TP,
I'm just back looking at this stuff. In your "(CNC A axis Plasma TUBE Coping routine)" am I correct that when you finally run "PIPENOTCHER.tap" that all the math is done as the machine is cutting? If so there would be no look ahead and wouldn't be in CV mode. Right? Wouldn't the motion be jerky and the torch dive a lot? I still haven't had my second cup of coffee.

Tony

ONE thing to remember with mach IF you can see it in the toolpath on load then mach can run it in the buffer with look ahead active. Mach runs and handle GCODE VERYVERY well. It can calulated advanced subs AND parameteric CODE if the formulas are progressive.  IF the code has to wait to gather info to do the calculation then you may not see a complete TOOLPATH on load.  Even then MACH does a great job in queing up the code very fast(;-) There have only been a few programs that mach struggled with that I have seen.

Runs fine here on the test computer.

You will note in the code that the radius compDRO gets updated ( that way everthing looks and runs ok.

I have the code to do a hole in a tube but at present I can only do a 90 deg entry,still working on the angle entry.  I can visulise what it needs to do BUT I always get lost in the logic when I start working on it. It really is just a mirror of the coping code. BUT???(;-)

IF WES wants to update his WIZARD to do the straight in holes as well I can supply the code


(;-) TP

I'm working on the hole, "saddle", also. It's looking good. Hope to have it done today.
Keep up the good work.
Tony

YOUS guys make me happy that you are working on cool stuff for users of Mach.

(;-) TP

So far so good  Good circle from top veiw and good saddle from side veiw.

Nice to see,... Smart Thinkers and Doers at work, very creative, I like it.
Good Job

Seeing I know very little about plasma cutting, Is the Z axis being driven then it floats to cut smoothly as it changes direction up and down?
I did not know you can plasma cut other than in X and Y.
Cool

With a floating torch head you lower the Z until it touches the material then it trips a switch and MAch reset that point as zero. THen after the arc is struck mach controls Z based on the arc voltage, raising and lower it to keep the arc voltage at the present level. IF you have stop and go situations when running it causes the thc to dive into the material trying to chase the arc voltage. SOme units have anti dive to prevent it BUT it still will lower to the set limit.

SO it is very important to produce smooth movement(;-)

NOW that IS if you have a THC. (Torch height controller)

I think I have it.
TP, Will you see what these files look like in the tool path window ? I haven't got used to that thing yet. I've got to tune up the text formatting a little but I thins gana go. Your 90* saddle looks good!

Tony

The TAP files have a funny set of hidden charectors at the start of the file, I can't delelte them so mach errors out on load.
The text files I had to enclose the comment then mach loaded ok.

When you add comments you need to enclose them like  ( branch pipe 3.00 )

The 37deg saddle looks GOOD

the 90deg does not complete the shape it runs as a single arced line

Can you do a 4" main and 2" branch at 45 deg an O offset. That way I can calculate the sizes to make sure it cuts to size.

TP,

Here is the wizard with your code... still think its broken... let me know what you think.