Post questions

[Bob W.]

I am running a demo of Predator software for NC machine simulation and I need my post to create a comment header like this:

 

(BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)

(MCH_FILE=3AXVMILL.MCH)

(MTOOL T01 S1 D2 H10)

(MTOOL T02 S4 D3 A118 H10)

(SBOX X0 Y0 Z-30 L50 W50 H20)

(COORD_SYS 1= X0 Y0 Z0)

(END PREDATOR NC HEADER)

 

This will allow Predator to scan the program and automatically create the required tools and stock for the simulation. Anyone know how I can get my post to do this? Also, I noticed that my post is version MP v8.1. Does this need to be updated? I noticed the latest MPMASTER is MP v11.0.

 

Thanks,

Bob

[Guest]

I "think" the MPMaster still has coded into to it the outline for outputting the Predator info, download and check it out

[Colin Gilchrist]

MPMaster has all the output for Vericut or Predator built right in. There is a switch in the general output settings called "tool_table". Setting it to a value of 2 outputs a tool table at the top with all the setup info needed for Virtual CNC.

[Bob W.]

During Predator training this afternoon we tried the modification to the current MPMASTER post and the output wasn't quite right. It would not translate correctly in Predator but it was better than nothing.

[Bob W.]

One problem is that the MPMASTER post is leaving out the line

 

(MCH_FILE=3AXVMILL.MCH)

 

which tells it that this is a 3 axis job. It also posts the rest of the information on one line where Predator is looking for each tool to have its own line as above. Other than that I have it working.

[Bob W.]

Here is the post section I am looking at. It goes on with several more tools but this gives an idea...

 

if t$ >= zero,

[

# CENTER DRILL

if tool_typ$ = 1, scomm_str, "MTOOL ", *t$," S4"," ", *tldia_pred, " ", *tip_angle, " ", *flute_len, scomm_end

# SPOT DRILL

if tool_typ$ = 2, scomm_str, "MTOOL ", *t$," S4"," ", *tldia_pred, " ", *tip_angle, " ", *flute_len, scomm_end

# DRILL

if tool_typ$ = 3, scomm_str, "MTOOL ", *t$, " ", *tldia_pred, " ", *tip_angle, " ", *flute_len, " S4", scomm_end

# TAP-RH

if tool_typ$ = 4,

[

if tip_angle <= 179, scomm_str, "MTOOL ", *t$, " ", *tldia_pred, " ", *tip_angle, " ", *flute_len, " S4", scomm_end

else, scomm_str, "MTOOL ", *t$, " ", *tldia_pred, " ", "A179.", " ", *flute_len, " S4", scomm_end

]

[Bob W.]

Any ideas?

 

Thanks,

Bob

[crazy^millman]

Put a , e$ after the scomm_end and see if that makes them lines instead of together. Like so scomm, e$.

 

HTH

[crazy^millman]

Bump for Bob.

[Colin Gilchrist]

Find the post block that is outputting the (BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)comment.

 

You will need to add a line like this:

 

code:

---

"(BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)", e$

"(MCH_FILE=3AXVMILL.MCH)", e$ <== You will need a line like this one.

---

You could also use a misc. integer as a switch to control the comment output for 3 or 5 axis programs. Something like this?

 

code:

---

if mi8$ = 1, ["(MCH_FILE=3AXVMILL.MCH)", e$]

 

else, ["(MCH_FILE=5AXVMILL.MCH)", e$]

---

In that case, the post is checking the value of Miscellaneous integer #8 and if the value is equal to one, it outputs the 3 axis machine comment. If the value of misc. integer is anything besides one, it outputs a 5 axis machine comment.

 

What machines do you have and what different combinations of output do you need?