Subprogram size.

[Grievous]

I want to check for the size of all my subs, and if their size is bigger then a "value" to have that sub spited out in an external file and the call from the main to be made with M198 or whatever (EXTCALL OR CALL PRG).

Somebody has done that already?

[Chris McIntosh]

I'm assuming by size that you mean the number of lines versus memory size.

 

In order to do this, you would need to do this you could do one of two things:

 

1) either start a line counter, and every time a line is output increment the counter by one until you have finished the sub program, then copy the sub either into a file to be merge or it's own unique directory.

 

2) write out the subprogram to an external file, after that's complete, read the output file in as a buffer and check the buffer size to determine the number of lines (this is the preferred method). Then make your decision based on the size whether to copy the sub into a file to be merge later, or leave it in it's own separate file.

 

Using either method I believe you will need to delay the output of the sub call (M98/M198) as the call will be dependent on whether or not the sub will be merged later and you won't know this until after the sub has been output. Unfortunately in this case, mastercam will output the call to the sub prior to actually writing the sub.

 

I may be over thinking this one but I'm guessing those are the only ways to do it and either way will require some knowledge of how the post can manage files. This may be a more complex modification than you realize...but perhaps someone here has done it before and can offer up the appropriate code snippets....

 

 

HTH

[Grievous]

Interesting idea, but, the number of lines from a file cannot ensure a specific size. You know I can have a parallel finish with most of the movement in one dir only, so 1 value in a line (metric values), or a 5x simultaneous with 5 values in one line (imperial values), so imagine the difference. I was thinking at a function that can check a size of a file. But after double checking the MP Post Ref Guide, it seems there isn’t such a function. Thanks man.

[Chris McIntosh]

Right, that's why I assumed you were going after the number of lines in the sub-program. Some controls have a limitation on the number of lines that can be output in a given nc program. Physical file size limitations often force people to trickle feed the programs to the controller.

 

Sorry there's really nothing we can do on this one...

[Tyler Robertson]

you should be able to do this after the fact in a different language - and just process the text files

[Ivan Mikesic]

If you create a utility in another programming language to determine file size, you can run it as an executable from the post using the launch command.

 

The launch command has the following format.

 

result = launch(<utility_name>,<input>)

 

The input would be the external file you created during posting and it would need the entire path in quotations. For example, "C:\mcamx\mill\NC\Test.ext".

 

The utility name would be formatted the same way, "C:\My Utility\Utility.exe".

 

The variable result is a numeric variable.

[Tim Johnson]

After you receive the launched result how would you backtrack into the posted data and replace the M98 code to M198?

 

 

[K2csq7]

how would you backtrack

Way over my head on this but, if you receive the launched result at the start of the posting process you wouldn't need to "backtrack"... Just have the result choose the correct variable up front..

[Tim Johnson]

I don't believe you can count the size of a file until you have a file to count.

[K2csq7]

I don't believe you can count the size of a file until you have a file to count.

 

 

I just tried to count how many 6's will come up in the lottery tonight, no you cant count something before it exists.

Tim you are correct!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tim Johnson]

You could launch the file and if the result is less than the max characters is not excceded then the post could merge the files, if not then exitpost$ and let the script change the M98s to M198s in the .nc file.

 

 

[Newbeeee™]

Simple (???) solution is what we're implementing into our post at the moment.

Have a Misc Int where you state to use the 'external' sub.

When '1', is selected, mcam posts M198 and outputs the sub so you can cut it out the main and paste it onto the pcmcia card.

We thought long and hard over how to do this simply, and this seemed the best result for us.

If you go this way, you need to know what toolpath(s) is going to be the biggie, but being honest, optirough or any of the dynamics (for us anyway) mean that the posted prog probably won't fit into the control memory so we know we have to run the external sub anyway.