Messages

351

General Mach Discussion / Simulating around subroutines

« on: July 28, 2008, 01:01:32 PM »

hanks  to Graham I now have a Gcode program to cut my Z-axis mounting plate. I've learned a lot modifying it. Ive been using MACH to simulate the program . I want to go past a large section of the code and start looking at the action further on. My problem is when I use the"Run From Here" function it always seems to zip through to analyze the program as normal but then stops at the beginning of the first subroutine as if that was the place I had indicated instead of actually down the program where I indicated to start.
 Is there a way to work around this.
 If it really needs to start at the beginning of the first subroutine in order to stay in sync, then it would be nice to have a fast foward function and a "STOP HERE" button to indicate a line where you want to stop and continue at normal speed.
 Maybe what I'm doing is better accomplished by a dedicated G-code simulator. If someone can suggest a free one it would be appreciated.

Sage

352

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Help with multiple passes

« on: July 21, 2008, 01:50:43 PM »

ger21:

I'll check out your macro

Thanks


Sage

353

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Help with multiple passes

« on: July 21, 2008, 01:46:20 PM »

Graham:

Just to be sure I understand your code, and in the interest of understand the action of the G codes presented:
Do I detect a problem with your approach if the material is greater than 0.6" thick?

It appears you raise the tool a fixed distance of 0.6 inches from it's current depth at the end of each pass which is getting increasingly deaper with each pass. For this example the material is only 0.5" thick so you will be raising it 0.6" above the work surface at the start and only 0.1" on the last pass. Not a problem in this case but I'd lke to understand the codes fully. Perhaps there is something in the absolute / relative feature that makes this non-issue ?

 Am I missing something?

Thanks


Sage
 

354

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Help with multiple passes

« on: July 18, 2008, 03:30:39 PM »

Graham:

I notice when your code gets to doing the circles it does not do a rapid up and then down again before doing the next depth pass like it does for the arcs. I assume this is because the code used is dedicated circle code and it knows how to repeat efficiently - is that correct? It seems to repeat the same two lines of code. I can see the one line has the Z increment of -.1 but where is the parameter how many times to do it? I would have thought, like the arc code it would have to return from the subroutine to be told to go back and do it again.
I have a lot to learn. It may help me if you give me your take on this action.

Thanks

Sage

355

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Help with multiple passes

« on: July 18, 2008, 03:06:22 PM »

Graham:

You're the man. I guess that's why they made you administrator !!
Your code seems to do exactly what I wanted. Rapids down to the old depth, adds a bit more depth and off it goes!!
Now all I have to do is figure out what you did. I'll have to study the code. A good learning exercise.


Chip:

Sorry if I misunderstood what you were asking me to do - and I'm not sure who Jim is you were "talking" to, but I put the file you attached in MACH3 folder and went into LayCam  Setup/Posting Options/Set Post Processor and browsed to and set as default the file you sent. I loaded by DXF and did the "Post Code" again. I loaded the reulting file into MACH3 again. The action looks exactly the same to me. The code also still has the lines in it that you suggest needed to be commented out - I think. I've attached the file again for what it's worth.

Sage

356

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Help with multiple passes

« on: July 17, 2008, 03:02:24 PM »

Chip:

Thanks for your suggestion, but putting in the semi-colon (which I guess comments out the line eliminating it from the code) did not work. MACH3 didi not like it and even the tool path display does not completely load when the G-code is loaded. It seems to stop loading with the highlight bar in the gcode display window on the first line after the modified line.

It may be becasue the generated code uses a G2 to do the arcs. I'm not sure. Perhaps you can figure it out from the code attached to my previous post with the explaination. The arc code starts at N130 where it says it changes to a 1/4 center cut endmill.

Thanks so far.

Sage

357

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Help with multiple passes

« on: July 17, 2008, 07:58:52 AM »

Attached is the G-code with the repeditive passes to make a 1/4" sloted arcs through a 1/2" plate.

It's actually the whole code to cut a Z-axis motor mount plate for my mill-drill CNC conversion. Best run it in MACH3 to see what' s going on becasue the first part drills a bunch of 1/4" holes in the plate including one at the each end of the arcs. I figured this would be a good way to make the ends of the arcs clean - well really they were in the DXF and I didn't now what else to do with them.
Then comes several hundred lines of code to do the three arcs.
I'm not claiming it's the best Gcode. I just took what I got from LazyCam.

And you are correct. Maybe I shouldn't care what it does. After all I can walk away and do sometihng else. I'm not turning the handles anymore. But I'm also using this as a learning tool. I'm almost ready to turn on my machine. I have the X&Y axis done and sort of got carried away with the excitement and neglected to make the Z-motor mount. I plan to figure out enough about G-code to put a pause in for tool changes and adjustment of the Z-feed manually on this code enough to get the plate done. If not I'll just do it manually. I still have handles on the machine.


Sage

358

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Help with multiple passes

« on: July 16, 2008, 01:56:47 PM »

I'm just geting started with this so I hope it's not a silly question but...

I have been quite sucessfull in transferring a file from AutoCad to DXF and getting it set up with LazyCam. I transferred it to Mach3 to demo it just watcing it on the screen for now. The file cuts a short small arc 1/4"wide with a 1/4" cutter. The material is 1/2" thick so I have the parameters set up to do only .010 deep per pass. I have the tool lift to 0.1" above the work piece and I have the plunge speed set pretty slow at the start of each pass because it's a small enough cutter I don't want to get too agressive. It all looks pretty good as it runs except:
 After it does the tool lift and the rapid to the start of the arc again the plunge speed is used to get back to the un-cut material again which is pretty slow considering there is nothing there to cut more and more with each pass until it gets as deep as it was in the last pass.
 I don't think I can have no tool lift becasue I assume it does a straight line back to the beginning of the arc which would be a disaster. So the question is, is there a way to either rapid plunge the first bit of the depth to the new material or perhaps trace back along the arc to the beginning without a tool lift and then plunge from there?

I know zero about G-code. I'm just using LazyCam to generate it (so far)


Sage

359

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Help with a few commands

« on: July 08, 2008, 05:43:26 PM »

Actually it does. After figuring out the 3D panning I can now see the tool lift and movements for the holes. They are there.
The "S" command is interesting though. I can't see it simulating doing the holes. It could be that it's too fast to see. Some more info might be required on that. Also I don't see it simulating the multiple passes I think I have it set for.

SO, the "drill sel circles" is explained. Now what is "drill rad circles" feature.

Thanks. This is great.


PS> how did you insert the image in your post.

Sage

360

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: Help with a few commands

« on: July 08, 2008, 02:59:31 PM »

As mentioned in my first post. I believe I tried the "drill select circles" command but I did not see any drill lift on the screen  between holes. Just a blue line going between the holes. Not like the milling where there is definite lift shown on the screen before the move. Maybe someone can clarify for me.

Thanks

Sage