Automatic export of tool library into an external program

[zero_divide]

Hello guys.

I am developing a standalone feed-speed calculator in VB.NET

And i am going to introduce a feature to export tools from mastercam via ASCII export, calculating all the speeds in my program and then bringing them back.

That part is quite doable

 

1)I am wandering if it is possible to get that data directly and update tools automatically using some sort of chook?

 

2) Is this something worth perusing in your opinion or the standard ASCII method would do?

 

3) Is it at least possible to grab the tooldata from currently opened operation and then update all the rpm and feed fields?

[rocheey1]

You can get most of the Tool Data right from VB.net, and you can update speeds/feeds in ops automagically from VB.net.

You shouldnt have to export the tools, and bring them back in (which Im not sure you can do in VB.net, anyway)

[zero_divide]

Can you give me a simple example on how to query operations for tool data?

I guess once that is figured out its easy to update them.

 

Thanks for helping. You already gave me a good idea.

[Roger Martin from CNC Software]

Is it at least possible to grab the tooldata from currently opened operation and then update all the rpm and feed fields?

 

You can easy scan thru the operations in the Toolpath Manager using a CHook or NETHook.

You can get the tool used by the operation,

but if you are just wanting to update -> FeedRate, PlungeRate and SpindleSpeed (RPM) in the operation,

you don;t even have to mess with the tool. Just update the operation.

 

Attached is a quick & dirty simple example X6 NETHook.

I scans thru the operations and displays a dialog for each, showing the FeedRate, PlungeRate and RPM it read in from the operation.

Click Cancel to just move onto the next operation.

Or make your desired changes and click Apply which will update the operation before moving onto the next op.

 

If you must use VB, here is a good C# <-> VB code converter => http://converter.telerik.com/

NETHook_ScanOperations.zip

[zero_divide]

Whoah. Thank you very much!

Unfortunately i tried to actually use that converter.....

Then after doing several fasepalms finally looked at the C# code and rewrote the interesting patrs to VB.NET manually.

 

I am was very rusty in C#, that's why i chose VB.NET as my platform. I gues i was wrong: Its a new language and alot different from VB6, also most of the docs are for c# ;(

 

Again thanks for your help, for anyone interested this was the part i needed:

Dim ops() As Mastercam.Database.Operation = Mastercam.Support.SearchManager.GetOperations()

For Each op As Mastercam.Database.Operation In ops

form.tbxOpComment.Text = op.Name

form.tbxPlungeRate.Text = op.PlungeRate

form.tbxFeedRate.Text = op.FeedRate

form.tbxSpindleSpeed.Text = op.SpindleSpeed

Next

 

my problem initially was that i tried to query tools but not ops.

 

BTW, i cant seem to make the resource file to work properly. I place FT file into c-hooks and it seems to work, but it does not load the icons and MCAM keeps bugging me with "Could Not Find any resources appropriate with specified culture of neutral culture.. blah blah "

Name of my project is "FSWizard_NET_CHOOK" and i modified the FT file as advised in..somwhere. but still doesnt work....

 

At any rate thanks. I will probably save tool data as XML and then read it with external app and then bring it back the same way. after all calcs are done.

[Roger Martin from CNC Software]

Find any resources appropriate with specified culture of neutral culture.. blah blah "

 

I did not add any TipString or small/large BMPs for icons to this project.

 

So if you did not add them to your project, that'll be a problem

or if you did add them, then probably the dnRES_NAME in your FT is not correct.

 

This specified the name of the Resources store within the DLL