Custom Tool Plane Menu?

[Paul McGarr]

Mastercam Version 9

 

I use tool planes when I program. I would like to be able to pick tool planes such as "back", "left", "bottom", etc. from the tool plane menu. It seems time consuming to have to select "number" and type "4" for bottom.

 

I would also implement this to Gview and Cplane menus as well.

 

I would like the menu to contain the following values...

Top

Bottom

Front

Back

Left

Right

 

Is this possible?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[Roger Peterson]

If you click on the WCS and then you can right click on any of the standard system views and set current: gview, cplane, tplane, cplane & tplane, or all.

 

hope this helps

[KG]

yes you can by using WCS.Download the tutorial

for using wcs and the view manager

[P_Scott]

Paul,

 

In V9 if you select the Tplane button from the secondary menu, you will see a selection called "Named" directly under "Number". Click on this and it will bring you to the View Manager with the list of all the views. Simply click on the one you want to use for the tool plane and press "OK" at the bottom of this dialog. Whatever you selected will now be your Tplane. HTH

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

I have the other views (rt. side, back, bottom, etc... on my button bar.

 

You would have to modify the Mill9.txt file to do what you are asking and I do not suggest that unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing.

 

JM2C

[Greg Williams]

James,

 

quote:

---

I have the other views (rt. side, back, bottom, etc... on my button bar.

---

How can I do this?

 

Thanks in advance

 

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Screen, COnfigure, Toolbar/Keys, in the List of Assignments Field, look for the GVIEW-... (the ... would be whatever view you are looking for), then assign them to whatever button you want. It's pretty easy, and I find it very valuable because I don't thve the numbered views memorized AND it's less clicks/keystrokes.

 

HTH

[Reece L Gibson]

Budgie, check you E-mail I will send you something you will like

[Paul McGarr]

ATTN: James Meyette,

 

quote:

---

You would have to modify the Mill9.txt file to do what you are asking and I do not suggest that unless you know EXACTLY what you are doing.

---

I've done a bit of editing older mill.txt files. Is there any documentation on doing this, or do you just give it a go? I'm confident in my ability to understand the file with a little direction. I would back up the original file just in case.

 

What you are talking about sounds EXACTLY like what I want to do.

 

Thanks for the idea about using the tool bar, but I don't use the toolbar at all. I find it time consuming, and a waste of valuable screen space. Of course, that is my opinion.

 

Any help with editing the mill9.txt file would be appreciated. Otherwise, I will consider this topic satisfied.

 

Thank you all,

 

Paul McGarr

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

quote:

---

I've done a bit of editing older mill.txt files. Is there any documentation on doing this, or do you just give it a go?

---

First and foremost, make a backup of the file in case you screw it up. Yes the .txt files are pretty much the same as the older ones. Just be careful because if you hose the .txt file and you don't have a backup, there's no recourse other than a repair.

 

Since the button bar is a waste of space, get rid of it. Alt+B will do it. Though you may want to take the time to get used to it because as most windows prgrams are heavily dependant on buttons/icons so too will V10 be.

 

JM2C

[Paul McGarr]

I see the area in the mill9.txt file where I can change the text to anything I want. I can enter "&Bottom" in place of "N&amed" and when I reload Mastercam, I see the new text, but obviously, when I click on it, It still acts as "Named". Do you know what associates those menu entries to a particular function? I don't see the magic link!

 

The more I think about this, the more I'd like to figure it out. The possibilities are endless.

 

Am I beating a dead horse?

 

Thanks,

 

Paul McGarr

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Try "gvbottom", it should[/] work, that is the command that maps the button.

 

HTH

 

[ 12-02-2002, 02:22 PM: Message edited by: James Meyette ]

[Paul McGarr]

Almost there...

 

Here is a section of my mill9.txt file that I know how to change.

 

(77 - graphics view)

837. "Graphics View"

838. "&Top"

839. "&Front"

840. "&Side"

841. "&Isometric"

842. "N&umber"

843. "N&amed"

844. "&Entity"

845. "&Rotate"

846. "&Dynamic"

847. "&Next menu"

 

For example, if I change line 845 to read...

845. "&Bottom"

I see "Bottom" in the graphics view menu, but when I click on it, it still brings me to the Rotate menu.

 

I agree that I need to use "gvbottom", but I dont know where to put it. What tells mastercam what to do when someone clicks on menu item 845? It seems that there must be another file involved, but I cant find it.

 

I'm betting this is fairly easy to do, but knowing where to look is key.

 

Thanks,

 

Paul

[Zero]

hmmm.. I have a c-hook for v8 that lets you make your own custom menu items available...I don't thin it'll work for v9 though....

[Paul McGarr]

Zero,

 

Whats the name of that chook? It's possible that there is a version for nine available.

 

Paul

[Zero]

There's a copy on Jay's FTP site in the Chooks folder (I'm pretty sure that's it). It's called menu.zip. I just moved the dll and some menu .txt files I had created for v8 into my v9 chook folder and it seems to work with v9 too.

 

HTH

[Fig sign]

Hi!

I started to work with menu c-hook in ver 8 and use it in ver 9 all the way.

Works fine .

It is really COOL STUFF !!!

 

[Paul McGarr]

Thanks to everyone for all your help. I tried the menu chook, and it works well. I will let you know how I utilize it when I finish.

 

I've been browsing this forum for quite some time, but I never got involved. I will make an attempt to spend a little more time here, and actually contribute.

 

Thanks again,

 

Paul McGarr