Do you comment operations?

[Bob W.]

Hahaha - Bob, you got bigger Cahoonas than me

I'd always slowly let the tool come to the feedplane okay to check the tool offset before letting it go.

The tool offset length is listed on the Vericut setup sheet and the tool checking routine consists of verifying the correct holder, correct tool, correct cutter stick out, and that the gage length exceeds the value called out by Vericut.  The operators need to get this 100% correct and the rest will be fine.  Vericut will ONLY create a setup sheet AFTER a simulation has been completed, otherwise it is blank.  SOP, programs don't run without a Vericut setup sheet.

[Guest]

It is RARE that I do not have a comment in an operation. - EVERY OPERATION. It's just a habit. Even quick tooling. It's not only sloppy programming but makes for awful troubleshooting. Maybe I'm the only programmer that inverts or fat fingers a number or toggles the wrong switch  from time to time and if I am, I amongst men far greater than I.

 

I will comment the operation based on whatever info I have from the print. Sometimes it's a Zone and a calculated dimension, etc...

[Bob W.]

Yeah, I have to concede it is a bad habit that originated since I started as a one man shop and I was the operator, programmer, inspector, etc...  There was never a need to communicate.  Definitely something to work on.  I do need to figure out how to prevent my post from posting them or fix my post so it will post them correctly.  I believe I need to add a buffer but not sure how.  Currently comments will get posted as code and cause alarms at the machine.  It is a result of the operation trying to post multiple comments (tool comment, toolpath comment, etc...) and fixing it has been a low priority.  Something to work on moving forward for sure.

[Bob W.]

 Maybe I'm the only programmer that inverts or fat fingers a number or toggles the wrong switch  from time to time and if I am, I amongst men far greater than I.

So I am curious how a comment in the operation will help that?

[crazy^millman]

So I am curious how a comment in the operation will help that?

Not sure helps as much as if you make mistake once you normally make it the same way again. When you post it out and review the comments it will help me see pops made a mistake there. Double check it and go from there. Not always, but a good way for me to at least see thing I might have missed. I like James make my share of mistakes, but do think I do a good job of catching them. Having Verfication Software is a huge help and having comments helps track them down a lot quicker than not having them has been my experience.

[Bob W.]

I have to confess I never even look at the code once it is posted (never have) other than the header to make sure a pallet and B offset is specified correctly.  I don't even know what most of the G-codes do other than the most common of them.  I lean heavily on the Vericut to catch mistakes and they do happen, I'm definitely not immune.  I spent a lot of time getting everything in Mastercam working correctly and edit-free (post, machine definition, etc...).  If I am troubleshooting I toggle on display selected toolpaths and find which one corresponds to the feature I need to fix by clicking toolpaths and looking at what is displayed on the screen.

[jlw™]

Bob, there's where it'll help. If you add mcam op number to the post it'll be there if you ever need it and only costs you a line per op. Open the file and scroll to the number. Like James and Ron, I have not attained perfection and therefor will take every opportunity to catch and correct my mistakes as quickly and easily as possible. I think my average amount of ops in a program is around 400. Some as little as 10 and some quite a bit more. Either way I know exactly where I'm going when I open the file.

[Newbeeee™]

Ref looking at the posted code or not before loading it into the control:-

I'll ALWAYS scan through to check G54/G55 etc has posted correctly. Just in case...

[Jayson Kramer]

I follow the thought there is really never enough info . so I teach and practice using Comments as much as possible.

[guitar]

Hello.

 

Just wondering how many of you put comments in the tool section of the operation? I *always* do this because it makes the project more readable and quicker to browse. However, no one else in my shop does this and I just have to add the comments afterwards.

 

How about you?

 

 

Always. In fact, I strpped the op comments parenthesis out of the posts. This allows me to execute code (like M00) with my comment. My comments look like this:

M00(insert screws)

M00(remove clamps)

[FTI2007]

Thanks for the idea Bob, I implemented it this morning.

 

Ron, I have postability post so it was easy for me.

 

I planned to add it to the pn line but it came up about 8004 times so i added it to my pcomment3 section like this:

 

Here is the result:

 

Thanks again for the idea Bob!

I want to add the mastercam operation number to the post like this to.   I am just unsure where to add .  Would I add it here somewhere??  and If I do exactly what do I enter?   also what does it mean when Bob says he added it on the null tool change also ??

Thanks

 

ptlchg$          #Tool change                                        

      pcuttype

      toolchng = one

      if mi1$ = one, #Work coordinate system

        [

        pfbld, n$, *sg28ref, "X0.", "Y0.", e$

        pfbld, n$, sg92, *xh$, *yh$, *zh$, e$

        ]

      if prog_stop = 1, pbld, n$, *sm01, e$

      if prog_stop = 2, pbld, n$, *sm00, e$

      pcom_moveb

      pcheckaxis

      c_mmlt$ #Multiple tool subprogram call

      ##ptoolcomment

      ##comment$

      pcan

      pbld, n$, *t$, sm06, e$

      ptoolcomment

      comment$

      pindex

      sav_absinc = absinc$

      if mi1$ > one, absinc$ = zero

      pbld, n$, *sgplane, scc0, sg49, sg80, *sgabsinc, pwcs, e$

      pcan1, pbld, n$, *sgcode, *sgabsinc, pfxout, pfyout, pfcout, #pwcs,

        *speed, *spindle, pgear, strcantext, e$

      pbld, n$, sg43, *tlngno$, pfzout, pstagetool, e$

      pbld, n$, scoolant,e$

      absinc$ = sav_absinc

      pcom_movea

      toolchng = zero

      c_msng$ #Single tool subprogram call

[guitar]

I am not sure about X* and X(, but in X&, I tried adding operation numbers to posts, the manual ops were not counted as ops and it always through the count off.

[crazy^millman]

I am not sure about X* and X(, but in X&, I tried adding operation numbers to posts, the manual ops were not counted as ops and it always through the count off.

 

I think you mean X8 and X9 along with X7. :scooter:

 

Did you trying adding logic to the counter to look for them and add to the value it they were encountered?

 

Something like if opcode = XX, opmrg_no = opmrg_no + one. Then when those manual operations are encountered then you will get the count correct. Just thinking out loud. Would need the same logic in the Tool Cahnge and Null Tool Change.

[crazy^millman]

I want to add the mastercam operation number to the post like this to.   I am just unsure where to add .  Would I add it here somewhere??  and If I do exactly what do I enter?   also what does it mean when Bob says he added it on the null tool change also ??

Thanks

 

ptlchg$          #Tool change                                        

      pcuttype

      toolchng = one

      if mi1$ = one, #Work coordinate system

        [

        pfbld, n$, *sg28ref, "X0.", "Y0.", e$

        pfbld, n$, sg92, *xh$, *yh$, *zh$, e$

        ]

      if prog_stop = 1, pbld, n$, *sm01, e$

      if prog_stop = 2, pbld, n$, *sm00, e$

      pcom_moveb

      pcheckaxis

      c_mmlt$ #Multiple tool subprogram call

      ##ptoolcomment

      ##comment$

      pcan

      pbld, n$, *t$, sm06, e$

      ptoolcomment

      comment$

      pindex

      sav_absinc = absinc$

      if mi1$ > one, absinc$ = zero

      pbld, n$, *sgplane, scc0, sg49, sg80, *sgabsinc, pwcs, e$

      pcan1, pbld, n$, *sgcode, *sgabsinc, pfxout, pfyout, pfcout, #pwcs,

        *speed, *spindle, pgear, strcantext, e$

      pbld, n$, sg43, *tlngno$, pfzout, pstagetool, e$

      pbld, n$, scoolant,e$

      absinc$ = sav_absinc

      pcom_movea

      toolchng = zero

      c_msng$ #Single tool subprogram call

 

Search the post for the those words and you will get your answer.

[guitar]

I think you mean X8 and X9 along with X7. :scooter:

 

Did you trying adding logic to the counter to look for them and add to the value it they were encountered?

 

Something like if opcode = XX, opmrg_no = opmrg_no + one. Then when those manual operations are encountered then you will get the count correct. Just thinking out loud. Would need the same logic in the Tool Cahnge and Null Tool Change.

 

 

My posts were written for X7, but it could have been from an X6 master, I suppose. Thank you for the suggestion. I will give that a whirl

[crazy^millman]

My posts were written for X7, but it could have been from an X6 master, I suppose. Thank you for the suggestion. I will give that a whirl

 

You had use caps locks on the Versions and I was being funny.

[crazy^millman]

Here is screen shots of comments on a current project. I still have a good 100 operation left on op4. These have been the easy operations. The OP5 is going to be a nightmare.

[Zoober]

All of my ops are commented. As are my planes named and commented, and tools commented with kanban info. Not only for the program, but for the X+ setup sheets. With a couple of clicks, we get a multi tab excel workbook. One tab is the sequence sheet. On this sheet is every Mastercam op, with the tool #, D offset, work offset, station and rotation, and operation comment. All color coded with specific colors set for each offset.

The setup guys love them. "The issue is on the orange station".

As Newbeee said, our job is to make the guy on the machines job as easy as possible. All our programmers hear that daily, as I manage our department with that in mind. We are merely servants to the machine guys. The spindle makes the $$$. Not the programmer.

[Guest]

So I am curious how a comment in the operation will help that?

 

An example; I'm programming a turn-key. Just so happens it's for a 5-Axis machine so I'll be using CAMplete to check things out. It's a pretty basic part for all intents and purposes. 2 Operations, 55 Toolpath Ops, and 23 tools. I did not model the part. I have a bore that is .625 +.001/-0. It is modeled at .625. So in my stock to leave I have  -.0002. My comment says ".625 Bore +.001/-0 - U/S .0002". In CAMplete, I get a collision warning. I look at my note and see that indeed, I should have a Tool/Part collision situation. So IOW, false alarm. But to be sure I got it right, I know EXACTLY which operation is the offender because of the comment and I can go back and make sure I have the right stock to leave.

 

JM2CFWIW YMMV

[Newbeeee™]

All of my ops are commented. As are my planes named and commented, and tools commented with kanban info. Not only for the program, but for the X+ setup sheets. With a couple of clicks, we get a multi tab excel workbook. One tab is the sequence sheet. On this sheet is every Mastercam op, with the tool #, D offset, work offset, station and rotation, and operation comment. All color coded with specific colors set for each offset.

The setup guys love them. "The issue is on the orange station".

As Newbeee said, our job is to make the guy on the machines job as easy as possible. All our programmers hear that daily, as I manage our department with that in mind. We are merely servants to the machine guys. The spindle makes the $$$. Not the programmer.

Neat Zoob.

 

Driving to work I was thinking about what I said regarding making peoples life easier.

It was drummed into me when I went into the drawing office 30 years ago.

Layout parts as they will (probably) be made.

No section views of section views.

Clarity is king.

If production need a concession, drop what you're doing immediately because if the part can be accepted to go out the door, that's what pays our wages.

I don't see this line of thinking nowadays...

[crazy^millman]

All of my ops are commented. As are my planes named and commented, and tools commented with kanban info. Not only for the program, but for the X+ setup sheets. With a couple of clicks, we get a multi tab excel workbook. One tab is the sequence sheet. On this sheet is every Mastercam op, with the tool #, D offset, work offset, station and rotation, and operation comment. All color coded with specific colors set for each offset.

The setup guys love them. "The issue is on the orange station".

As Newbeee said, our job is to make the guy on the machines job as easy as possible. All our programmers hear that daily, as I manage our department with that in mind. We are merely servants to the machine guys. The spindle makes the $$$. Not the programmer.

 

I can only imagine what that looks like. I wish I knew VB like you.

[BenK]

All of my ops are commented. As are my planes named and commented, and tools commented with kanban info. Not only for the program, but for the X+ setup sheets. With a couple of clicks, we get a multi tab excel workbook. One tab is the sequence sheet. On this sheet is every Mastercam op, with the tool #, D offset, work offset, station and rotation, and operation comment. All color coded with specific colors set for each offset.

The setup guys love them. "The issue is on the orange station".

As Newbeee said, our job is to make the guy on the machines job as easy as possible. All our programmers hear that daily, as I manage our department with that in mind. We are merely servants to the machine guys. The spindle makes the $$$. Not the programmer.

 

I really like that idea. Now if I knew how to program that I could implement it. I might have to see if I can find someone who can help me with this.

[Newbeeee™]

Just ask Zoob.

He *seems* a nice guy

[BenK]

Just ask Zoob.

He *seems* IS a nice guy

 

Seeing as I had the opportunity to meet him I can tell you he is. 

 

I'm doing some reading about X+ before I start asking questions. I don't even know what files I need to modify to customize a setup sheet honestly. I have never dug into it before, didn't realize you could do what he described. Once I get a little further into it and know what questions to ask I will start a thread on customizing X+. I'm sure many others would love to get the information as well.

[Newbeeee™]

^^^ What's wrong with Active Reports???

 

edit:- Yes only joshing about zoob. Reading what he writes here he seems a real decent guy (and I see he's looking at this thread while I type and don't want a THWAK )