POST help needed. Please

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Greets to the group.

 

I'm woring thru a Cincinatti 5axis post for a 20v head-head style with accramatic 950 controls.

 

I'm tweeking the MPGEN5X_FANUC.PST.

 

The post is putting my set length on the K values of all the G2's and G3's. Like this:

 

G0 D1 G90 X31.1679 Y-12.0041 B0. A0. S3000 M3

Z8.5 M8

Z6.5001

G1 Z5.9166 F60.

G41 D3038 Y-11.5041 F40.

Y-10.6921

G3 X31.1287 Y-10.3663 I29.7927 J-10.6921 K2.5

X31.0752 Y-10.1743 I28.9391 J-10.8731 K2.5

G1 X31.0364 Y-10.0557

X30.9396 Y-9.9769

G2 X30.803 Y-9.6506 I31.1764 J-9.686 K2.5

G3 X30.944 Y-8.1606 I-3422.4467 J317.721 K2.5

X30.8942 Y-8.1559 I30.9191 J-8.1582 K2.5

 

 

Where is this happening in the post? All these arc's are in the XY plane and there shouldn't be any K's.

 

Many thanks for any help,

 

Dan

[Rekd™]

quote:

---

Where is this happening in the post?

---

Turn on debugging and post again, it will tell you where in the post each line comes from.

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

With these settings:

 

fastmode : 0 #Posting speed optimizition

bug1 : 2 #0=No display, 1=Generic list box, 2=Editor

bug2 : 60 #Append postline labels, non-zero is column position?

bug3 : 1 #Append whatline no. to each NC line?

bug4 : 1 #Append NCI line no. to each NC line?

whatno : yes #Do not perform whatline branches? (leave as yes)

 

 

Heres what I get:

 

G41 X-1.3396 Y-10.809 F40. plin plinout 4 50

G3 X-1.1198 Y-10.6724 I-1.4847 J-10.3306 K6. pcir pcirout 4 52

G1 X-1.1079 Y-10.6597 plin plinout 4 54

 

You can see the K6. on the G3 line but how do I tell where in the post it is getting generated from the pcir pcirout 4 52 ? I just don't understand what pcir pcirout 4 52 is telling me.

 

 

Thanks!!

 

Dan

[Lee.]

Do a search in your post for FASTMODE.

 

switch it to NO and post out.

 

It should tell you where things are going on.

[billystein]

flake,

I have a post for a snk 5 axis. maybe it would be easier to make work.

billy

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Switched FASTMODE to no. Here's what I get for the problem areas.

 

G3 X28.5194 Y-11.8328 I17.4631 J-404.303 K6. pcir pcirout 4 134

X26.2805 Y-11.7746 I10.9932 J-643.6605 K6. pcir pcirout 4 136

X26.0912 Y-11.8974 I26.2757 J-11.9746 K6. pcir pcirout 4 138

G2 X24.9842 Y-12.6342 I24.9842 J-11.4342 K6. pcir pcirout 4 140

 

 

Thats great! What the heck does pcir pcirout 4 138 mean? The pcirout section of the post doesn't point to anything that says why my set length is getting attached to the K value. The K value shouldn't even be there for a G17 arc.

 

Thanks for any help,

 

Dan

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Billy,

 

Check your email.

 

Many thanks!!

 

Dan

[Rekd™]

quote:

---

pcir pcirout

---

Are where it's coming from. Search your post for pcir and pcirout.

[Lee.]

Did you try limiting your op to XY arcs?

[crazy^millman]

They are problay coming from the PSB and guess what if that is the case you are screwed. I hope not but think you are facing one of my problems with MPGEN5AX thnigs you need to fix are locked up and guess what you can not have a key.

 

 

Good luck!!!!

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Hi Lee,

 

By limiting my arcs, we're talking about filter settings right? I get the same results with just XY arcs checked as I do with Filter not checked (off).

No luck there.

 

Rek'd,

 

Here's the pcirout section:

 

pcirout #Output to NC of circular interpolation

sav_gcode = gcode

parc_setup

pcan1, pbld, n, `sgcode, sgplane, sgabsinc, `sgfeed, pccdia,

xout, yout, zout, p_out, s_out, parcijk, `feed, strctxt, scoolant, e

gcode = sav_gcode

if nc_lout <> m_one & feed = zero, psfeederror

 

....If I get rid of the parcijk then all the arc vectors go away.

 

I dont have a pcir variable. I have a pcir0 but I cant see and correlation to the pivot length being added to the arc lines.

 

..I'm stumped!

 

Dan

[Lee.]

Dan, What about your Transition Moves?

 

Can you somehow use Broken instead of the other options?

 

Just a Thought.

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

I don't think so. I'm sure that this is a post issue and not something with a setting in the Mastercam menus. UNLESS, there is some obscure check box that say's "check here to add pivot length vector to all XY arc's". I haven't seen anything like that and I can't imagine why it would even exist. But then I'm new to 5axis post stuff.

 

...calling all post gurus....

 

Thanks for the input/help guys!!

 

Dan

[crazy^millman]

Well yes there is in the MPGEN5Ax post. Look here:

code:

---

#Tool length, typically for head/head machine, both set to zero disables

#Applied to the tool length, RA applies this along the tool

use_tlength : 0 #Use tool length, read from tool overall length

#0=Use 'toollength' var, 1=Mastercam OAL, 2=Prompt

toollength : 0 #Tool length if not read from overall length

shift_z_pvt : 2 #Shift Z by tool length, head/head program to pivot (Z axis only)

#0=Pivot, 1=Pivot-Z, 2=Tool Tip Programming (without zero length)

#Option 2, So we can still take advantage of brk_mv_head feature

add_tl_to_lim : 0 #Add tool length after intersecting limit, always

#on if limit from stock

use_g45 : 1 #Use G45 offset with right angle head (RA)

g45_of_add : 30 #Add this number to tool length no. for G45 offset number

---

If this make K I am not sure.

 

HTH

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Ron,

 

I wish it was that easy. I tried all options. It has to be set to 0 or else it ignores the pivot length and all my Z values are minus that value. That would be ugly on the machine.

 

Is there a post god that resides here that I can ping?

 

I think I'm going to put up a flag and hopefully I dont get flamed for being a pest.

 

..Still needing help here for you folks reading this. Its worth a Starbucks coffee card!! :-)

 

Dan

[crazy^millman]

My answer would be contact Gleen Stephens he is the guru when it comes to Mpgen5ax from what I understand. I will be glad to look at the file and the post if you would like. I will need all 3 the pst. , .psb and .txt.

 

hth

[crazy^millman]

Well think I got you fixed. You had this:

code:

---

shift_z_pvt : 0     #Shift Z by tool length, head/head program to pivot (Z axis only) #DEM 8-2-04

#0=Pivot, 1=Pivot-Z, 2=Tool Tip Programming (without zero length)

#Option 2, So we can still take advantage of brk_mv_head feature

---

i changed it to this and quit getting the K:

code:

---

shift_z_pvt : 1     #Shift Z by tool length, head/head program to pivot (Z axis only) #DEM 8-2-04

#0=Pivot, 1=Pivot-Z, 2=Tool Tip Programming (without zero length)

#Option 2, So we can still take advantage of brk_mv_head feature

---

I hope that solves your problem.

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

I wish it was that easy. Anything but 0 on that setting removes the Z pivot length from all the Z values. It does get rid of the bogus K's that there but the resulting program will stuff the spindle into table.

 

....still needing a fix on this one.

 

 

Thanks for the help, Ron.

 

D

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Bump for some post help. Any takers?

[Storkman]

I think Ron is right. The change needs to be made in the .psb file. And seeing how I can't get in there, we might bw screwed on this one.

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Ok. Lets get me clear on this .psb file thing.

 

...well after some reading it seems that it contains code that helps calculate 'some' of the 5axis code.

 

I thought I read somewhere that the .psb file was the .pst file turned into binary and locked for safe keeping. IOW its the same thing as the .pst file just different look.

 

So I did an experiment: I cut the .psb file from the folder that has the .pst and .txt file and posted an operation. I got the 'error opening .psb file' BUT the NC code looked the same. I still get the friggin K's on my G2 and G3 lines.

 

Wouldn't that point to the .pst file causing the problem?

 

AND....I was always under the impression that the MPGEN5X_FANUC.PST was intended to be 100% customizable by the Mastercam user. Is this not the case?

 

Maybe I'm being cynical but this is starting to feel like a scheme to force me to pay a post guy anywhere from $700 to $2500 for a 'good' post.

 

AND....(huff) why does the post CD I got from my reseller not have hardly any 5axis help?

 

I can't be the only programmer that's felt (feeling) frustration over this 5ax post thing. I've read stories that say that it's a bitch but now.....

 

Ok. Enough rant from me.

 

Can you guy's that have dome 5ax posts relate or do I just need to regroup here?

 

Thanks again for all the advise and help.

 

Dan

[jplecan]

I recall trying to work with the MPgen5ax post, and my workaround was to perform a Z offset with my NC text editor to change all the Z values after posting to get what I wanted, I could never figure how to do it within the post.

Jim

[crazy^millman]

I have complained and complained and yes you are stuck to getting soemone to do a 5 axis post for money bottom line. When a post does not work in Mastercam it keep a copy of the post is a secert place so the code you see if from the good post not the post where you took out the .psb . I know this through the many post mods I have done over the years. You would be best to start from scratch if you are going to have a usable fully customizable post bottom line. I think X will make 5 axis work more user friendly but that is some time off IMHO. Have you looked at the powerpoint for the MPGEN5Ax on the FTP it does a good job of covering the post. It might be of some help. The post Cd will do you very little good with the MPGEN5AX post.

 

Sorry but been there been there been there and been there some mosr and you are in what I call the black hole of Mastercam. It kills me that they have such ability with the program to do 5 axis work but CNC software chooses yes I say chooses to shot themselves in the foot by not making a fully customizable 5 axis post for those of us who want and feel they need that ability rant I have ranted and guess what it does no good so I will ask this how much time have you wasted where the machine could be running. At $75 and hour in just 33 hours of down time you poai for the post but it all reality 17 hours paid for it becuase that is 17 hours of the 33 you could be putting on another job. I want the ability to do what I want to the post but $2500 is the grand scheme of things for a $300,000 to $1,000,000 machine to sit is pennines in the bucket!!!!!

[jplecan]

Dan,

The best 5 axis post help resource is a Powerpoint presentation on the ftp site in the text&post&misc folder. the file is called 5 Axis Generic Post.ppt written by Glenn Stephens. Hope this helps.

Jim

[Metal Flake (clocked in)]

Thanks. I have it. I'll go over it again.

 

Dan