Ever Wish you could do a part preview run on your plasma table to see IF that part will fit that peace of odd material. Maybe IF you shifted the material a touch here or there it would cut fine and not waste another piace of metal by running off a corner here or there?

I have worked out a way to do it IF you use MAch3 and SheetCam to cut your plasma stuff.

A post mod to Sheetcam is needed and a new screen button for Mach3.

ANyone interested ??

(;-) TP

hell yes

Here is what you need to do to have Auto Preview for your plasma.



Modify your SheetCam Post(;-)

ADD to  OnPenDown()

 if  (string.find(operationName, _("Outside Offset") )) then
     post.TextDirect("o549 \n")
     post.Text (" X")
     post.Number (Sline1,"0.0000")
     post.Text(" Y")
     post.Number (Sline2,"0.0000")
     post.Eol()
   end


ADD TO  OnRapid()

   Sline1 =  (endX * scale)
   Sline2 =  (endY * scale)


Mach3  PREVIEW  BUTTON macro CODE************************

'Macro To AutoPreview
Sub main()
 Msg="Is Your Z HEIGHT Safe To Travel AND X0Y0 set?"

Response = MsgBox(Msg, 4 )
If Response = 7 Then
GoTo N3:
Else
GoTo N2:
End If
 
N2:
Code"G1 F30"
Code"M98P549"
DoButton(0)
GoTo N4:

N3:
MsgBox("Move Z To A Safe HEIGHT OR set X0.000 ,Y0.000 And Restart")
GoTo N4:

N4:
End Sub
End




after you have posted the Gcode IF you want to do a Preview   Just get ready,  Set your X0 Y0 and raise the Z up to a safe travel height and then PRESS the button.

Mach3 will use a special trick to GOTO the beginning of the Outside contour and run the code for a prview of where it is going to cut WITHOUT the torch on. When it completes it reloads the Gcode ready for you to do a normal start.

Darn I need to rotate the metal just a squeak(;-) OR USE G68 (only works with a G31 TOM routine ) to rotate the program  THEN push the button again to test.  IF all is well then hit Cycle Start like normal


IF you don't like it I will give you DOUBLE your money back(;-)

(;-) TP

Think I got it, that's pretty sweet, thanks

Please let me know how it works for YOU. I already know how it works here(;-)

(;-) TP