Quote

...can't seem to find an API call for a Transform operation.

Because there is no Transforming of an Operation functionality in the NET-Hook API.

The only transforming in there is Geometry.

See -> https://nethookdocs.mastercam.com

OperationsManager.RefreshOperationsManager
https://nethookdocs.mastercam.com/content/html/e03bb284-f28d-94f4-6cc1-ad2b3a4918f4.htm

OperationsManager.OpManagerRefreshEnabled
https://nethookdocs.mastercam.com/content/html/c9e559b8-e694-f46f-7287-76948d16bfae.htm

C-Hook or NET-Hook?

Which version of Mastercam?

Mastercam.IO.FileManager.CurrentFileName Property ->
https://nethookdocs.mastercam.com/content/html/ea81abe6-7bfa-7188-c25c-fe90e6890bd0.htm

This is ultimately accomplished using the "translate_silent" function declared in XForm_CH.h of the SDK.

I'm assuming that you want to supply this functionality your own "from point" via your C-Hook ?

Also, what version of Mastercam ?

Please e-mail us -> [email protected]

I can open (and manipulate) .tooldb files in SQLite Expert.

http://www.sqliteexpert.com/

So no, they are not “locked”.

On the Cut Parameters page you can ask for a Tab and set the desired width for it.

In the Chain window on this page (right side – center) you’ll see something like this ->

Chain 1 - Rough (with stop and tab cut)

Here is some sample (Mitsubishi) code going around a 1x1 square, stopping .1” before cutting off the tab.

%

L001

N100 G90

N110 G92 X0. Y0.

N120 M20

N130 M78 M78

N140 M82 M84

N150 E5611

N160 M90

N170 G41 H1=.0068 G1 Y-.5 H1

N180 X.5

N190 Y.5

N200 X-.5

N210 Y-.5

N220 X-.1

N230 M00 <- Stop before tab cutoff

N240 X0.

N250 G40 Y0.

N260 M91

N270 M21

N280 M58

N290 M02

%

The large icon size is restricted to 24x24 pixels in 2017.

In Mastercam 2018 the large icon size will be changed to 32x32 pixels for Add-Ins.

Q: Is every operation in Mastercam created using the C-hook (or NET-hook) interface?

A: No

Q: Change the appearance of the operation tree

     Add items to the right click menu of the operation tree

A: While what Colin says is true that those 3^rd party add-in present a custom interface, it's their interface, you’re not going to be altering Mastercam’s Toolpaths (Operations) Manager tree.

Q: Create a new toolpath called "create line using midpoint" (I REALLY NEED THIS!!!)

A: That sound like a “Create Geometry” function to me.

A: Add some text and images for extra information about the job and store it directly into the mcam file.

A: Text is possible, but not images. (This functionality is available using a C-Hook add-in.)

Ref: Peter is storing text in the mcam file with his add-in -> http://forum.mastercam.com/Topic16986.aspx

Additional Add-In information is available here (std. Mastercam web site log-in is required)

http://www.mastercam.com/en-us/Communities/3rd-Party-Developers

Try this...

Note that there are two "__" on each end of the application name.

Change -> "_LevelManagerRefresh_"

To         -> "__LevelManagerRefresh__"

Karl,

Something’s going on here, as Mick’s stuff works fine for me in 2017.

Make sure that ->

Both the LevelManagerEx.DLL and LevelManagerEx.FT files are in the mcam2017\chooks folder,

and the “application” and "action" strings are spelled exactly as shown ->

(That’s two underscores characters on either end of the application string.)

Sub RefreshLevelManager

        Dim application, action

        application = "__LevelManagerRefresh__"

        action = "RefreshLevelManager"

        Call RunFTCommand(application, action)

End Sub

After I created some levels, I call RefreshLevelManager() and the levels now appear in the Level Manager.

After I did a SetEntityLevel 10, I called RefreshLevelManager() and the Entity Count in the Level Manager updated to reflect that change.

Ron,

Dave put something together for this...

Either version of Visual Studio would be fine for NET-Hooks, as they are not dependent on the version of VS.

If you are doing C-Hooks, then you must use a specific version of Visual Studio.

For Mastercam X9/2017 that would be Visual Studio 2013.

For Mastercam 2018 that will be Visual Studio 2015.

Karl,

I'm not seeing anyway of importing an operation with VB Script from an external file without having "something" already Chained (for a Chain-based op) or Drill Points (for a Point-based op).

Dim OpID

Dim HaveChain

OpID = -1

HaveChain = ChainAll(False, False, 0, "") ' Chain anything and everything (only "something" is really needed)

if (HaveChain) then

Karl,

I just ran this in 2017 and it worked fine ->

(Or course you must have an active Mill machine group to do the import into.)

Try the reset link in my posting above.

The download link in this post (above) works fine for me ->

http://www.emastercam.com/board/topic/88517-chook-entities-all-seperate-levels/?p=1074414

The download link in this post (above) is working fine for me ->

http://www.emastercam.com/board/topic/88394-levelsetsvisibility-chook/?p=1071478

v9.1 = real old.

Sorry, I cannot help you there in regards to Add-Ins.

Rob's suggestion of doing a path and plotting it and doing 'save as geometry' is probably all you'll be able to do in v9.1 to do this "re-ordering" .

ch3no2freak,

Do the individual entities within the "chain" need to be oriented start pt->end pt, start pt ->end pt?

To see what I mean do Analyze-Entity and Mastercam will show you the Start Pt (green) and End Pt (red) of the entity.

So is it OK if you have two lines that started from opposite directions and ended at the same location?

Of do only the entities themselves just need to be "one after the other" in the desired order?

*This is fairly simple dto do. (not quite so true if you've never done anything with NET-Hooks), as it's a bit out of the ordinary.

You're running Mastercam X9, correct?

Please email me your contact info -> SDK <at> mastercam <dot> com

I bet when you export as DXF it writes the entities in creation order or database order rather than any geometric order.

No doubt, as it would not know what "geometric order" could/should be. They're just a collection of random geometry entities.

Let me get this straight...

You're just sending out the geometry data you've created in Mastercam as a DXF file, and that is what's sent to your machine?

Or are you creating an actual toolpath in Mastercam?

By creating a toolpath, you would be setting your desired cut-order.

If we now need a DXF file "in that order" we'd need to extract the geometries referenced in the chains (in their chained order), then write them out in that order.

*That's where it could get a bit tricky.*  I’m thinking of a couple possible solutions

It would require using a NET-Hook or C-Hook Add-In to “re-process” the geometry.