Ignoramus21191 wrote:

Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.


EMC2 has subroutines, math, logic, named parameters.

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Oword
http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emc...med_Parameters

Wes

On Jul 19, 7:29*pm, Winston wrote:
...

I vaguely remember instructions from some ARRL publication
that required one to score and *physically pry up* copper
laminate to create a (very simple) PCB. *Compared to that,
Marks-A-Lot is Star Trek technology. *

--Winston

At MITRE we couldn't have chemicals, so I had to cut and pull up
copper on Duroid prototype circuits. Luckily they were usually just
simple microstrip to test a component on the network analyzer. The
copper is mechanically bonded on Duroid and unlike glass/epoxy,
heating the copper with an iron doesn't loosen it very well. In a few
cases I milled it off.

jsw

On Jul 19, 6:50*pm, Jim Wilkins wrote:
...

I've written a couple of macro interpreters that fed into a program's
input parser. ...
jsw

I forgot to mention the Macro Active flag that could be turned off to
change settings or browse the Help menu. You could use it to step
through the G code.

I used the F1-F12 function keys to call up stored macros to display,
edit or run. They were saved as a 12 element array of variable length
strings. It was very useful to have non-executing comment lines to
title and explain the macro. The F1-12 keys could be used within
macros to call other ones. I tried to minimize reading from files to
avoid File Not Found errors.

At startup the programs read in .ini files containing custom variable
values, such as different display colors for one engineer who was
color-blind, and a saved set of macros.

BTW Drag-and-Drop works by invoking the run command with the target
filename appended to the end, so it's easy to write into programs.

jsw

On 2010-07-19, Ignoramus21191 wrote:
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

Have you looked at the macro processor m4(1) which comes with
all unix variants?

It is certainly where I would start for this.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2010-07-19, kelly wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i


I only have next to no CNC knowledge, but aren't "canned" G codes used to do
this sort of thing?

Commonly -- yes. I remember in the past dumping the G-code
of the canned cycles in an Anilam control to discover how they did it,
and discovering quite a few variables which I could use for my own
purposes -- as long as I didn't call my cycles and the ones in the
system in the same program.

What I did with it was write canned cycles which plotted text
using the Hersey plotter text codes.

And before you ask -- it is all long lost through changes in job
at work (from electronics technician to unix network system
administrator) several years before I retired.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2010-07-19, David Billington wrote:
Jon Elson wrote:
Ignoramus21191 wrote:

I really like having a general purpose computer on my mill. I play
music on it and can use XEmacs to edit my command files.
Huh? I sure can't hear music when my mill is running, unless I stuff
some ear buds inside my hearing protectors.

I use grpn for an HP-like calculator, emacs and sftp to move files
across the network.

Jon
Thanks for mentioning grpn, I'd not heard of it before so will have to
download it for use along side my 2 HP11Cs. Shame it doesn't appear to
be available for Windows as I would replace the Windows calculator with
it. Been using RPN since about 1976 so anything else "normal" is a pain.

And it will assist my two HP-15Cs and one HP-16c. It looks like
a nice superset of those -- except for the lack of the ability to write
programs in it. Quite a few nice additions, however, including the
parallel resistor calculation.

"xcalc" used to be a nice one with the "-rpn" option -- but it
does not seem to behave properly with CDE on Solaris 10. grpn compiles
nicely even on the old Solaris 2.6 systems.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2010-07-19, Ignoramus21191 wrote:
On 2010-07-19, Pete C. wrote:

[ ... ]

You really need to spend some time with a CAD CAM system before you put
too much effort into doing G-code generation in an unusual way. CAD
systems design parts, not tool paths, and they do that job very well.
CAM systems take that part information, apply tooling information,
cutter compensation, feed rates, etc. and produce the G-code for the CNC
controller to run. A *lot* of people have been generating G-code for
decades, and just about none of them are doing it the way you're talking
about. There is a lesson to be learned in that.

Is there some CAD/CAM system that does not cost an arm and a leg and
that is not too proprietary?

Well ... there is a free CAD package called jDraft which is
written in Java -- and the author is working on adding CAM capabilities
to it.

Check out: http://www.sparetimelabs.com/ for downloading it.
(it is the blueprint and dividers to the left of the main page).

He has downloads for Mac's OS-X, linux, and Windows. (All are
the same program (in compiled java) with the exception of a wrapper
script to adapt it to the system.)

I've used the linux version on Sun's Solaris 10 with one caveat.
The wrapper script uses what it *calls* /bin/sh in a wrapper around the
Java, but it actually uses some features only found in some newer
shells.

If you have a *true* Bourne shell as /bin/sh (not really found
on linux systems, which use a link to /bin/bash or one of the other
Bourne shell equivalents), you will have to edit the wrapper script (use
emacs -- not any editor which has limits on the line length, because
there is a *big* binary in there) to change the #! /bin/sh at the top of
the script to "#! /bin/bash" or wherever the path to bash really is.
Latest versions of Ubuntu have a link to /bin/dash which works fine too.

Play with this for a while (you have to register to be able to
save files -- but the registration is free) to get familiar with it, so
you will be ready when he wraps the CAD functionality into it.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2010-07-19, kelly wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...

Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

I only have next to no CNC knowledge, but aren't "canned" G codes used to do
this sort of thing?


Commonly -- yes. I remember in the past dumping the G-code
of the canned cycles in an Anilam control to discover how they did it,
and discovering quite a few variables which I could use for my own
purposes -- as long as I didn't call my cycles and the ones in the
system in the same program.

What I did with it was write canned cycles which plotted text
using the Hersey plotter text codes.

And before you ask -- it is all long lost through changes in job
at work (from electronics technician to unix network system
administrator) several years before I retired.

Enjoy,
DoN.


Some years ago a machinist I knew, that was having a foray into CNC,
asked me if I could write something that would produce lettering. I had
run across the Windows API function GetGlyphOutline, back in the day
when the API took up a book about 1.5" thick, and so sorted out how to
use it for the purpose. It allows you to get the outline information for
TrueType fonts. He gave me the basic G codes required and I wrote it
using basic XY moves and it worked but I only finished writing the code
the last evening he had the machine so other than a brief test it hasn't
been used since. As I recently got a Denford Triac CNC mill that I'm
converting to EMC2 I'll have to dig out the source code and get it going
again. Must also have a look and see if the equivalent functionality is
available from the X system with Linux.

On 2010-07-20, David Billington wrote:
DoN. Nichols wrote:
On 2010-07-19, kelly wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...

Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

I only have next to no CNC knowledge, but aren't "canned" G codes used to do
this sort of thing?


Commonly -- yes. I remember in the past dumping the G-code
of the canned cycles in an Anilam control to discover how they did it,
and discovering quite a few variables which I could use for my own
purposes -- as long as I didn't call my cycles and the ones in the
system in the same program.

What I did with it was write canned cycles which plotted text
using the Hersey plotter text codes.

And before you ask -- it is all long lost through changes in job
at work (from electronics technician to unix network system
administrator) several years before I retired.

Enjoy,
DoN.


Some years ago a machinist I knew, that was having a foray into CNC,
asked me if I could write something that would produce lettering. I had
run across the Windows API function GetGlyphOutline, back in the day
when the API took up a book about 1.5" thick, and so sorted out how to
use it for the purpose. It allows you to get the outline information for
TrueType fonts. He gave me the basic G codes required and I wrote it
using basic XY moves and it worked but I only finished writing the code
the last evening he had the machine so other than a brief test it hasn't
been used since. As I recently got a Denford Triac CNC mill that I'm
converting to EMC2 I'll have to dig out the source code and get it going
again. Must also have a look and see if the equivalent functionality is
available from the X system with Linux.

truetype-tracer is the Linux program. Makes G code from font and
text.

i

Ignoramus23878 wrote:
On 2010-07-20, David Billington wrote:

DoN. Nichols wrote:

On 2010-07-19, kelly wrote:


"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...


Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i


I only have next to no CNC knowledge, but aren't "canned" G codes used to do
this sort of thing?


Commonly -- yes. I remember in the past dumping the G-code
of the canned cycles in an Anilam control to discover how they did it,
and discovering quite a few variables which I could use for my own
purposes -- as long as I didn't call my cycles and the ones in the
system in the same program.

What I did with it was write canned cycles which plotted text
using the Hersey plotter text codes.

And before you ask -- it is all long lost through changes in job
at work (from electronics technician to unix network system
administrator) several years before I retired.

Enjoy,
DoN.



Some years ago a machinist I knew, that was having a foray into CNC,
asked me if I could write something that would produce lettering. I had
run across the Windows API function GetGlyphOutline, back in the day
when the API took up a book about 1.5" thick, and so sorted out how to
use it for the purpose. It allows you to get the outline information for
TrueType fonts. He gave me the basic G codes required and I wrote it
using basic XY moves and it worked but I only finished writing the code
the last evening he had the machine so other than a brief test it hasn't
been used since. As I recently got a Denford Triac CNC mill that I'm
converting to EMC2 I'll have to dig out the source code and get it going
again. Must also have a look and see if the equivalent functionality is
available from the X system with Linux.


truetype-tracer is the Linux program. Makes G code from font and
text.

i

Thanks for the information, that'll save me having to port it.

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:56:56 +0100
David Billington wrote:

snip
I would replace the Windows calculator with
it. Been using RPN since about 1976 so anything else "normal" is a pain.

Have you seen or tried Xcalc?

===
XCALC is my little hobby project -- a Win32 (2000+, 98+) RPN calculator
completely free to use, and immediately downloadable from he

(But please read the Spiceware section below!)

XCALC version 2.9.4 (190 kB zip)

Other versions - see below.

The latest release of XCALC is version 2.9.4. This makes writing XCALC
programs quite a bit easier.

I have only tested this version on Win XP pro, but I assume it works
well with any version of Windows upwards from 98 or 2000. I believe
that neither NT4 nor Win95 will do any more. Wine (under Linux) works
mostly quite well, but read the bugs section under online help
(admittedly a little difficult, since the main problem is help support).

If you have any queries, praise, complaints or whatever, do drop me a
line. You'll find a clickable item in the XCALC about box. The only
condition for your using XCALC is that you send me an email...
===

Found at:

http://www.tordivel.no/xcalc/

It ran okay on my old WinNT4 machine ~6 months ago.

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On 2010-07-20, Leon Fisk wrote:
On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:56:56 +0100
David Billington wrote:

snip
I would replace the Windows calculator with
it. Been using RPN since about 1976 so anything else "normal" is a pain.

Have you seen or tried Xcalc?

===
XCALC is my little hobby project -- a Win32 (2000+, 98+) RPN calculator
completely free to use, and immediately downloadable from he

(But please read the Spiceware section below!)

XCALC version 2.9.4 (190 kB zip)

Other versions - see below.

The latest release of XCALC is version 2.9.4. This makes writing XCALC
programs quite a bit easier.

I have only tested this version on Win XP pro, but I assume it works
well with any version of Windows upwards from 98 or 2000. I believe
that neither NT4 nor Win95 will do any more. Wine (under Linux) works
mostly quite well, but read the bugs section under online help
(admittedly a little difficult, since the main problem is help support).

How is this related to the somewhat older unix xcalc for un
under the X11 windowing system (thus the initial 'x' in the program
name.)

And in particular -- why run a windows version of xcalc on a
linux (unix) system under a Windows emulator when the native unix
version is available?

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:56:56 +0100, David Billington
wrote:


I use grpn for an HP-like calculator, emacs and sftp to move files
across the network.

Jon
Thanks for mentioning grpn, I'd not heard of it before so will have to
download it for use along side my 2 HP11Cs. Shame it doesn't appear to
be available for Windows as I would replace the Windows calculator with
it. Been using RPN since about 1976 so anything else "normal" is a pain.

I tried a couple RPN Windows calculators before I settled on this one,
which is similar to my HP48.
http://www.speech.kth.se/calculator/

--
Ned Simmons

On 20 Jul 2010 21:50:21 GMT
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

snip
How is this related to the somewhat older unix xcalc for un
under the X11 windowing system (thus the initial 'x' in the program
name.)

Don't know Don, you could take a look at the link I provided. I kinda
liked it and it uses the RPN entry system.

And in particular -- why run a windows version of xcalc on a
linux (unix) system under a Windows emulator when the native unix
version is available?

David was the one I replied too, he seemed to be looking for a RPN
calculator that run under Windows (shrug).

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On 2010-07-21, Leon Fisk wrote:
On 20 Jul 2010 21:50:21 GMT
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

snip
How is this related to the somewhat older unix xcalc for un
under the X11 windowing system (thus the initial 'x' in the program
name.)

Don't know Don, you could take a look at the link I provided.

So what was the rationale for the "xcalc" name for yours? (Or
was it written by someone else?)

For the unix version, it makes since, since it runs under the
X11 windowing system, and a lot of early unix programs to run under X11
tend to start with 'x'.

I kinda
liked it and it uses the RPN entry system.

Not much point in me downloading it, since I can't run it. That
needs Windows, and I don't run that.

And in particular -- why run a windows version of xcalc on a
linux (unix) system under a Windows emulator when the native unix
version is available?

David was the one I replied too, he seemed to be looking for a RPN
calculator that run under Windows (shrug).

O.K. But I thought that there was a mention of running it under
Wine (the linux based Windows emulator). Or is the idea to run the same
program on both Windows and the linux systems?

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Leon Fisk wrote:
On 20 Jul 2010 21:50:21 GMT
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

snip

How is this related to the somewhat older unix xcalc for un
under the X11 windowing system (thus the initial 'x' in the program
name.)


Don't know Don, you could take a look at the link I provided. I kinda
liked it and it uses the RPN entry system.


And in particular -- why run a windows version of xcalc on a
linux (unix) system under a Windows emulator when the native unix
version is available?


David was the one I replied too, he seemed to be looking for a RPN
calculator that run under Windows (shrug).


For my sins I make my living programming Windows software, I use Linux
almost exclusively for my personal use. I use the Windows calculator
occasionally so it would be nice to replace it with a RPN version.

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

Does EMC2 support conversational programming? Mach3 has what are called
Wizards which are canned routines to do common tasks like the ones you
mention. You invoke one of them, which calls up a dialog box with fields
for parameters for the pocket size/depth, hole size and pattern, etc. You
fill those in and the Wizard generates the G-code for that task and sends
the code to the controller. Maybe EMC2 has something similar.

On 2010-07-22, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

Does EMC2 support conversational programming? Mach3 has what are called
Wizards which are canned routines to do common tasks like the ones you
mention. You invoke one of them, which calls up a dialog box with fields
for parameters for the pocket size/depth, hole size and pattern, etc. You
fill those in and the Wizard generates the G-code for that task and sends
the code to the controller. Maybe EMC2 has something similar.


I have not seen that sort of thing. It may exist, but I am unaware. I
have not even looked at that stuff yet.

i

On 22 Jul 2010 03:13:34 GMT
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

snip
So what was the rationale for the "xcalc" name for yours?
(Or was it written by someone else?)

I went back and looked at my post that started this and I see what I
wrote is ambiguous, my bad...

I didn't write the Windows Xcalc program. I did some web searching and
figured out where I downloaded it from years ago. Then I clipped part
of the creators web page (seeing I was looking at it) and posted that
here in between the "===" markers.

I hate it when people post blind links here with no idea what you'll
find at the other end...

snip
For the unix version, it makes since, since it runs under the
X11 windowing system, and a lot of early unix programs to run under X11
tend to start with 'x'.

I think the guy just liked the name, it isn't like the xcalc version
that came with my Ubuntu Karmic version. I did some digging and that
seems to be the X11 version you are thinking of. It can either mimic an
old TI-30 or HP-10c in its RPN mode. This Windows Xcalc has a lot more
bling, but nothing terribly bad.

snip
O.K. But I thought that there was a mention of running it under
Wine (the linux based Windows emulator). Or is the idea to run the same
program on both Windows and the linux systems?

The one I linked to is a Windows app, the creator mentions that it
seems to run okay using Wine (linux) though. I still have a copy but
haven't felt the need to try running it via Wine. I've been using
"gcalctool 5.28.2" for most of my calculator needs now. I also installed
Gnumeric (decent spreadsheet app) and Genius. I had a few things I used
Euler for but they suggest running it with Wine now, only offer an old
version that is written for Linux. Genius seems to be similar in
features and is supported on Ubuntu.

Sorry for all the confusion

--
Leon Fisk
Grand Rapids MI/Zone 5b
Remove no.spam for email

On 2010-07-22, Leon Fisk wrote:
On 22 Jul 2010 03:13:34 GMT
"DoN. Nichols" wrote:

snip
So what was the rationale for the "xcalc" name for yours?
(Or was it written by someone else?)

I went back and looked at my post that started this and I see what I
wrote is ambiguous, my bad...

I didn't write the Windows Xcalc program. I did some web searching and
figured out where I downloaded it from years ago. Then I clipped part
of the creators web page (seeing I was looking at it) and posted that
here in between the "===" markers.

O.K. That is what I was beginning to suspect.

I hate it when people post blind links here with no idea what you'll
find at the other end...

Amen!

If I pay any attention to the posting -- I tend to first do a
jwhois to find out where the system behind that link is located. Then I
might also check it out with http://www.aboutus.org. You can either
connect there and then enter the domain name, or tack it on the end of
the URL as in:

http://www.aboutus.org/d-and-d.com

for my domain.

snip
For the unix version, it makes since, since it runs under the
X11 windowing system, and a lot of early unix programs to run under X11
tend to start with 'x'.

I think the guy just liked the name, it isn't like the xcalc version
that came with my Ubuntu Karmic version. I did some digging and that
seems to be the X11 version you are thinking of.

Almost certainly so.

It can either mimic an
old TI-30 or HP-10c in its RPN mode.

Yes -- that is it. A pity it doesn't do the HP-15c instead. :-)

This Windows Xcalc has a lot more
bling, but nothing terribly bad.

O.K.

snip
O.K. But I thought that there was a mention of running it under
Wine (the linux based Windows emulator). Or is the idea to run the same
program on both Windows and the linux systems?

The one I linked to is a Windows app, the creator mentions that it
seems to run okay using Wine (linux) though. I still have a copy but
haven't felt the need to try running it via Wine. I've been using
"gcalctool 5.28.2" for most of my calculator needs now. I also installed
Gnumeric (decent spreadsheet app) and Genius. I had a few things I used
Euler for but they suggest running it with Wine now, only offer an old
version that is written for Linux. Genius seems to be similar in
features and is supported on Ubuntu.

Sorry for all the confusion

That's O.K.

Thanks,
DoN.

--
Remove oil spill source from e-mail
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

"Ignoramus24043" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-22, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

Does EMC2 support conversational programming? Mach3 has what are called
Wizards which are canned routines to do common tasks like the ones you
mention. You invoke one of them, which calls up a dialog box with fields
for parameters for the pocket size/depth, hole size and pattern, etc.
You
fill those in and the Wizard generates the G-code for that task and sends
the code to the controller. Maybe EMC2 has something similar.


I have not seen that sort of thing. It may exist, but I am unaware. I
have not even looked at that stuff yet.

i

Someone else mentioned that EMC2 has that capability through a utility of
some sort - maybe the name was Axis? In Mach the Wizards are routines that
can be programmed by users and made available for non-programmers to use.
Mach uses some form of Basic, I think, but EMC2 is probably a little more
advanced there.

Another advantage of Mach's Wizards is that the G-code from different ones
can be concatenated to make a variety of features on a part. You can use a
Wizard to surface the part to thickness, mill a circular pocket and then
drill a hole pattern for flange bolts. The G-code output from each routine
gets added to that from each predecesor and you end up with one program that
makes the entire part.

Mike

On 2010-07-23, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus24043" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-22, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

Does EMC2 support conversational programming? Mach3 has what are called
Wizards which are canned routines to do common tasks like the ones you
mention. You invoke one of them, which calls up a dialog box with fields
for parameters for the pocket size/depth, hole size and pattern, etc.
You
fill those in and the Wizard generates the G-code for that task and sends
the code to the controller. Maybe EMC2 has something similar.


I have not seen that sort of thing. It may exist, but I am unaware. I
have not even looked at that stuff yet.

i

Someone else mentioned that EMC2 has that capability through a utility of
some sort - maybe the name was Axis? In Mach the Wizards are routines that
can be programmed by users and made available for non-programmers to use.
Mach uses some form of Basic, I think, but EMC2 is probably a little more
advanced there.

Another advantage of Mach's Wizards is that the G-code from different ones
can be concatenated to make a variety of features on a part. You can use a
Wizard to surface the part to thickness, mill a circular pocket and then
drill a hole pattern for flange bolts. The G-code output from each routine
gets added to that from each predecesor and you end up with one program that
makes the entire part.

Mike


I am not sure if EMC2 has this sort of function.

i

"Ignoramus7608" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-23, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus24043" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-22, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

Does EMC2 support conversational programming? Mach3 has what are
called
Wizards which are canned routines to do common tasks like the ones you
mention. You invoke one of them, which calls up a dialog box with
fields
for parameters for the pocket size/depth, hole size and pattern, etc.
You
fill those in and the Wizard generates the G-code for that task and
sends
the code to the controller. Maybe EMC2 has something similar.


I have not seen that sort of thing. It may exist, but I am unaware. I
have not even looked at that stuff yet.

i

Someone else mentioned that EMC2 has that capability through a utility of
some sort - maybe the name was Axis? In Mach the Wizards are routines
that
can be programmed by users and made available for non-programmers to use.
Mach uses some form of Basic, I think, but EMC2 is probably a little more
advanced there.

Another advantage of Mach's Wizards is that the G-code from different
ones
can be concatenated to make a variety of features on a part. You can use
a
Wizard to surface the part to thickness, mill a circular pocket and then
drill a hole pattern for flange bolts. The G-code output from each
routine
gets added to that from each predecesor and you end up with one program
that
makes the entire part.

Mike


I am not sure if EMC2 has this sort of function.

i

Might be worth looking into - it could either save you a lot of scratch
effort or (if the source code is available) provide a code basis for making
it work the way you think it should. Surely someone in the EMC community
can tell you what utilities or add-ons are available for EMC.

"Mike Henry" wrote in message
...

"Ignoramus7608" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-23, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus24043" wrote in message
...
On 2010-07-22, Mike Henry wrote:

"Ignoramus21191" wrote in
message
...
Is there some Linux based macro system for generating G codes. Say, I
wanted to mill out a rectangular pocket, or drill a bolt hole pattern
etc. I would love to use a preprocessor like macro systems for
assemblers, or C preprocessor type thing that would be eared towards
CNC machining.

I can probably do something homegrown, but would prefer to find
something that is well thought out.

Writing text files with commands does fit my personality, but I woud
prefer to be able to create my own higher level commands.

i

Does EMC2 support conversational programming? Mach3 has what are
called
Wizards which are canned routines to do common tasks like the ones you
mention. You invoke one of them, which calls up a dialog box with
fields
for parameters for the pocket size/depth, hole size and pattern, etc.
You
fill those in and the Wizard generates the G-code for that task and
sends
the code to the controller. Maybe EMC2 has something similar.


I have not seen that sort of thing. It may exist, but I am unaware. I
have not even looked at that stuff yet.

i

Someone else mentioned that EMC2 has that capability through a utility
of
some sort - maybe the name was Axis? In Mach the Wizards are routines
that
can be programmed by users and made available for non-programmers to
use.
Mach uses some form of Basic, I think, but EMC2 is probably a little
more
advanced there.

Another advantage of Mach's Wizards is that the G-code from different
ones
can be concatenated to make a variety of features on a part. You can
use a
Wizard to surface the part to thickness, mill a circular pocket and then
drill a hole pattern for flange bolts. The G-code output from each
routine
gets added to that from each predecesor and you end up with one program
that
makes the entire part.

Mike



I think only the NFS Wizard does that directly (I thought it was a bug when
I discovered it by accident. LOL), but I have cut and pasted code together
from multiple wizards.