[rckdef]

Al-------Just so you know this is the tutorial i am trying to follow!
4th Axis Indexing Tutorial

[aldepoalo]

This is the posting tab I am talking about:


online photo sharing

"In order to have the system perform an index, navigate to the Posting page inside of the Hole feature. On this page, select the Output Rotary Angle check box and type 0 in the Rotation Angle box. This outputs the appropriate rotation code for 0 degrees inside of the posted NC program."

From the 4th axis Indexing tutorial


Using the posting page ( posting tab ) inside the hole feature allows you to out put a rotation value to go with that tool path feature.

%
O100 (PROGRAM NUMBER)

(BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)
(MCH_FILE=4AXVMILL.MCH)
(COORD_SYS 1=X0 Y0 Z0)
(MTOOL T1 S4 D0.375 C0. A90. H3.)
(MTOOL T2 S4 D0.375 C0. A118. H5.)
(SBOX X-1.1875 Y-0.1875 Z-1. L0.375 W0.375 H1.)
(END PREDATOR NC HEADER)


(FIRST MACHINE SETUP - Machine Setup - 1)

(PROGRAM NAME - BOBCAD1.NC)
(POST -  BC_4X_MILL GENERIC FANUC)
(DATE - THU. 02/14/2013)
(TIME - 08:07AM)

N01 G00 G17 G40 G49 G80 G20 G90
N02 G91 G28 A0.
N03 G90

(FIRST CUT - FIRST TOOL)

(TOOL #1 0.375 )
N04 T1 M06
N05 A0.
N06 G90 G54 X-1. Y0. S6111 M03
N07 G43 H1 D1 Z0.1 M08
N08 M10
N09 G81 G99 X-1. Y0. Z-0.08 R0.1 F4.2781
N10 G80
N11 M09
N12 M05
N13 G00 G91 G28 Z0.
N14 G90
N15 M01

(NEXT CUT - NEXT TOOL)

(TOOL #2)
N16 T2 M06
N17 M11
N18 A0.
N19 G90 G54 X-1. Y0. S794 M03
N20 G43 H2 D2 Z0.1 M08
N21 M10
N22 G81 G99 X-1. Y0. Z-0.6127 R0.1 F1.1123
N23 G80
N24 M09
N25 M05
N26 G00 G91 G28 Z0.
N27 G90
N28 M01

(NEXT CUT - NEXT TOOL)

(TOOL #1)
N29 T1 M06
N30 M11
N31 A90.
N32 G90 G54 X-1. Y0. S6111 M03
N33 G43 H1 D1 Z0.1 M08
N34 M10
N35 G81 G99 X-1. Y0. Z-0.08 R0.1 F4.2781
N36 G80
N37 M09
N38 M05
N39 G00 G91 G28 Z0.
N40 G90
N41 M01

(NEXT CUT - NEXT TOOL)

(TOOL #2)
N42 T2 M06
N43 M11
N44 A90.
N45 G90 G54 X-1. Y0. S794 M03
N46 G43 H2 D2 Z0.1 M08
N47 M10
N48 G81 G99 X-1. Y0. Z-0.6127 R0.1 F1.1123
N49 G80
N50 M09
N51 M05
N52 G00 G91 G28 Z0.
N53 G91 G28 Y0. A0.0
N54 G90
N55 T1 M06
N56 M02

(END OF FILE)
(END OF PROGRAM)

N57 M30
%

[aldepoalo]

"Next, a line needs to be drawn to specify where the center of rotation occurs. For this example, we are going to drill these holes around a 3 inch diameter cylinder, so a line is drawn 1.5 inches down in the Z-axis."

"Now, the entity describing the rotation axis must be assigned to the Machine Setup. To do this, right-click Machine Setup and click Re/Select. Select the Rotation Index Axis Origin check box, and assign the newly created line to the Rotary Index Axis Origin selection box."

If you are going to use an index system you must complete these steps for the software to output the correct rotation amount.

But if you are just inputting outputting a rotary angle at the feature level using the posting page, then I do not believe this step is needed.


So there are 2 ways to post a rotation value.

1.1 You define an axis of ration
1.2 You Define an index system
1.3 You create a tool path feature

Following these steps the software will calculate the rotation value for you. If you need to index to a new face just create a new index system. Right-click Machine Setup again and click Add Index, from there you would pick the surface you would like to index to.


2.1 Load a tool path feature
2.2 In the tool path wizard left click on posting
2.3 Check the out put rotary angle box
2.4 Define the rotation value

Following these steps allows you to post an A or B index value to go with your tool path. You define this value, and the software will post it. There is no other relationship to the value you input in the field other than it will be posted in your program.

Just like in the sample program I posted on the last thread:

(TOOL #1)
N29 T1 M06
N30 M11
N31 A90. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
N32 G90 G54 X-1. Y0. S6111 M03
N33 G43 H1 D1 Z0.1 M08
N34 M10
N35 G81 G99 X-1. Y0. Z-0.08 R0.1 F4.2781
N36 G80
N37 M09
N38 M05
N39 G00 G91 G28 Z0.
N40 G90
N41 M01

The A90 value came from the posting page.



*********************



If you are having issue with the A values not posting, please check your machining order, and change it to post by feature.

The Machining Order Dialog

[shred]

One thing to note, in Als great pic of the Output Rotary Angle checkbox, be careful if you re-select your stock after setting it. In V23, the angle resets to zero, no matter what was in there before . In V25, the checkbox clears. If you recheck the box, you get your old angle back, which is an improvement, though still annoying to me when tweaking geometries as you can miss one easily enough.

[rckdef]

Al- I understand the posting tab (i just call it something else)
I understand that there are two ways to post a rotation angle
I am useing the example -1- of the tutorial which is at the feature
level useing the posting page. Example -1- of the tutorial says you
can add a second feature and go to the posting page of that feature and change the rotation angle to a different degree to perform that feature--It dont work--like i said previously in simulation it looks good. I set my features like this-- .375 hole 1" in from the edge at rotation angle "0" The second feature .375 hole "2" in from the edge at rotation angle "180" When you run the simulation it drills the first hole at "0" then moves over to drill the second hole also at "0" -- NO rotation (I also tried it changing the Default Machine Order to" By Feature" )--Same thing!-----

[rckdef]

Thanks Shred I did double check to make sure i had the right angles.

[rckdef]

I have been reading FAQ-50 regarding Milling Machine Setup.exe.
Is that something we should be looking at---I opened it up to look at
it says Model V1--i think my model is TM2---the box for
"4th axis-index and simultaneous" is selected--im not familiar with
this --does it apply to my problem??

[rckdef]

I opened up the Hass.millPst post processor and verified that all
the changes that were required in FAQ-50 were already made-??

[aldepoalo]

If you want the software to simulate the index you'll need to use an index system. The software will not simulate an index ( to the best of my knowledge ) when using the posting page to define the rotation angle.

So my next question is, did you get the software posing the rotation amount?

[aldepoalo]

1. Please join my TurboMeeting session,
https://www.bobcad.com/support/remot...2348&password=

Meeting ID: 1611-2348
Meeting Password: No password needed

2. Join the conference call:
Access Code: 16112348
Dial: +1 408-715-6768 (US)
+44 (0)844-873-0256 (UK)
+49 (0)1805-123-0135 (Germany)

[rckdef]

Al--are you telling me that if i want to simulate a sketch based feature
i have to use a index system?--That is not what the tutorial says--
and that is not what FAQ-32 says--Being new to 4th indexing i can only follow what the tutorial says and expect it to work.

I tried what you said--right click machine setup--click add index--
right click index system--I get a dialoge box to re/select 4 axis
index location---what do i do next? Remember this feature is a sketch.
the 4th axis has already been defined. Without a tutorial im shooting
in the dark!!

[rckdef]

What time does the meeting start??

[BurrMan]

I tried what you said--right click machine setup--click add index--
right click index system--I get a dialoge box to re/select 4 axis
index location---what do i do next? Remember this feature is a sketch.
the 4th axis has already been defined. Without a tutorial im shooting
in the dark!!

In that select 4 axis index location, you can either select the face of 3d geometry (you dont have), Select from a UCS (Define a UCS at the rotation angle you want), Or use a toolpatern if you are at a symetrical rotation array degree of some sorts.

[shred]

I went through this a couple months ago. The simulator will not simulate 4th axis index moves (well, the cuts happen, but the virtual 'stock' doesn't move) without a new machine setup for each index, which is a major nuisance. The code will post correctly however, so Predator does backplot them properly, so I use that for my 4th code until BCC gets around to pestering the sim guys into fixing it.