vb script : is it possible to duplicate a group of operations?

[bill_click]

Hi,

 

I have a group of operations and I would like to duplicate all the content of this group onto a new group. There is a sub to do that or I must explore the group and copy each operations?

 

Thanks.

 

Bill.

[Bullines]

There aren't any subs that directly copy entity Groups. But you could try creating a new group with CreateGroupFromName(), then loop through the database, retrieve each entity, make a copy of it (and grab its ent pointer to make it the currently selected entity) and then add it to your new group with AddCurrentEntToGroup().

 

I don't see any subs for copying operation groups, though.

 

HTH

[Rekd™]

I may be way off here, but couldn't you just grab the group from the Ops Manager with RMB and drag it and select COPY AFTER??

 

[Storkman]

+1 rekd

[Bullines]

quote:

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I may be way off here, but couldn't you just grab the group from the Ops Manager with RMB and drag it and select COPY AFTER??

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quote:

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+1 rekd

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Unless this is part of an automated solution...

 

Bill?

[Rekd™]

Why you gotta be like that, Bullines??

 

[Bullines]

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Why you gotta be like that, Bullines??

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That's like asking "Why do people want Mastercam to do their job for them with one click?"; lots of people want it all in one click.

 

Meh

[Rekd™]

Oh, so now you expect me to have to 'click' to get it to work?

 

[bill_click]

That's right bullines! I want to automatize all the process of make multi posting. We own 4 different cnc machines so we have 4 posts. I want to define all the operations needed for 1 machine and I want to automatize all the process for the 3 others machines:

 

- copy the content of the group (operations) to 3 new groups (1 group per cnc machine)

- modifiy the wcs for each specific cnc machines

- update tool number from a cnc machine to another

- select the post for each cnc machines

- post the program for each cnc machines

 

Bill.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Ummm, I may be WAY OFF BASE HERE but isn;t there a VB Script to post to multiple machines with one click?

[Rekd™]

Yes, but he's looking to change some stuff in the operations before he posts, (i think)

[Bullines]

I'll reply to each point in the process:

 

quote:

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- copy the content of the group (operations) to 3 new groups (1 group per cnc machine)

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I can't find any ability of Mastercam VBS to be able to copy operations. Anyone from CNC Software have some insider info?

 

quote:

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- modifiy the wcs for each specific cnc machines

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WCS is another thing that Mastercam VBS doesn't appear to have any access to. You can call up the WCS dialog from VBS, but that's all that I can see. C-Hooks do have access to WCS (the WCSinfo structure in m_avars.h comes to mind). Again, anyone from CNC Software have some neat-o bandito tricks?

 

quote:

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- update tool number from a cnc machine to another

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There are "get" subs for tool data, but no "sets" available to Mastercam VBS. You can, however, launch the dialog to create a new tool using either DefineNewTool() or EditTool(). For extra automation, you could try using the SendKeys() method of a WSH Shell object. Keep in mind, sometimes Mastercam exhibits some weird window behavious and you have to send the keystrokes in reverse order.

 

When dealing with tools, I've actually found it easier to export tool libraries as TXT files and parse out what I need that way; you have access to more tool data than the "get" subs give you. I then use that parsed data with the "Make[OPERATION]" subs (not "Make[OPERATION]WithKnownTool()") to create ops. Getting tool data back into Mastercam, though, as a binary library can't be automated.

 

quote:

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- select the post for each cnc machines

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Now this, Mastercam VBS can handle. You can hard-code the posts' filenames in, read it in from an external data file, read it in from the Windows Registry or prompt the user to select them with AskForFileName(). The choice is yours.

 

quote:

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- post the program for each cnc machines

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Piece o' cake. Use RunPost() to post individual operations (loop or grab operation ids/names) or RunPostAll() to post everything.

 

HTH

[Rekd™]

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I can't find any ability of Mastercam VBS to be able to copy operations.

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WCS is another thing that Mastercam VBS doesn't appear to have any access to.

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but no "sets" available to Mastercam VBS.

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I wonder if it might be easier to just parse an NC file to get what you want...

[Bullines]

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I wonder if it might be easier to just parse an NC file to get what you want...

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Yup. If all of the math for the WCS is worked out, it would probably be easier to just work with the NC file. Then he'd be able to choose any dev environment he wants, since he can work outside of Mastercam (I recommend Python or a .NET language ). RegEx could come in handy

[bill_click]

Thanks guys for all this info! I think that I have a big job to do!

 

There is possibility that Mastercam X handle more functions directly from vbs?

 

Bill.

[Mick from CNC Software Inc.]

bill_click,

 

Mastercam X includes a .NET API that is continually growing at a rapid pace, this would be the place to look for your automation needs.

[Guest CNC Apps Guy 1]

Something else, you could build a MS Word Macro to automate working with the NC Code.

 

JM2C

[bill_click]

Thanks for the info Mick. I think that I will seriously check to parse the NC files to get what I want...

 

Bill.

[Bullines]

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I think that I will seriously check to parse the NC files to get what I want...

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It's not that bad. In my experience in writing tools to parse NC code, tokenizing and regular expressions should become your friends

 

Have fun