thanks, exactly what I was looking for.

Within wireframe I have 37 circles set at a diameter of .750. I would like to change the size of all .750 circles to a different size. Is it possible in Mastercam to link the size of one circle to another? I am finding myself having to change the size of each circle entity separate from one another.

When using the debugger it trails to plinout. When I add an asterisks to feed it adds a feed to every G1 line.

What post block would that be? When I setup my sequence numbers to post with rotational moves it did it under the ptlchg0$ block as well.

I have tried that with no luck.

In MPMaster under ptlchg0$ I want to have a null tool change repost the spindle speed, spindle start code, and federate after an index change without doing a forced tool change. I have the spindle speed and spindle start codes posting the way I want. I am not able to identify what triggers the feed rate to post correctly. I was playing with the plinout post block but was not getting the results I was looking for. Been at this all morning, can someone point me in the right direction?

Operation comment. I assumed it was a tool comment because the comment box is only in the tool section of the operation with the tool info. My mistake.

Found what I was looking for. Parameter #15239

Information for our setups are not taken from the program. They are taken from a setup sheet. Once a program is posted and verified to work there is not much that is ever done to them again. If a manufacturer discontinues a tool and we need a different tool of same type the goal is to only have to update the setup sheet with the new tool details and not have to touch the program.

Not an option. The tool name needed to stay as is for a detailed description of what kind of 3 inch tool is being used. It is easier for the programmer to choose from the tool library at a quick glance without customizing the Mastercam layout. The description desired in the post needs to be generic. Currently the tool name is being dumbed down after posting with hand edits.

I would like to replace the tool name with tool comment within the ptoolcomment post block. I am not having any luck finding the parameter for this in the MP Documentations. Is there a parameter for tool comment?

This must never of been a fix added in later posts. I just had to add this line to stop double posting of M00 now using the MPMASTER .pst file for 2018.

I use google and limit the search to this web site when I am looking for something. I have much better results typing in the same keywords than I do with the search engine built into this site.

Well I gave up on trying to understand the slin/slout functions for now. Gonna wait to see what Colin comes up with. I just could not figure them out without seeing an example of working code. I haven't found an issue yet while testing this out and it might not be the correct way to go about this, but I was able to accomplish what I was trying to do with the spindle code swap. I created the following strings. # Spindle with coolant strings sm03_1 : "M03" #Spindle forward sm05_1 : "M05" #Spindle off sm13_1 : "M13" #Spindle forward sm15_1 : "M15" #Spindle off spincoolcheck : "" #Holds active coolant code At the end of the pcant_out post block I added a statement to capture the coolant code. pcant_out #Canned text - build the string for output #Assign string select type outputs if cant_pos < three, #cant_pos indicates canned text output [ if cantext$ = three, bld = one if cantext$ = four, bld = zero #Build the cantext string if cantext$ = one, strcantext = strcantext + sm00 if cantext$ = two, strcantext = strcantext + sm01 if cantext$ = five, strcantext = strcantext + scant5 if cantext$ > five, [ strtextno = no2str(cantext$) strcantext = strcantext + strm + strtextno ] ] else, #cant_pos indicates coolant output [ coolant_bin = flook (two, cantext$) #Create binary value for each coolant using lookup table if frac(cantext$/two), [ if all_cool_off, [ if coolant_on, pbld, n$, *sall_cool_off, e$ coolant_on = zero suppress = 1 #WBT added this for null toolchange with "First command shuts all off" #and turn off selected in the second op, post outputs M9 twice ] else, coolant_on = coolant_on - coolant_bin/2 #Odd = off command, subtract appropriate binary value. ] else, #Even = on command [ #Determine if this coolant is already on local_int = zero coolantx = zero while local_int < 20, [ result2 = and(2^local_int, coolant_on) local_int = local_int + one if result2 = coolant_bin, suppress = one ] ] if suppress <> 1, #Don't output an on code for a coolant that is already on [ if not(frac(cantext$/two)), coolant_on = coolant_on + coolant_bin #Maintain binary sum of all coolants currently on coolantx = cantext$ - 50 #Create a coolantx value for string select pbld, n$, *scoolantx, spincoolcheck = scoolantx, e$ ] suppress = zero ] I created a post block to define the new spindle codes when the M13 coolant code is activated. pspinwcool if spincoolcheck = scool58, [ sm03 = sm13_1 sm05 = sm15_1 ] else, [ sm03 = sm03_1 sm05 = sm05_1 ] Then finally I inserted my post block into the spindle out post blocks. pspindleout #Spindle speed and M code output if not((opcode$ = 3 | opcode$ = 16) & nextdc$ = 3 & rigid_tap), speed, pspinwcool, spindle pfspindleout #Spindle speed and M code output forced if not((opcode$ = 3 | opcode$ = 16) & nextdc$ = 3 & rigid_tap), *speed, pspinwcool, *spindle Now I that I have the x style coolant codes replacing the spindle codes I just need to suppress the on/off (M13/M15) coolant codes themselves from posting when M13 is used as a spindle code so they do not post twice. I might be able to use slin/slout for this. Most of my attempts at using this function gave me blank or unwanted results. But what do you expect from a guy that doen't understand the proper use of those functions. LOL. Joking aside it will still be nice to understand the slin/slout functions to scratch my itch of curiosity and create cleaner code.

Im curious to see what you come up with. I started playing with the spindle string today and am getting some different results now. Maybe I will have better luck tomorrow.

I thought I had this down but it looks like I am still not doing this correctly. One of my mistakes came by defining the string value with "M13" (my desired output) instead of a blank "". This forced my statement to be true triggering the code swap(that part works great). So what I can tell I am not pulling a value into the string from my slin line. Here is what I have. spinwithcool : "" spinwithcool = slin(9, scoolantx) I am not getting the coolant code to save into the spinwithcool string. So I'm guessing 9, scoolantx is not what outputs my M13 code. I see cant_pos and cantext$ within the pcant lists 1-20, and cantext$ is referenced in the pcant_out block. Should I be using these with a vlin instead of slin? I tried that as well with no luck pulling anything into the spinwithcool string. There is a line in the pcant_out block turning cantext$ into a string. strtextno = no2str(cantext$) I tried playing with strtextno instead of scoolantx in my slin line. I am running out of ideas. I'm not sure if I'm using the wrong string which has my value, if I am using slin incorrectly or both.

Thanks you Colin. Your second post helped straighten me out. My thinking was completely off track for what I was trying to accomplish. I was able to get my spindle codes to work out now. Thank you again.

I am having some issues understanding the slin/slout function. I found an example with slin on https://www.emastercam.com/forums/topic/72321-help-modifying-my-mill-post/ but do not see any example of slout being used to pull information. I found the formula example in the reference guide s=slout(n, base_string). I have X style coolant commands turned on with the fifth coolant line down containing spindle w/ coolant options M13/M15 (on/off). I created a string spin_with_cool and am using that as the "s" variable. I have pcant_out set as the base_string variable. Not sure what to put in for the "n" variable. spin_with_cool=slout(pcant_out). The slout definition says base_string is a string in array. Should I be using scoolantx instead of pcant_out for a base string? From what I am understanding this formula as, if using scoolantx for a base string then 9 is the number for the "n' variable because smcool58 is ninth down in the list for coolant 5 on that would contain my M13 code.

We have two KIAs that have two different spindle start codes. 1. M03 - Spindle start forward. 2. M13 - Spindle start forward with coolant flood on. Same goes for spindle stop. 1. M05 - Spindle stop 2. M15 - Spindle stop with coolant off. I was thinking of having two coolant options for Flood to choose from the coolant parameters. The regular flood on-off M08/M09, which wouldn't mess with the spindle on-off code. Then another flood mode with M13/M15 for the spindle and coolant combined on-off that would ignore the command to post out the M03/M05 when M13/M15 are used. I am looking for some direction on the simplest way to accomplish this. Any thoughts, ideas, or advice?

Awesome, thank you. Hopefully this will save some headaches importing files.

It would be great if you could find the export setting to get a mastercam friendly step file. I will try looking myself as well. I do not have ProE access any longer. Kinda feels like I have my hands tied behind my back now when I have to do anything involving editing a 3D model.

Other than a simple shape like a cube I have never got the thicken operation to work. All I get is an error stating that the thicken operation failed. Is there more to the thicken operation than selecting the solid, a direction, and amount to thicken by?

I have imported a step file from proe that has several gaps in it. As far as I can tell there are no gaps left after converting the solid to a surface, creating the missing surfaces, and converting back to a solid. I am left with a sheet solid. How do I convert this to a closed solid and or verify if there are no gaps left. I wish to cut the part by a plane to create a better cross section view for presentation and do not wish to have a hollow inside of the part.

This is exactly why I left my previous employer. I spent almost 3 years listening to upper management report to us how many millions in profit they were bringing in during quarterly meetings. I had mentioned well over a dozen times that we need to be running legal software but it never was a concern to them. Karma kicked in a little when China ripped off one of their ideas and we had to listen to them cry about the millions lost during one of those quarterly meetings. I could not handle working in a room with pirated software anymore and hit the door. Glad I made the move. My new employer treats me much better and insists on making sure all software is legit. I still think about reporting my old employer sometimes but I do not want to open a can of worms. Sometimes it is better to leave things in the past.

I like your idea for commenting. My coolant codes post on a separate line so I will be able to have them as comments after the M code. The description line wont hold enough characters to do it there. Thanks for your input.