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G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Weird problem if I regen the toolpath
« on: March 14, 2010, 01:12:17 AM »
Newbie alert!!!!
I'm using Solidworks to make the model, Gibbscam to generate the gcode and Mach3 to run the mill.
When I generate gcode for a surface cut and export it to Mach3 as a Fanuk OKK mill through PostHASTE and load it into Mach3 I can see the entire toolpath but if I regen the toolpath I only see the small portion of the top layers and a toolpath going out into nowhere. Since I'm kinda new at this I figured I try the code anyway, maybe I was missing something in the way Mach3 displays the toolpath I thought to myself, but alas after trundling along for a bit the mill stops. I think it is stopping on a soft limit.
Now here comes the weird part, if I have everything set up in advance, meaning I have the mill zeroed at the origin before I load the code, I can see the entire toolpath and cut it, at least it seems to be cutting I can't be sure it's going to cut the entire thing since it won't be done for a bit yet.
One more thing, if I regen the toolpath and then close the code and reopen it I get the abridged version and I can only get it back if I exit the program and then start it again. Like I said weird....
Any ideas what I should be looking for.
Bill
P.S. Looks like I spoke too soon, it got a bit further and I can still see the entire toolpath but it stopped and seems to finished.
One thing I noticed is that the toolpath is in red and blue, being a newbie I thought this might be normal but does that mean Mach3 thinks there is a problem with the toolpath and wont run it???
Sorry if this is a bit rambling, I'm trying to get this working and it's almost 1:30 in the morning, I really need some sleep
I'm using Solidworks to make the model, Gibbscam to generate the gcode and Mach3 to run the mill.
When I generate gcode for a surface cut and export it to Mach3 as a Fanuk OKK mill through PostHASTE and load it into Mach3 I can see the entire toolpath but if I regen the toolpath I only see the small portion of the top layers and a toolpath going out into nowhere. Since I'm kinda new at this I figured I try the code anyway, maybe I was missing something in the way Mach3 displays the toolpath I thought to myself, but alas after trundling along for a bit the mill stops. I think it is stopping on a soft limit.
Now here comes the weird part, if I have everything set up in advance, meaning I have the mill zeroed at the origin before I load the code, I can see the entire toolpath and cut it, at least it seems to be cutting I can't be sure it's going to cut the entire thing since it won't be done for a bit yet.
One more thing, if I regen the toolpath and then close the code and reopen it I get the abridged version and I can only get it back if I exit the program and then start it again. Like I said weird....
Any ideas what I should be looking for.
Bill
P.S. Looks like I spoke too soon, it got a bit further and I can still see the entire toolpath but it stopped and seems to finished.
One thing I noticed is that the toolpath is in red and blue, being a newbie I thought this might be normal but does that mean Mach3 thinks there is a problem with the toolpath and wont run it???
Sorry if this is a bit rambling, I'm trying to get this working and it's almost 1:30 in the morning, I really need some sleep