Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

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GrantyGrant
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:27 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3 XXL, V-Carve Pro

Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by GrantyGrant »

Machine: Shapeoko XXL CNC Router
Programs: Vectric Vcarve Pro, CNCjs
NOT super great at gcode or programing. Lamens terms are appreciated.

Trying to add a manual tool change prompt in CNCjs without having to manually add the M6 command every time I populate G-Code that requires multiple tools.



I was directed (by: neilferreri) to add the manual tool change to V-Carve Pro in this forum conversation.

±--------------------------------------------------
Commands output for tool change
±--------------------------------------------------
begin TOOLCHANGE
“M6 T[T]”

How to open the .pp file?
Where do i copy and paste the above into the .pp file?

Thanks in advance!

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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: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by Adrian »

If you look on the Help menu in VCarve there is a guide to editing post processors. Page 29 onwards covers what you need to know.

GrantyGrant
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:27 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3 XXL, V-Carve Pro

Re: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by GrantyGrant »

I inserted the correct commands into the Shapeoko (mm) .pp and it's not working. Below is what is found in the .pp file when opened with Notepad ++. When saved and Vectric Pro is re-opened I get an error message from Vectric about the adjust .pp that I have attached a copy of below.

I had success with auto-populating the M6 command and confirmed that the M6 command was in the code. This was with Gcode (mm) .tap and I don't know what a .tap file means in this situation but the Gcode was different then I have been trying to learn, such as, "X100.407Y254.294".

How do I add the M6 Command into one of the post-processors that will populate the Gcode format that has a lot of "G0 X Y Z " and work well with CNCjs/Shapeoko XXL 3?

Any directions, lessons, or advice anyone might have in regards to any of this would be greatly appreciated.

+================================================
+
+ Grbl - Vectric machine output configuration file
+
+================================================
+
+ History
+
+ Who When What
+ ======== ========== ===========================
+ EdwardP 28/11/2014 Written from GCode_mm.pp
+ Added arc move support
+ EdwardP 11/02/2015 Commented out arcs as these
+ slow GRBL performance appear
+ interpolated anyway
+ Mark 24/11/2015 Updated for interim 0.9 spec.
+ Renaming to be machine specific.
+ Removing M30 from Footer.
+ Edward 07/12/2018 Inherit from Grbl post
+ which caused these changes:
+ - Precisions to 1.3
+ - Added G90 to header
+ - Added M5 to footer
+================================================
POST_BASE = "Grbl_mm.pp"


+--------------------------------------------------
+Commands output for tool change
+--------------------------------------------------

begin TOOLCHANGE

"M6 T[T]"


POST_NAME = "Shapeoko_TCM6 (mm) (*.gcode)"

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Adrian
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Model of CNC Machine: ShopBot PRS Alpha 96x48
Location: Surrey, UK

Re: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by Adrian »

Can't see the error message anywhere?

Not sure what you mean by adding it into other post processors. Aren't you adding it into the correct one for your machine? Why do it on post processors that aren't correct for your machine.

If you're not 100% sure what you're doing then you're best to leave it alone as you can cause all sorts of problems if you get it wrong.

GrantyGrant
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:27 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3 XXL, V-Carve Pro

Re: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by GrantyGrant »

The error message is popping up when I first open v-vectric.

The error message reads:

begin
Expected 'begin SECTION' or 'end SECTION' to terminate current section
on line 36 of file
C:\ProgramData\Vectric\VCarve Pro\V9.5\My_PostP\Shapeoko_mm.pp

As long as the post-processor is using gcode it should not matter which one I use specific to the machine or not as long as it populates a code that works with the sender and machine.

Per your question, I used a different.pp simply to test things out and see if my entry was the problem. The entry worked just fine in the previously mentioned Gcode.pp but i would like it to work with the Shapeoko.pp.

When I save a program with multiple tools I am simply trying to add the ability to auto-populate the M6 prompt via the post-processor so my G code sender will automatically prompt for a tool a change. I would like to do this with the Shapeoko mm post-processor but I cannot get it to work.



"100%" Pretty sure the modern world would not be what it is today if people only did things they were 100% with.

POST_NAME = "Shapeoko (mm) (*.gcode)"
Adrian wrote:Can't see the error message anywhere?

Not sure what you mean by adding it into other post processors. Aren't you adding it into the correct one for your machine? Why do it on post processors that aren't correct for your machine.

If you're not 100% sure what you're doing then you're best to leave it alone as you can cause all sorts of problems if you get it wrong.

gregk
Vectric Staff
Posts: 373
Joined: Mon Mar 05, 2018 12:34 pm
Model of CNC Machine: None

Re: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by gregk »

I think you got it almost right. The section that you have added need to go after the line with POST_BASE:

Code: Select all

+================================================
+                                                
+ Grbl - Vectric machine output configuration file   
+                                                
+================================================
+                                                
+ History                                        
+                                                  
+ Who      When       What                         
+ ======== ========== ===========================
+ EdwardP  28/11/2014 Written from GCode_mm.pp
+                     Added arc move support  
+ EdwardP  11/02/2015 Commented out arcs as these
+                     slow GRBL performance appear 
+                     interpolated anyway
+ Mark     24/11/2015 Updated for interim 0.9 spec.
+                     Renaming to be machine specific.
+                     Removing M30 from Footer.
+ Edward   07/12/2018 Inherit from Grbl post
+                     which caused these changes:
+                     - Precisions to 1.3
+                     - Added G90 to header
+                     - Added M5 to footer
+================================================
 
POST_NAME = "Shapeoko (mm) (*.gcode)"
 
POST_BASE = "Grbl_mm.pp"

+--------------------------------------------------
+Commands output for tool change
+--------------------------------------------------

begin TOOLCHANGE

"M6 T[T]"
I've attached a file for your convenience:
Shapeoko_mm.pp
(1.41 KiB) Downloaded 118 times
That should get rid of the error, but you need to verify whether the M6 command is inserted as expected.

Greg K

GrantyGrant
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2019 4:27 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3 XXL, V-Carve Pro

Re: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by GrantyGrant »

gregk wrote:The section that you have added need to go after the line with POST_BASE:
Just wanted to follow up with confirmation that the recommended fix did work. For anyone who might do this in the future just be patient and test appropriately as specified in the Post Processing Editing Guide via the Help drop-down menu in the program.

I may post how I did this in greater detail on the Carbide3D Forum for other newbies like me that love Vectric and would like it to mimic Carbides process.


Thank You Vectric Team for the support via the forum as well as email.

SO EXCITED ABOUT Version 10! NEXT LEVEL! Christmas came early!

Cheers!

GregoryG
Posts: 3
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2016 1:48 am
Model of CNC Machine: Shapeoko 3

Re: Post Processor .pp GCODE "M6" Manual Tool Change

Post by GregoryG »

Hi I tried many different ways to add the script you have here and it did not work,
Probably my fault I am sure, having no script experience, however I compared gcode script to the older nc script and you can see where they made changes also where the tool change was removed.....long story longer I cut the part that had the tool change and pasted it in the gcode
exactly where it was in the nc script
yea it works



+---------------------------------------------------
+ Commands output at the start of the file
+---------------------------------------------------


begin HEADER

+ Set Tool
"T1M6"
+ Set Plane
"G17"
+ Set Units to Inches
"G20"
+ Set Home
"G0 [ZH]"
"G0 [XH] [YH] [S] M3"



just changed the current header with this one....
hope this helps with others that are like me
Amen

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