[Xiper]

Hello Guys,

i'am going to edit my first pp. The most of my settings are working, but know i need some help.

I want to set my work coordiante system in the head of the programm. It should be something like this:

G10 L2 P1(G54) X123 Y123 Z123
G10 L2 P2(G54) X123 Y123 Z123

At camworks I can set my work system to G54, G55 etc., but i can't set any coords. The field is missing. What i've to add to my PP to implement that?

Regards

[acannell]

have you read camworks help file on how they intend work offset functions to work? they may already make it easy for you

[Xiper]

I red the manual. The only information I found is, that the work coordinate input is controlled by the post process. That doesn't really helps... Anybody has more detailed information about that`?

[jame5m28]

Have you ordered a "custom post processor? this would need to be written into the post processor.

[acannell]

I red the manual. The only information I found is, that the work coordinate input is controlled by the post process. That doesn't really helps... Anybody has more detailed information about that`?

hmm thats weird. ive worked in the post processor editor but i havent yet done anything with work offsets. so you basically want to be able to define a work coordinate systems machine coordinates (G5x.. etc..) from inside camworks?

i suppose they assume you are defining them in the machine control manually and so there is no need to define them inside camworks?

just out of curiousity why do you want to define them inside camworks?

[Xiper]

@Jame: We didn't order an custom processor. We are really used to do the most things by our selfs.

@acanell: I understand your question, but we want to improve our workflow. Programm and go, without changing coords on the machine. If you know where are fixtures are you can easily calculate your work origin. Thats the rason.

It should like the pattern offset. But i can't find an example:

Attachment 212878

I didn't get an solution yet. Do anybody has a .src file that can handle work offset? So i could compare...

cu

[acannell]

@Jame: We didn't order an custom processor. We are really used to do the most things by our selfs.

@acanell: I understand your question, but we want to improve our workflow. Programm and go, without changing coords on the machine. If you know where are fixtures are you can easily calculate your work origin. Thats the rason.

It should like the pattern offset. But i can't find an example:

Attachment 212878

I didn't get an solution yet. Do anybody has a .src file that can handle work offset? So i could compare...

cu

if you can just find a way to let camworks let you send an arbitrary G code to the NC file, which in this case, would be to modify a G5x system to your desire. would that work?

in my ancient 2001 version of camworks, i was able to send some arbitrary text to the NC file, but to do it required me to modify not only the post, but some of the posts internal files which determine whether comment characters are output.

and doing it this way wouldnt really give you a menu or something nice inside camworks...although in a more modern version of camworks might have a more sophisticated way to do it

in my post editor for camworks, there are some "optional" parameters like material, part name, etc...that actually do show up in camworks if you select them to. and then they get passed to the post. but ive noticed not all of them actually end up as variables that you can put into the output nc file. but a couple did. youd probably want to experiment on yours.

if none of this makes sense just say so and ill explain better

[jame5m28]

The line that would bring that out would be something like:

:T:<N>G10 L2 P<"%3LT":fixture_offset>(G54)<X_OFFSET><Y_OFFSET>< Z_OFFSET><EOL>

to get it in the start of your program then one way (incorrect way) would be to place it in :SECTION=START_OF_TAPE

the correct way to do it would be to create a new section and write a gettxt routine in the LIB file, which is not something that the newbie post writer would even know where to begin with.

[acannell]

The line that would bring that out would be something like:

:T:<N>G10 L2 P<"%3LT":fixture_offset>(G54)<X_OFFSET><Y_OFFSET>< Z_OFFSET><EOL>

to get it in the start of your program then one way (incorrect way) would be to place it in :SECTION=START_OF_TAPE

the correct way to do it would be to create a new section and write a gettxt routine in the LIB file, which is not something that the newbie post writer would even know where to begin with.

i think the problem the OP is having, or will have if he creates the new line as your described, is that the variables X_OFFSET, etc.. are not entered anywhere in camworks. is there a way to get camworks to let you enter variables like that?

also, i noticed that some variables that _are_ entered in camworks, like tool_description, tool_length, etc.. didnt seem to make it to the post processor, because when i referenced them, i just got the name of the variable instead of its value. some did work however, like part_number.

[jame5m28]

CAMWorks would output the X_offset etc if using assembly mode,

you need to have those attribute defined in your .LIB file.

[acannell]

CAMWorks would output the X_offset etc if using assembly mode,

you need to have those attribute defined in your .LIB file.

ahaaaaa...i think you may have just solved the OP's problem, although its probably too complex for him to implement that solution

can you tell me where i can find the programming reference on how to modify the LIB file to accept parameters from camworks? all ive found is the UPG 2001 help file and it doesnt talk about editing the lib file as far as i can tell

thanks for any help!

[jame5m28]

you really need to work through the tutorials in the UPG folder, or speak with your VAR regarding training, unless you have 50+ posts to write though it'd be more cost effective to have a post written for you by someone who knows how to do it.

[acannell]

you really need to work through the tutorials in the UPG folder, or speak with your VAR regarding training, unless you have 50+ posts to write though it'd be more cost effective to have a post written for you by someone who knows how to do it.

i dont have a var...and ive never taken training on anything...but i do develop software in assembler and C for windows and embedded stuff..the post processor stuff looks like little more than batch files, a little messy IMO..but itd be nice not to have to reverse engineer it as i really do only have a few things i need to add..i didnt think the tutorials covered the lib editing..i wonder what cute little structure they have working in there...

[jame5m28]

Well good look then! So what's wrong with getting training from experts?

[acannell]

Well good look then! So what's wrong with getting training from experts?

ive found that letting someone else teach you something, besides just a cursory introduction, becomes a crutch, and almost immediately you are limited by their personal biases, assumptions, experiences, etc.. etc.. plus you dont get the enormous confidence boost that teaching yourself gives you, which is 90% what getting better at anything is really. besides "expert" is sort of an odd term to apply to a blue collar industry like machining, where everythings been done before and documented somewhere. if you can read, you can know what the best minds in the industry know. thats what makes it blue collar. i.e. if teksoft documented their post processor lib functions, i wouldnt have to ask, id just RTFM, then id be the "expert" lol. but now i have to go all white collar on them and reverse engineer it.