Program Posting Question

[westerfieldc]

Morning All, I am trying to do something I have not ever tried doing before. I want to post a program that only has a manual entry in it. Currently when I try to do this I don't get any program header information i.e. Onumber and Program name. Any body have any ideas?

 

Thanks

Chris

PROBE TEST PART HORIZONTAL.MCX-6

[mkd]

paste the text into an existing NC file and save with new name?

[westerfieldc]

I would prefer to have Mastercam just post out without me having to do work outside of it.

[EX-wccprogrammer]

I usually put the G10 lines at the start of the program that I am running.

 

As for your issue, with no toolpaths in the program, there may not be anything to trigger the post to go to the section to start outputting the header information. Just a guess, since I have never tried to post a 'comment only' program.

 

Good luck!

[Tyler Robertson]

how often are you going to want to do this? If it's not much you might as well edit your file

 

Suspect you might have to edit your post-processor. as mentioned above with no toolpath there's some triggers in the post gone missing

 

to not edit the post:

 

Make a drill path and just select your work origin. then delete that one point in the posted NC file

 

otherwise you'll have to open up your .PST or MCPOST - find the section that outputs the header and make it come out all the time when only a manual entry is put in.

[RayD]

You can do the above suggestions

 

Force the line of code your after in the Post (Eliminate Manual Entry)

 

If using Cimco EditPro make a Macro that inserts the Line

[John Morris]

I would try creating just a geometry point appx. where you are going to start probing and create a toolpath point and describe your probe as a tool and rapid to that point, then add your manual entry.

[Tyler Robertson]

oh yeah! I always forget point toolpath because it doesn't work with Robotmaster

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi everyone,

 

Let me jump in here, because what he really needs is a post guy...

 

The reason you aren't getting any output is because the 'comment$' command variable that outputs the code from Manual Entry is located in 'psof$' (Start-of-file) that gets called by the first toolchange gcode$ (1001).

 

That is why you aren't getting any output.

 

What you need to do is either modify the post, or create a separate post for only posting these type of operations.

 

If you just move the 'comment$' command up into 'pheader$' that will work, but it will also cause your operation comment from the 1st operation to post above the tool table. What I usually recommend is making a modification to the 'pcomment2' post block to save the operation comment for output later in 'psof$'.

 

Let me dig up an example after work and I'll post it...

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[westerfieldc]

Colin, you are exactly expressing what I'm looking for I look forward to your example!

 

Thanks

[Colin Gilchrist]

Ok, first make a backup of your post before you begin.

 

Next, add initialize a variable near the top of your post:

header	   : 0	 #Header flag variable for comment processing

 

Then, initialize a string variable:

sop_comm	 : ""    #String variable to hold operation comment from pheader

 

Once you've done that, modify the 'pheader post block as follows:

 

pheader$		 #Call before start of file
  header = one		    #<<<<< Set Flag
  if subs_before, " ", e$ #header character is output from peof when subs are output before main
    else, "%", e$
  sav_spc = spaces$
  spaces$ = 0
  *progno$, sopen_prn, sprogname$, sclose_prn, e$
  #sopen_prn, "PROGRAM NAME - ", sprogname$, sclose_prn, e$
  sopen_prn, "DATE=DD-MM-YY - ", date$, " TIME=HH:MM - ", time$, sclose_prn, e$ #Date and time output Ex. 12-02-05 15:52
  spathnc$ = ucase(spathnc$)
  smcname$ = ucase(smcname$)
  stck_matl$ = ucase(stck_matl$)
  snamenc$ = ucase(snamenc$)
  sopen_prn, "MCX FILE - ", *smcpath$, *smcname$, *smcext$, sclose_prn, e$
  sopen_prn, "NC FILE - ", *spathnc$, *snamenc$, *sextnc$, sclose_prn, e$
  #sopen_prn, "DATE - ", month$, "-", day$, "-", year$, sclose_prn, e$  #Date output as month,day,year - Ex. 02-12-05
  #sopen_prn, "DATE - ", *smonth, " ", day$, " ", *year2, sclose_prn, e$ #Date output as month,day,year - Ex. Feb. 12 2005
  #sopen_prn, "TIME - ", time$, sclose_prn, e$  #24 hour time output - Ex. 15:52
  #sopen_prn, "TIME - ", ptime sclose_prn, e$  #12 hour time output 3:52 PM
  comment$				 #<<<<< dump comments to pcomment$/pcomment2
  sopen_prn, "MATERIAL - ", *stck_matl$, sclose_prn, e$
  spaces$ = sav_spc
  header = zero		    #<<<<< Reset Flag

 

That will process the comments in the header. Now you have to save the operation comments, and output them later. Modify the 'pcomment2' post block:

 

pcomment2	   #Output Comment from manual entry
  scomm$ = ucase (scomm$)
  if gcode$ = 1005, sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn, e$  #Manual entry - as comment
  if gcode$ = 1006, scomm$, e$						 #Manual entry - as code
  if gcode$ = 1007, sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn	  #Manual entry - as comment with move NO e$
  if gcode$ = 1026, scomm$							 #Manual entry - as code with move NO e$
  if gcode$ = 1008,
    [
    if header = one, sop_comm = scomm$		 #Save Operation comment
    else, [sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn, e$]  #Operation comment
    ]
  if gcode$ = 1051, sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn, e$  #Machine name
  if gcode$ = 1052, sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn, e$  #Group comment
  if gcode$ = 1053, sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn, e$  #Group name
  if gcode$ = 1054, sopen_prn, scomm$, sclose_prn, e$  #File Descriptor

 

Now, modify 'psof$' as follows:

  ptoolcomment
  if sop_comm <> sblank, sopen_prn, sop_comm, sclose_prn, e$ #Output saved operation comment, if not blank
  #comment$    #<<<<<<< Add pound sign in front of 'comment$'
  pcan
  pbld, n$, *t$, sm06, e$
  pindex

 

That should give you what you need. It will process a manual entry toolpath in the header, and output operation comments normally during 'psof$' output...

 

Hope that helps,

 

 

Colin

[westerfieldc]

Sorry I have not responded to this sooner but I have gotten super busy. I did as Colin suggested and all seem good except the subs_before variable. I don't have it in my post any where and I'm not sure how to initialize it. This is supper close to what I need just need help over this last hurdle.

 

Thanks

Chris

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Chris,

 

That variable is part of an update we made to our Mill posts. If you are using an older version of the posts that don't have that logic, then you do not need to add it unless you want to support Subprograms before the NC Code output. That logic is used (along with other logic elsewhere in the post) to read the setting in the Control Definition for Subs Before or Subs After the main program.

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[crazy^millman]

Great addition can you tell me did this functionality get added to lathe posts where we want to do a transfer as the 1st thing in a lower turret operation and not have to call a point toolpath to then make the transfer work correctly?

[Colin Gilchrist]

Hi Ron,

 

Are you talking about MP or MT posts? Can you send us an example to the posts inbox please?

 

Thanks,

 

Colin

[crazy^millman]

Colin usre and it is MP posts was part of my last set of stuff sent in if you still have those files.