construction depth

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

Hi all,

Anybody know if there is a VB function to set the current construction depth?

Karl

[Thad]

I don't follow you. What would the script do? Set the depth to what?

 

Thad

[DavidB]

I'm with Thad?

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

Sorry, I did not make my self clear.

 

I need to set the construction depth to a value that I have read from a text file. I already have the actual value stored as a numeric variable.

Karl

[DavidB]

X I assune?

Hit the little Z at the bottom of the graphics window. Double click in the white space next to it and paste your figure.

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

I can do this by hand but I would like to add this function to a VB script that I am writing to run at mcam start-up.

[Thad]

Karl,

 

I've only written basic scripts myself, but maybe you can find the command (not sure if that's the right word) in the mastercam.ft file found in the root MC install directory. Open it with a text editor.

 

Thad

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

Thanks, I'm going home for the weekend right now so I will check on Monday.

Have a great weekend all

Karl

[Colin Gilchrist]

Run this command:

 

 

FUNCTION CPP "OnScreenZDepth"

SBMP 7756

LBMP 7757

INLINE

TIP 33605

END_FUNCTION

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

Thad, The mastercam.ft shows what I presume to be c language commands ( I don't know c yet!!! )

 

Colin, Is this function for a c compiler also???

 

I was hoping that there was an easy way to do it with VB.

 

Anybody know how a vb script can do this?

 

Karl

[Thad]

Karl,

 

What Colin posted was from the mastercam.ft file. In my limited script writing ability, I'd say you need something like:

 

code:

---

' -- Start Script

Call Main()

 

' ////////////////////

' Sub Declaration

' ////////////////////

Sub Main()

 

Call RunMastercamCommand ("OnScreenZDepth")

 

End Sub

---

That would only be a part of your total script. I don't know how you would incorporate it into exactly what you wanted to do. That is all written in a text editor and saved with a .vbs extension.

 

Thad

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

Did you try the SetCPlaneNumber() function?

 

from the .HTML file...

 

Void SetCPlaneNumber(

Integer (Input: new view number)

)

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

Pete, The SetCPlaneNumber() does set the plane but the goemetry I always have to modify is in the top plane just at a different "z" height. I will try to automate the entire process. I just put a fillet on two entities in the top plane. The z is based on calculations from an automaticly generated text file.

Karl

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

Karl,

My mistake....

I don't think setting the construction depth is possible in the VBScript interface. I guess no one ever asked for it before.

One "back door" approach might be to write a C-Hook to do it (is IS available in the C-Hook interface) and then call that C-Hook from your script with the VBScript RunMastercamChook() function.

[Roger Martin from CNC Software]

Karl,

 

Here is a way to do this, using Pete's' suggestion of "use a C-Hook".

A bit of a hack, but it does work.

 

The SetConstructionZ C-Hook (available on the forum FTP in the 'X2_Add_Ons' folder) does just that.

 

You call it from your VBS ->

Sub Main()

' ..code here..

' to create and 'populate' the SetZValue.txt file

RunMastercamChook("SetConstructionZ")

End Sub

 

Since you need to get the "value" that you want to set the Construction Z to, this C-Hook reads the value from a SetZValue.txt file (that you'll need to have your VBS create and populate with a single line that contains the desired value) that is assumed to be located in the "base" Mastercam folder (eg. Mcamx2)

[Karl@CP PISTONS]

Thanks for all the replies. I will try the set construction C-hook route for now. I knew there had to be an answer and it was to be found here.

 

Thanks again all

Karl