Extend/Shorten Contour = added code?

[Scott Garrison@Weiler Engineering]

I noticed when if you use the extend start/end of contour that the code will be 3 x-moves instead of combining them into 1. Is there any easy way the post can combine these into just one x-move?

 

I know my horizontal guys will look askance at this.

[Justin Beebe at Folsom Tool]

Scott,

 

This may not be the answer you are looking for but if you extend your geometry instead of using "extend start/end of contour" it will achieve what you want.

[Goldorak]

join entities also help !!

[jeff]

quote:

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I noticed when if you use the extend start/end of contour that the code will be 3 x-moves instead of combining them into 1. Is there any easy way the post can combine these into just one x-move?

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This is a pet peeve of mine also

 

I don't think there is a fix for this.

At least in V9 anyway.

[Scott Garrison@Weiler Engineering]

Jeff, I think your right. This is an internal .NCI function. The only way is to draw the full line and noth use extend/shorten.

 

I hate ugly code!!! And also, if the operator is single blocking through the program it will stop on the part (face milling) twice. Maybe they don't know that this is annoying to programmers/operators?

 

Where do you send product enhancement requests to CNC Software?

[Thad]

quote:

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Where do you send product enhancement requests to CNC Software?

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QC-at-mastercam-dot-com

 

Scott,

 

An idea that was brought up in the past was to write logic into your post to check for movement in the other axes. If none, then output the final location. I think there was also something to do with vectors, so it would work on angular moves also. Either way, I don't know how to do this and I'm not sure if anyone has been successful.

 

This has been asked here many times since the extend/shorten feature came out (V9.1, I think). Try a search and see what you can find. Maybe enough to set you down the right path.

 

Thad

[Randy Morton @ Clem Industrial]

This has bothered me for a long time too. X2 MR2 and it still does it Agreed with the 'hate ugly code' Useless steps. I just go to leadin/out and (for facemilling) type in 65 % of my cutter then cancel the leadin/out and add that amound (3.25" for a 5" facemill) to my geom. Annoying, but what ya gonna do?

[mike_f]

The interesting thing ( at least to me ) is that this works in Lathe. if you extend your contour in the lead in / lead out field in a lathe app. it only outputs (1) move.

[Lee.]

Just curious, why does it matter on the new faster controls?

[mayday]

this is an old Operator B!tch complaint to me

the fix?

 

shut up and hit the green thing.

 

who has time to read code anyhow wif all the good pictures on the internet ?

[Scott Garrison@Weiler Engineering]

Like I said before, if the operator is single blocking thru the 1st run and is not expecting 3 moves where only 1 is necessary in my case, the facemill will stop over the part and leave dwell marks. Now this might be a minor thing but it depends on the surface finish requirements.

 

It's just something that when this function was added the software jockey said, 3-moves, who cares. Trouble is that odds are that software jockey never made a chip in his life so to him it didn't matter but to the operator it could.

 

Also, not everthing in the machining world depends on the processor speed of the control. In the 3d world yes but in 2-1/2D processor speed means diddley.

 

We have a 27 year olf Fanuc 3000C that still get's the job done day in & day out and it doesn't even have work coordinates, look-ahead capability or helical interpolation.

 

I wi

[Guest]

quote:

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if the operator is single blocking thru the 1st run

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Gee guess the operator doesn't trust you, huh?

 

 

[Lee.]

I could see this on one sample, or something, but production, you should know by then what it is going to do.

 

Just a thought.

[Hardmill]

quote:

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shut up and hit the green thing.

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PEACE

[iowajim62]

quote:

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Like I said before, if the operator is single blocking thru the 1st run and is not expecting 3 moves where only 1 is necessary in my case,

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I as the programmer will show him on screen and in code what it will do and then the operator doesn't go WTF is wrong wif dis programmer.

[Scott Garrison@Weiler Engineering]

We have highly skilled operators that don't just put on their crash helmet & hit the "green thingy". We machine very large castings & weldments that aren't cheap. It's not like you just go to the saw and cut off a another chunk and try again. So yes, if the operators desire to single block through who can blame them? It's their arse if its scrapped.

 

Think about it, if you have a facemill and you are single blocking through, wouldn't you expect it to go across the part in one block of code? I would. If it didn't I'd say what the #$$% is this?

 

That said,

 

I just think that with the amazing 3d stuff Mastercam is capable of wouldn't you think it could do something as simple as this?

I don't think it gets much simpler. It's similar to arc filtering but with lines.

 

I know it can be done it's just not enough people have squawked about it. The sqeaky wheel gets the grease.

[Programinator]

i too like to see clean code and hate this stoping at the end of the lead extend. I used to just extend the geo but found it took to long so i use extend in lead in lead out. It makes me scratch my head bloody. Why cant the mcam programmers just change it. Just do it.

[Guest]

quote:

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Why cant the mcam programmers just change it. Just do it.

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http://plugin.smileycentral.com/http%253A%252F%252Fwww.smileycentral.com%252F%253Fpartner%253DZSzeb008%255FZNfox000%2526i%253D36%252F36%255F1%255F4%2526feat%253Dprof/page.html' target="_blank">

 

 

I'd much rather have them paying attention to ALOT of other things than something that makes nothing better.

[daryl_y]

Single blocking entire programs is just not an effecient way to prove out new programs. Either just just show them what the program is doing by using verify or get a demo version of Mastercam from your reseller and put on a computer on the floor. Give your operators a little training and they can run the part in verify and see what the program is doing themselves without having to single block it.

[BrianP.]

Scott,

Couldn't agree with you more. As a machinist who has learned Mastercam second I couldn't even begin to count the dollar value of scrap I would have made if I just "shut up and hit the green thing". I have been screamed at for NOT dry running a part. A programmer can pick a wrong line or type in a bad z depth as easy as anyone else. It saves not only parts but tools and machines to say nothing of the safety issue.

[gcode]

It depends on the file.. Its not practical

to single block through 500K worth of high speed roughing, but its foolish not to single block

the approach moves on a new program or setup.

I've seen WAY more crashes from bad tool and

work ofsets that bad moves in NC files.

 

On the original subject,

I don't like extra blocks of code and frequently take the time to write my files to avoid them.

This is especially true with lathe files on large castings. The setup man may need to edit

approach and exit moves so I try to make it as easy as possible.

With a 500K high speed rough toolpath, the extra code is irrelevant and I don't worry about it.

[William Grizwald]

>>i too like to see clean code and hate this stoping at the end of the lead extend. I used to just extend the geo but found it took to long so i use extend in lead in lead out. It makes me scratch my head bloody. Why cant the mcam programmers just change it. Just do it.<<

 

Shawn it IS possible to have a post remove redundant moves. It's fairly complex though. The issue is it must internally post twice. Once to load buffers - the second to remove duplicate moves in those buffers. This is what I'm told from CNC Software.

 

--

Bill

[Programinator]

bill.

 

Id like to know exactly how to do that. But to tell you the truth its really not a huge deal for me since im the only one setting up the jobs but if we ever get a setup guy where i work then it might be of more use.

[DavidB]

I'd like to see the Lead in/out moves as 1 line of code also.

I agrre with you toatally Scott

[Scott Garrison@Weiler Engineering]

Thanks David,

 

If Mastercam can filter splines into arcs, I would think adding a filter for linear contouring would be a piece of cake. All it has to do is a vector compare and if they are equal then output the last coordinate. Sound like it is working in Lathe. I bet it is because if you have a parts catcher, on a cut-off move there is an M code for the catcher, extra moves would screw the timing up. I had this problem with Gibbscam a long time ago.

 

As far as it being functionally NO different, that depends which side of the code you are sitting. I always think of the set-up man as my customer and if something bothers him, then it bothers me (within reason of course). I will just have to alert them about this idiosyncrasy of mcam's and hope they change it in the future.

 

No big deal, I just wanted to know if this bothered anyone else.

 

My 2 cents.