MayDay, I already know the method I consider to be correct! But since others may think differently , I thought it appropriate to ask the forum members to share some of their vast knowledge (and heartfelt opinions) on the subject.

All, I am looking for your esteemed opinions on the following subject: Drilling –> Change at Point –> Jump Hgt. As you may recall, in v9.1 when you tagged a Jump Hgt. change to a drilled point you got a “double point jump”. The first move to this jump height occurred before the selected point and the Z stayed at this level until after the selected point. In X this double jump is to be eliminated (this is a good thing). This question of the day is this -> Imagine you have 6 points to drill and you need to clear (jump over) an obstruction between Point #3 and Point #4 When you tag a Jump Hgt (using Change at Point) onto a drilled point, should... Choice #1 -> The move to the Jump Hgt will occur after that point has been drilled. Means you would make the Jump Hgt. change by selecting Point#3 Choice #2 -> The move to the Jump Hgt will occur before that point has been drilled. Means you would make the Jump Hgt. change by selecting Point#4

Don, For a sample of how this can be done, get the MULTI_PST_VBS.ZIP from the "Text_&_post_files_&_misc" folder on the forum FTP site.

Is this what you are looking for ? Create - Next menu - Relief Grv (Lathe v9.1 SP2)

Another thread on this subject...

jaysvc, quote: Processing file with MPLEZPTH... Variable not defined: ------_ nextpart_000_0073_01c42b92.0bf32440 Post line number 1557 Wow! "Variable not defined" is one thing, but the variable name it complains about is something else! My first (semi-educated) guess is that the PST you are using has been corrupted. I looked thru the MPLEZPTH.PST that shipped with v9.1 and there is no "nextpart...." anything in it. If there was anything called "nextpart" in the PST, I'd say you had a syntax error in the post, but that does not look to be the case here. First I'd post your program using MPLFAN.PST to verify that the PST is the problem. If that works get your backup copy (or reload it from the MC CD) of the MPLEZPTH.PST and posting again.

MPMILLPWR.PST (on the CD) This post supports MILLPWR II G&M code output for 3 axis milling.

quote: Unfortunately there is no way to track how many times a tool is used and be able to post that. Not True ! Get the ToolTracking.PDF in the '/Mastercam_forum/Text_&_post_files_&_misc/' folder on the forum FTP site. Read it closely grasshopper... You'll learn something that many PST ninjas don't know!

Midnite, quote: Also found out that you can't input Z values in MCam and get desired results. It can be done and may just be a simple post change. But.... Unless you are the guy who program and sets up the machine you may not want to have the Z values already in the NC file when you dump it to the machine. Why? I’ve had many a customer ask for the “proper” Z setting to be posted out, until they scrap some expensive. (and isn’t usually expensive when you scrap it on the EDM?) The problems occur when the person who sets up the machine assumes everything was already done, so they did not check the ‘Z’s. But the setup was not done as the programmer expected it to be... miscommunication + assumption = scrap. Shortly after they would request a post change so the ‘Z’s were output, but had no values, so the setup guy had to check how the part was really setup and input those values.

Midnite, If this problem just cropped up someone has been doin' some post editing and not keeping a backup of the “last known good version”. Not to rub salt into the wound, but BACKUPS are the word of the day. What WAS in originally in the post (in PSOF) -> code: if mi1 <= one, #Work coordinate system [ absinc = one pfbld, n, sgabsinc, *sg28ref, "Z0.", e pfbld, n, *sg28ref, "X0.", "Y0.", e pfbld, n, "G92", *xh, *yh, *zh, e absinc = sav_absinc ] pcom_moveb What it got altered to be -> code: sav_absinc = absinc if mi1 <= one, #Work coordinate system pcom_moveb Look very closely at the these code sections. The “if mi1 <= one, #Work coordinate system” if test in the original code applies to the bracketed block of code that follows it. Now in the altered code the bracketed section of code is gone, but the IF test code remains – and now its logic is getting applied to the PCOM_MOVEB line! It's the subtle things like this that will drive you nuts. Remove the “if mi1 <= one, #Work coordinate system” line.

Some of the arcs where in a View #9 and some in (as you would expect) View #1 To get the toolpath in CONTOUR PROBLEMS_REVISED.MC9 I output all the geometry to an IGES file. Moved all the original geometry (certainly could have deleted it all, but kept it for comparison purposes) to Level 1 to “get it out of the way”. Read the IGES data back in the MC9 file. Then did Screen, Next Menu, Comb(ine) Views and re-chained on this new profile. Some details... The difference between View #1 and #9 was just sign of the ‘X’ of their view matrixes were opposite. Name : SYSTEM VIEW 1 - TOP Origin : X0. Y0. Z0. Number : 1 Matrix : X1. Y0. Z0. : X0. Y1. Z0. : X0. Y0. Z1. -------------------------------------------------- Name : SYSTEM VIEW Origin : X0. Y0. Z0. Number : 9 Matrix : X-1. Y0. Z0. : X0. Y1. Z0. : X0. Y0. Z1. After reading the geometry back in from the IGES file those arcs that were in View #9 are now in View #4 (the ‘bottom’ view). Doing the Combine Views on everything brought those (30) arcs into View #1.

David, You have probably noted that when you selected the T0303 18. Centre Drill it works OK and if you select either the T0202 3.15 Dia. NO.1 CENTRE DRILL or T0202 4.74 Dia. NO.2 CENTRE DRILL it does not work as you might expect. Note the Tool Number of the drills that “don’t work”. They are Tool Number 2, which happens to be the same has the prior tool (T0202 R0.4 FINISHER) in your program. What you have here is that the system sees no toolchange, since the Tool Numbers are the same. So the Centre Drill is “coming from” the last position of the Finisher tool, attempting to move around to avoid interfering with the stock (difficult to do here!) Changing the Tool Number assigned to the Centre Drill will take care of the problem.

Try this for the Levels and File Get dialogs. In your (Windows) Start, Programs, Mastercam 9.1 group you should have a ‘CNC REG’ shortcut. (If you cannot find the shortcut, navigate into the folder where you have MC installed and find the CNCReg.EXE file and execute it) Once the CNC RegEdit utility is up make sure the “Installed Product” setting is set to the correct product! In the "File Get Dialog' group click on the RESET button. In the "Dialog Position" group at the bottom of the CNC RegEdit dialog select the ‘Levels Dialog’ and click on the REST button to the right, then click on Apply and exit CNC RegEdit.

Corey, Did you get my email (yesterday) ?

quote: Roger whats the easiest, most effiecient way so we can eliminate manual errors? No way to tell with the limited info I have. Other than make sure the guy punching in values isn’t dyslexic

Murlin, See the MPMASTER-tool_op.PST in the "Text_&_post_files_&_misc" folder on the forum FTP site. Comments about what was added to the std. MPMASTER.PST are at the top of the file.

So he is creating the (main) Command file, which happens to be calling a (sub) Command file (HL1.CMD), which I must assume actually does the SPG calls of the ISO (path motion) file. There are several (many?) ways to program these Charmilles. I would not say "this way is better than that", but it is whatever method works for you doing your parts in your shop.

You could create string lookup table and use the variable tool_op as the index. In the Post Ref. Guide '306 NCI File.pdf' the info. about the NCI 1016 data contains a list of values for tool_op. You can also look under the definition of tool_op in the '304 Numeric Variables.pdf'

Read the quotes closely... quote: Normally I and J represent the incremental distance to the center of the arc from the start of the arc. quote: These for the most part are the incremtal distacne from the end of the arc to the center of the arc. Not to bust anybody, but.... Usually (since there are always exceptions when talking about CNCs!) the 'I' (X axis) & 'J' (Y axis) values are the incremental distance from the start of the arc to the center of the arc. From MPFAN.PST (and MPMASTER.PST) -> Note the "direction" is set with the 'arc type' variable. (2 = START to CENTER) code: arcoutput : 0 #0 = IJK, 1 = R no sign, 2 = R signed neg. over 180 arctype : 2 #Arc center 1=abs, 2=St-Ctr, 3=Ctr-St, 4=unsigned inc. and... quote: I also don't like 'Break arcs into Quadrants'. If your machine does not need this, don't break at quadrants, 'cause it's not doing anything for you except making additional NC code. But, it you are running 'R'adius format instead of I&J - be careful about changing -> breakarcs : 2 #Break arcs, 0 = no, 1 = quadrants, 2 = 180deg. max arcs If this switch in your PST is set to '1' and you change it to '0', you may have problems when using the 'R' arc format. You'd want to either: Leave this setting alone or change it to '2'.

Brandi, In the VB_Scripts folder on the forum FTP site is a SET-ARC-ATTRIBS.VBS script (Click on the "cadcam's FTP Site" link at the top of the page.) It's similar to Mick's script that Pooh references. You window the arcs, then it ask for the Radius of the arcs you wish to be altered. (Remember the you can enter 'R' at the prompt and then just click on an arc of the size you want and the radius of that arc will fill in the value.) Now the script will alter the Color & Level of the circles (only full 360 degree circles) that match that radius to be the set to the current construction Color & Level.

Julian123, Most likey the post you have contains a switch to allow for setting the arc format. Look in PST file for this -> arcoutput : 1 #0 = IJK, 1 = R no sign, 2 = R signed neg. over 180 and set it to -> arcoutput : 0

That could be caused by one of these two situations -> 1> The C:"MR0304 installed here folder"CommonIcons folder is missing or empty. 2> (most likey) The path to this folder in the CFG for your MR0304 install is incorrect. Go Screen, Configure, Files tab and scroll down in the Data Paths list until you see "Icons(BMP)". Check the "Selected item's Data Path" [ 06-23-2004, 10:31 AM: Message edited by: Roger Martin from CNC Software ]

Toolfab, From the MPMAHOXZ.PST --> quote: # *NOTE* This post is for the MAHO setup in the XZ 'G18' work configuration! # Meaning: The 'std' Y axis positions become Z outputs # and 'std' Z axis positions become Y outputs. # ALSO! ALL X axis positions get REVERSED. # What was +X in Mastercam becomes -X in the output file. # What was -X in Mastercam becomes +X in the output file Should you be using the MPMAHOXY.PST ?

Heavy, Send me an email.

MetalFlake, Try this... Change the last line in the section of your PST code from -> code: initht_a, !initht_i # Output the 'W' word to be -> code: !initht_a, *initht_i # Output the 'W' word The (incremental) 'W' value will be output on every drilled hole position. Clearance set to 0.25 (abs) Retract set to 0.1 (abs) Top of Stock set to 0.0 (inc) Depth set to -1.0 (inc) Point #1 -> X0, Y0, Z0 Point #3 -> X1, Y1, Z1 Point #3 -> X2, Y2, Z2 Point #4 -> X3, Y3, Z-1 Output from MPA2100E.PST -> code: N10 G0 G90 X0. Y0. S1000 M3 N12 Z.25 N14 G81 Z-1. R.1 W.15 F8.8 N16 X1. Y1. Z0. W.15 N18 X2. Y2. Z1. W.15 N20 X3. Y3. Z-2. W.15 N22 G80