"ExportFile"

[arenner]

Hello all. I found a couple posts via my search that led me to the "ImportFile()" function in VBS. I've imported an IGES file then saved it with the "SaveMCAs()" function. But what I can't figure out is how to save an STL file from the new .mcx file that I created. Something like an "ExportFile()" command. Is this only possible with a Chook? Any ideas?

[arenner]

I was wondering if anyone had any clues about my question above. If there is an import command in VBScript, then is there also an export function too? I need to take either my IGES file or a mastercam file and export, or "save as..." an STL file.

 

I have not found any VBScript thus far. I had an idea that maybe I could open up the mastercam file with a chook, then open up a blank STL file, and write the database information using the "wr_stl" function. Any better ideas would be much appreciated.

[arenner]

I just wanted to check again to see if anyone had a suggestion on saving an STL file from a mastercam file using either a Chook or VBScript.

[_]

I think you can use CFile_DoFileSave function to save a cad file..

 

extern DllImpExp MC_BOOL CFile_DoFileSave(CString& filen);

[arenner]

Oh, didn't see that in the help file. I'll try that.

[arenner]

I tried using "CFile_DoFileSave" but got the error below:

 

c:...main.cpp(65): error C3861: 'CFile_DoFileSave': identifier not found, even with argument-dependent lookup

 

Is there a header file that I need to make this function work?

[Roger Martin from CNC Software]

Doing a search in the .h files in the (MR2) SDK I see two versions of CFile_DoFileSave in the MFile_CH.h file.

[arenner]

I'm not running MR2 which must be the problem. In my MFile_CH.h file I do not see the CFile_DoFileSave function.

 

Is there another method? Or a way to add this functionality?

[Takashi Sato from Ai Solutions.]

add this line somewhere in your code or a SDK header file.

 

extern DllImpExp MC_BOOL CFile_DoFileSave(CString& filen);

[arenner]

Thanks for the help MasterShake. It's cool to be working internationally. I put your function prototype in my code. I also was able to get MR2 installed last night. So one of those things allowed CFile_DoFileSave to work (after I switched my paths to CStrings). I was able to open a mastercam file and output an STL file.

 

The file that was saved was in Binary formate. I"m wondering if there is anyway to specify any other parameters for saving. I need to save my STL in ASCII format. I'm thinking I'll have to use the wr_stl function. Thanks for getting me this far.

[Takashi Sato from Ai Solutions.]

here is my sample code.

code:

---

	FILE *fp=0;

MC_BOOL succf;

ent e;

 

DB_LIST_ENT_PTR eptr;

p_2d sel_pt;

double t=0.0;

fp=fopen("c:ascii.stl","wt");

if(fp&&MC_NOERROR==select_ent ("select surface or solid entity", &e, &eptr, sel_pt, &t, ALIVE_BIT, SURF_ID|SOLID_ID, select_color, &succf)&&succf)

{

 

wr_stl(0.003, fp, "", e.ent_idn, TRUE, TRUE);

fclose(fp);

}

 

---

[arenner]

I'm trying to write my STL without any user input. I have some code that I used with Xform_rotate. What it does is select all of the entities in the database, and rotates each of them. Instead of requiring the user to select the surfaces or bodies to write to the STL, I'd like to simply save all of them using "get_ent". Here is a sample of my code:

 

while (bSuccf)

{

get_ent(&ptr, &e_ptr, &entity, ALIVE_BIT,

P_ID|L_ID|A_ID|S_ID|SURF_ID|SOLID_ID|SPLINE_ID|N_ID|W_ID|D_ID,

&bSuccf);

count++;

}

count--;

 

ptr = db_start;

 

while (count > 0)

{

get_ent(&ptr, &e_ptr, &entity, ALIVE_BIT,

P_ID|L_ID|A_ID|S_ID|SURF_ID|SOLID_ID|SPLINE_ID|N_ID|W_ID|D_ID,

&bSuccf);

 

if (bSuccf)

{

FILE * f=0;

f = fopen("C:Program Filesmcamxchook_testsSave_STLblank.stl", "wt");

wr_stl(0.003, f, "", '0', true, true);

fclose (f);

e_ptr = NULL;

}

count--;

}

 

I may not be using get_ent correctly. I'm open to suggestions because this method does not work. Also, do I have to use DoFileOpen to first open the file I call blank.stl? To create it, I opened notepad and saved it with the .stl extension. Any help is appreciated.

[_]

hi,

if you want to save all/selected entity,

you dont have to use get_ent() function.

 

 

code:

---

 

 

ent e;

DB_LIST_ENT_PTR dPtr, foundPtr;

MC_BOOL succf;

 

FILE *fp=NULL;

 

/**

* @par Purpose:

* Write the database to an open STL file

*

* @param[in] err_tol error tolerance value

* @param[in] f Pointer to the open STL file

* @param[in] fname Name of the open STL file

* @param[in] ent_idn Specific entity to output or if '0', output all, or if '-1', output only selected entities

* @param[in] ascii_data Set to TRUE if the data is to be written in ASCII text

* @param[in] silent Set to TRUE if no warnings, progress reports, or messages are to be presented to the user

*/

//all entity

fp = fopen("C:test.stl", "wt");

if(fp)

{

wr_stl(0.01, fp, "", 0, true, true);

fclose (fp);

}

 

//only selected

fp = fopen("C:test.stl", "wt");

if(fp)

{

wr_stl(0.01, fp, "", -1, true, true);

fclose (fp);

}

 

 

//specific entity by entity mask/selection mask/levels, etc..

fp = fopen("C:test.stl", "wt");

 

if(fp)

{

dPtr=db_start;

do

{

get_ent(&dPtr, &foundPtr, &e, ALIVE_BIT, SURF_ID|SOLID_ID, &succf );

if(succf&&e.eptr)

{

wr_stl(0.01, fp, "", e.ent_idn, true, true);

}

}

while(succf);

fclose (fp);

}

 

 

 

---

[arenner]

Thanks Mastershake. I did get a similar code to what I posted above to work. I also got your code to work, that is much simpler.

 

I'm trying to learn how the section of your code e.ent_idn works. I am going to look through the help on it. I'm going to be writing some code to 1)select all entities on one level 2)select some entities on one level for a solid extrude, and 3) select entities on another level for my toolpath containment boundary.

 

Thanks again for your input, any other information/help is appreciated.