DeskProto user forum

Hey all,

I've been trying to add some commands to my post processor so it's easier to see what operation is happening and allow me to do a tool change. This is what I've been doing:

1. Add a tool change command for each now operation with a new tool.
2. Add the operation name and tool number.

Adding a tool change command for each new operation:
In the Post Processor > Tool Change > Select "use change command" and added:
T[#] M0
G43 H[#]

Did I do this correctly? It does pause at this point, but when I press start to continue the operation it moves to the next line where I've added an operation name and tool number.

Adding Operation Name and Tool Number:
In the Operation > Advanced > Extra NC Commands > User Defined I added this: ({OPERNAME}{TOOLNUMBER}{TOOLNAME}). The issue is now the machine doesn't move past this line.

In my machine I've selected "automatic tool changer" with 99 tools as well as unchecked it to see if it makes a difference and it doesn't.

My hope is that the code shows what operation and what tool is required (even if it's the same tool still allows me to review code to understand where each operation is) and will pause for the tool change rather than export multiple NC programs.

Hi Steve,

It is not yet clear to me what you have set in the postprocessor, as your screenshot does not match the text below. The screenshot seems to be OK (though I do not know which code your machine requires for a toolchange). Adding extra code is not needed. Anyway the lines that in your text ("T[#] M0"and "G43 H[#]") are not correct: DeskProto will not understand "[#]".

Your machine doesn't move past line "({OPERNAME}{TOOLNUMBER}{TOOLNAME})" or in fact past the line that DeskProto generated with these placeholders. Are you sure that your machine accepts brackets ( and ) as comment indication ?

BTW have you seen the tutorial video about configuring a postprocessor:
support-videos/videos-configure-a-postprocessor-in-deskproto.php

Lex.

Hi Lex,

I have watched that video a number of times and it did give me some good guidance.

In my initial explanation I just wrote [#] to represent the tool number so the code I've created doesn't actually have that in it.

I figured out the first issue after exploring and reading the code. I noticed that when it comes to the tool change line the program does stop but the spindle wasn't stopping. In the Mach3/4 post processor I added a "stop spindle" command because once the tool change is complete there's an M3 line. Now when the operation is complete the program stops, I do the tool change, press start and it continues!

The second issue is still giving me some headaches. When exploring from Fusion in the past there's bracket's all over and the machine reads them fine. It still gets to the bracket line and stops.

UPDATE

I resolved the second issue. The problem was that the names of my tools all ended with the tool number in parentheses so when the program added another parentheses to the end of the "User Defined Commands" it added some confusion. Once I updated the names of the tools all works perfectly!

Hi Steve,

Thanks for both updates: happy to read that you have been able to solve both issues.
I now see that I misunderstood your first post, now it is clear.

Does your machine work with the Mach3 control software ?
If yes then I can add that to the title of this thread, to make it easier to find for others who want to add a manual toolchange to Mach3.

Lex.

Hey Lex,

I use Mach4 Industrial on my machine. No problem on adding it to the title at all!

Has been changed. I needed to edit a bit more as the max length for the subject line is 50 characters.