Where’s the tool call?

This forum is for requests and queries about machine tool support for Vectric Products
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The Garage Father
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2017 2:55 am
Model of CNC Machine: Holzher and LinuxCNC

Where’s the tool call?

Post by The Garage Father »

Well I guess here we go, my first post is jumping right into the technical stuff. Got this question from writing a custom post processor for the CNC at work. This is from the text output post processor from the current trial version of V Carve Pro.

Start Paste

Design File Information

File Name = 'WingSpar'
File Pathname = 'C:\Users\Public\Documents\Vectric Files\Tutorial Files\VCarve Pro Trial Edition V8.0\_Evaluation Files to Machine\WingSpar.crv'
File Notes = ''


-------------------------------------------

Feed Rate Change - F5080.0 mm/min

-------------------------------------------

Initial Rapid Move from home or toolchange position

X: 12.22637 Y: 14.83832 Z: 11.43000 Home = X:0.00000 Y:0.00000 Z:11.45540
-------------------------------------------

Feed Rate Change - F762.0 mm/min

-------------------------------------------

First Plunge Move

X: 12.22637 Y: 14.83832 Z: 3.16230
-------------------------------------------

End Paste

Shown here we have the last few lines of the header section and the beginning of the output. As the subject reads, where’s the tool call? The only way I know to get it here, is add it to the header section. Now don’t get me wrong that seems to work. However it just seems totally like the wrong spot for it when you have a dedicated tool change section in the post. This is tells me that the software was designed for manual tool changes because you would have put that tool in before running the file. Which is great for all the MTC guys out there. But for us ATC ones, it should assume that the wrong tool is in the spindle and make the tool call change at just after the header section.

Also the same arguments can be made for the New Section commands. Technically it is a new section, well it is more like the first one. This could fall into a gray area, I do know your not allowed to define first section.

What are your thoughts and comments about this?

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Adrian
Vectric Archimage
Posts: 14544
Joined: Thu Nov 23, 2006 2:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Where’s the tool call?

Post by Adrian »

Not necessarily. My post processor calls the tool change routine for my control software in the header. The control software knows if that bit is in the tool holder or not so it just carries on with the job unless it knows a toolchange is needed.

It's not up to the Vectric software to keep track of which bits are in use, that's the job of the control software. The control software should always know what is going on and make the decisions based on requests. After all who says every job that is going to be run on the machine is from code generated by Vectric?

The Garage Father
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Feb 23, 2017 2:55 am
Model of CNC Machine: Holzher and LinuxCNC

Re: Where’s the tool call?

Post by The Garage Father »

test flower
test flower
test signs
test signs
My apologies for the lack of a reply, Adrian. However I have been very busy with work related issues and with trying to get some of the issues out of my post processor. The attached some gifts they where all cut on a Holzher Lynx 5711 machine. The post still needs some work I am having some issues with the last 5%. Which makes me have to search and hand edit out about 10 lines from the whole file. The good news is I got to cut some wood with it. The test signs where cut from Tru-pan which is a light weight MDF type material and the test flower was cut from a scrap of American Walnut. It turned out real nice the picture doesn't do it justice because if you hold it up to the light at an angle, it will shine like it's real smooth.

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IslaWW
Vectric Wizard
Posts: 1402
Joined: Wed Nov 21, 2007 11:42 pm
Model of CNC Machine: CNC Controller Upgrades
Location: Bergland, MI, USA

Re: Where’s the tool call?

Post by IslaWW »

If you follow the example of a good number of existing tool change postP's you will notice that there is a tool call in the header, the new segment section and the tool change section. To take care of what both you and Adrian say, this would be the path to follow.
Gary Campbell
GCnC Control
ATC & Servo Controller Controller Upgrades
GCnC411 (at) gmail.com

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