running into an issue with my setup sheet where I need to put something called chip load into my parts list. I looked through the XML files generated by the secret handshake and I didn't see anything about chip load, but I did see something about chip break. I'm not super knowledgeable about the CNC side of things, so I googled the formula for chip load and got this:

chipLoad = feedRateInchesPerMinute / (RPM * numFlutes)

And while that's fine and dandy, I don't know how to put that into my setup sheet. I know there's FPT and SFM for mill operations, but from my understanding that doesn't necessarily apply to a lathe, and my setup sheet is a Mill Turn setup sheet that I found from eMastercam. I got it to look pretty good, all things considered:

There's a few issues, as you can see:

1.) Program Number is not populating for lathe. It populates for mill, however.

2.) It looks kind of bland. Like there isn't much information about the operations, their duration, or the feeds and speeds. I know there needs to be more here; I'm just not sure what to add.

I know that there's a lot I don't know about the CNC world, but I hope to start learning more as I work on things in the field, so to speak. Thanks for your time, have a great day.

[nholcom]

Hi again,

I completely forgot there was a Script section here in the Active Reports editor. Is there any way I could write a C# script to calculate the chip load and insert it as a field in the Active Report? Right now I just have some super barebone code:

 

public double ActiveReport_ReportStart(){
	double feedRateInMin = //put feedrate here;
	double rpm = //put rpm here;
	int numFlutes = //put num flutes here;

	double result = feedRateInMin / (rpm * numFlutes)

	return result;
}

Where do I go from here?

[rgrin]

You should be able to pull the Feed per tooth straight from the Mastercam operation.

[nholcom]

3 hours ago, rgrin said:

You should be able to pull the Feed per tooth straight from the Mastercam operation.

Thank you for answering. I tried to pull the FPT from a subreport so I can get to the FPT field, but there's a huge issue- when I add the second subreport, it gives me a blank screen. So in other words, this:

my main sheet - OP Tool List (MT) short.rpx

My first setup sheet calls -OP Tool List (OPERATION) short.rpx, which looks like this:

my other setup sheet, -Setup Sheet (MILL-FILE).rpx

...produces this on render:

It's just a completely blank screen. But when I remove the second subreport, this is what I get:

 

AND EVEN SO, I got this to print out before with both sheets somehow, but the second sheet didn't have information in it. It just had the template of what it was supposed to look like with all fields except the toolpath name blank.

Any insight into this, however small it may be, is much appreciated. Thanks again.

[rgrin]

I'm fairly lost when it comes to setting up new sheets in active reports since I've got mine setup the way I like.

It appears the default setup sheet (mill) report has FPT displayed. You might be able to track down how they did by going through that one?

In the -Setup Sheet (MILL-TOOL) rpx file, they have FPT datafield listed as OTI-FPT. Maybe try that?

[cruzila]

OTI-FPT will give the chipload from the tool description. OOI-FPT or just FTP will give you the operation chipload. I would suggest just adding a field in the operation file so it generates for each operation. I recently updated my sheet to add some fields. I.E. XY stock Z step

Edit: added a pic

[nholcom]

Thanks for all the replies. I ended up going with the Mill 2 setup sheet and I got a lot of fields down:

 

Here you can see the checkboxes I added, plus SFM and RPM (thanks rgrin!). I think my main problem now is styling.

 

That being said, I wanted to say that I do understand this a little better. When people were saying that the naming convention was important, they weren't kidding. The name in parentheses is the XML tag that the interpreter goes down to. It's almost like you're peeling back layers of an onion, except you can't really go back up, but you can dig deeper down.

Another thing I'd like to say is that I still have 0 clue how to use the scripting section. If anyone has any experience with that, please advise. I think it would be a great idea to write some unofficial documentation on this so that everyone can start writing ActiveReports, because when you start to dig down deep and really learn how it works over the course of a few weeks or so, you really start to have fun making things your own and figuring stuff out.

Suffice it to say, I got most of my setup sheet done thanks to this forum and thanks to everyone's help. I really appreciate it.

[rgrin]

Happy to help.  I think you're probably at the same knowledge level I am as far as the Reports Designer goes.  I never got past the "just modify an existing one" stage.

[nholcom]

That's totally fair given the state of active reports, lol. There's not a lot of documentation on it and it would definitely help people like us who want to edit setup sheets but don't really know how. Most of what I know is from scouring forum posts and reading the ActiveReports help online. And as for getting past a stage, well, I don't know if stages of knowledge really exist. It's all one fluid experience where you consistently build on things. That goes for anything, not just learning ActiveReports.

That being said, thanks for the help.

[Kyle F]

On 4/18/2024 at 7:11 AM, rgrin said:

Happy to help.  I think you're probably at the same knowledge level I am as far as the Reports Designer goes.  I never got past the "just modify an existing one" stage.

Hahaha that's exactly what I have done. It's painfully annoying trying to even get my modifications to go as I'd like. I've thought about trying to convince the boss man to get Varco Reports. I have heard great things about it.

http://varcoreporting.com/

I can see they already have feed/tooth shown 

 

[nholcom]

On 4/19/2024 at 5:38 PM, Kyle F said:

Hahaha that's exactly what I have done. It's painfully annoying trying to even get my modifications to go as I'd like. I've thought about trying to convince the boss man to get Varco Reports. I have heard great things about it.

http://varcoreporting.com/

I can see they already have feed/tooth shown 

 

I've heard about Varco Reports and I gotta say, they look really nice. I can't imagine the amount of work needed to make this look so good! I did end up getting the feed/tooth by just recycling a demo report. I think that's the way to go if you're wanting to make a setup sheet; just use an existing one and modify it to the best of your ability. Or yknow, just go with Varco, lol.

[nperry]

I'm attaching an old tips and tricks page that used to be on CNC software's website. Might still be but when I search I can't find it.

The first section, structure, is the most important and helpful part. 

ActiveReports Tips-Tricks.docx

[nperry]

Went to add an edit and couldn't, but this should've gone with above post.

 

So, OP, when you get blank pages like that it's typically because you aren't following the correct structure. It's difficult for me to make sense of the structure you have in place right now. My main sheet is (FILE), which calls (MILL-FILE), which calls (MILL-TOOLS), which calls (MILL-TOOL). 

Assuming you have (FILE) shown, you're then calling (FILE) and (MILL FILE) in the same report. Then one each of those calling (OPERATION) and (MILL  TOOLS). I don't think that structure is agreeable.

I think you need to be (FILE) - (MILL-FILE) and have that calling both (OPERATION) and (MILL TOOLS).