32 minutes ago, Zaffin_D said:

I’m riffing this (I don’t have access to a PC till next week), so I expect it to be about 80% correct.

Get the next tool number using opinfo, if you want the next operation, use a 1 for the number of ops to look ahead.  Compare that to the current tool number, if they are equal (or the next tool number is -99999) do nothing.  If the next tool number is different than the current tool number (and not -99999), get the next tool’s description and output it.

You always want to look ahead to the next operation, and there is no easy license plate setting to get the next operations parameter if the tool changed.

 

 

Thanks again for your help. I will work on this. LIke you, I will not have access to a computer (vacation) for a couple weeks after today.  I hope vacation is the reason for you too, and if so, REALLY appreciate you taking the time.
John

19 hours ago, Zaffin_D said:

You don’t need a buffer.  Search the documentation for opinfo, you can query the next operations tool description easily.

Thanks Zaffin_D, you have me on the right track, I think. It's a little out of my wheelhouse but this is what I have so far.

strquot        : "" #returns the character ( " )
snxt_tl_nam    : "" #returns next tool's name Param 10094

strquot = no2asc(34)
snxt_tl_nam = opinfo(10094,?,????)

pbld, pn, "TOOL DEF ", *strquot, no_spc$, *snxt_tl_nam, no_spc$, *strquot, pe

My problem on the opinfo query is this:

?: The source' value. The # of next ops with null toolchanges varies so how do I determine the desired source (next tool) by offset of current tool?

????: Is there a "license plate" mode that will parse just the ops with actual toolchanges?

33 minutes ago, crazy^millman said:

Hum never done it that way where I need the tool description to call the tools.

[quote] Featurecam's post has a pre-defined variable called <NEXT-TL-NAME>. I can find no similar pre-defined string in MP. [/quote]

Depending on the post ptoolcomment is the equivalent.

True, but ptoolcomment only returns the current tool, not the next tool. Correct?

Sure do, Searched it thoroughly and couldn't find anything related.
I'm modifying a purchased post for another machine with similar control. I successfully modified for another machine and just beginning to work on the Mikron, but immediately ran into this snag.

John

Up until now our Mikron C400U (Heidenhain iTNC-530) has been programmed with another programming system (Featurecam). I am transitioning to Mastercam, which is what I am proficient in. The previous programs have been set up to use TOOL CALL and to pre-tool with TOOL DEF using descriptions rather than Tool number. i.e.:  "EM-.375X1.020_3FL-AL_#2054". I don't want to change that.
My problem is that - although I can use strtool$ for the TOOL CALL- I haven't been able to figure out how to return the next tool's description to pre-tool in TOOL DEF. Is there a way to tell strtool$ to find the next tool? Or some other way to accomplish this?

Featurecam's post has a pre-defined variable called <NEXT-TL-NAME>. I can find no similar pre-defined string in MP.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
John