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OK, VB=Visual BASIC as created and
implemented by Micro$oft.
It has an inherently readable, though verbose,
coding style. (syntax may be off, but generally correct)
(G-code goes Visual Basic on the control.
This is pure fiction for display purposes only)
[make part]
Get.Tool=1
Spindle=CW
Move.X=3.0,Move.Y=2.0,Move.Z=0.1,Fixture=1,Tool.Offset=1,Coolant=Flood
Spot.Bolt.Holes
Drill.Bolt.Holes
.
.
.
End
[Spot.Bolt.Holes]
Drill.Cycle=81,Zdepth=0.05,Clearance.plane=0.1,Spot.Feed=6.
Hole.pattern
.
.
.
You get the idea. Move.X, Coolant,
Spindle are then interpreted by the
control much as G01, M08, M06 etc are
interpreted today. In the CMM's
I looked at, I was immediately able to look at the
code and determine
actions occuring. Manual edits were quick and
painless.
This is what G-code should
evolve towards. Control makers are no
longer constrained by memory prices as in the days
of the original G-code.
(my opinion only)
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 4:57
PM
Subject: Re: [mfg-smartcam] External
program enhancements
Well, I guess if Rick will admit ignorance, I can
jump right in too. Here it is......What is VB?????
Dont all laugh at once folks, I taught myself
SmartCam and have not gone to college either.
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000 2:03
PM
Subject: RE: [mfg-smartcam] External
program enhancements
God help us who are not techno-babbles. All my learning
was OJT, and no
college to back that up.
Rick
Seriously though, I sit here listening, er rather reading all
this e-mail
and feel overwhelmed with the knowledge base out in the real
world. I sure
hope I never have to go up against any of you for a
job. I would surely
lose.
And its true I never went to
college and really don't understand a lot of
what you guys talk
about. Maybe i should join a "smartcam for
dummies"
group.
-----Original Message-----
From: Brian Nelson
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent:
Wednesday, April 26, 2000 1:37 PM
To: Lauzus, Frederick; Manhart, Martin;
SmartCAM Email Group
Subject: Re: [mfg-smartcam] External program
enhancements
Did you pick up VB by osmosis or did you take a
class? Can you reccomend
texts or
classes for other
Techno-Babbles who are already on drugs?
I ask for a
very good reason. The CNC CMM's I see for sale all use
mostly
some
form of VB to create path and part programs. VB is apparently
migrating
from
annoying more than software
houses.
Thanks
----- Original Message -----
From: "Lauzus,
Frederick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Manhart, Martin"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "SmartCAM Email
Group"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 26,
2000 12:03 PM
Subject: RE: [mfg-smartcam] External program
enhancements
The concept I'm using is to have SmartCAM do as
little as possible and let
VB do all the hard work. I use the macro
language to extract information and
pass it to a VB program via a ASCII
data file. The VB program then processes
the information and passes the
result back to SmartCAM via a SmartCAM macro
file.
With most of
the work done in VB, it will be easier for me to transfer all
my
customizations to whatever system I choose to replace SmartCAM when
the
time comes.
I have a wide variety of VB projects ranging
from simple to monstrous. Most
of them are specific to our industry and
would be of no use to others. I do
have a few that are more general
purpose as described below.
!!!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!!!!
THE
FOLLOWING INFORMATION CONTAINS LARGE VOLUMES OF TECHNO-BABBLE!
Reading
this should not be attempted by the technically impaired
without
appropriate medication available.
This is a description of
a "simple" program. It is similar to what you
described for getting user
names. This one however writes to the planner not
the code file.
A
macro calls the VB program using the SHELL command.
The VB program runs
transparently to the user and the SHELL command is set
to force SmartCAM
to wait for the VB program to finish before processing any
additional
commands.
The VB program retrieves the current user login, which for our
company is
always the first initial followed by the last name (i.e.
"jsmith").
The VB program then separates the first letter from the rest
of the log in
name with a period and a space and adjusts the case of the
letters
accordingly (i.e. "J. Smith").
The VB then writes a temporary
SmartCAM macro file in the same directory as
the macro. This temporary
file contains the macro commands to place the
current user name (i.e. "J.
Smith") in the Creator field of the Job Info
section of the
Planner.
When the VB program ends, control is returned to the original
SmartCAM macro
which then runs the temporary macro using the MAC_EXE[]
command.
This all takes less than a second and can be called from
within any other
macro.
This is a brief description of my
"monster" program. It is a customized
printing routine for tool
information, graphics and code. The basic
requirements were as
follows:
1) Use the old DOS style Job Plan format, but include
additional new text
fields from Job Info section
2) Combine all
information, Job info, Step info, part graphics and the G
code file, into
a single print job.
3) Allow the re-mapping of colors for printing
the layers and tools
displayed (to eliminate light colors on white
paper).
4) Allow control of the line thickness'.
5) Have a
print preview screen.
6) Allow background printing of all information
with a single icon click
7) Automatically use landscape orientation
for graphics and portrait for
text.
There's too much more too
list. It' seems the more features I build into it,
the more features the
programmers want (I know you SDRC boys can relate to
this).
I've
attached a few screen shots of the print preview screens.
As for
what we make, our products are primarily prefabricated steel
bridge
components and steel members for large civil structures. We burn
contours
with both Oxy-fuel and plasma cutters, mill, drill, punch and
turn. No
rivets though. Everything today is either welded or bolted. We
currently
have a lot of steel going to the "Big Dig" central artery
project in Boston
and the JFK Airport expansion in New York. The name
High Steel is
coincidental. High is the family name of our founder. Check
out our web site
at http://www.highsteel.com if you'd like more
information.
=============================================
Fred
Lauzus, CAM Programming Coordinator
High Steel Structures,
Incorporated
mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.highsteel.com
=============================================
-----Original
Message-----
From: Manhart, Martin
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, April 26, 2000
8:13 AM
To: 'Lauzus, Frederick'; SmartCAM Email Group
Subject: RE:
[mfg-smartcam] External program enhancements
Hi Fred,
I am
curious as to what can be done with Visual Basic or other
programming
languages in regards to SmartCam, could you give us a few
examples with
out giving away too many trade secrets? Are you shelling out
and
gathering parameters and/or doing logic and passing this info back to
a
SmartCam macro or actually massaging the pm4 file itself? The
fanciest
thing we here have ever done was to shell out to the system and
get the
current NT user's log in name and put it in the coded file so the
machine
operators know whom to blame for a bad program.
Also I am
curious in regards to your company name, do you use
SmartCam for
machining the large steel beams in skyscrapers? Do you drill
the
rivet holes, mill compound angles on the ends and
such?
Thanks,
Marty
> -----Original
Message-----
> From: Lauzus, Frederick
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Thursday, April 20, 2000 11:01
AM
> To: SmartCAM Email Group
> Subject: [mfg-smartcam] External
program enhancements
>
>
> I'm just curious. Is anyone
else on the list server group adding
> enhancements to SmartCAM with
Visual Basic or another
> programming
languages?
>
>
>
=============================================
> Fred Lauzus, CAM
Programming Coordinator
> High Steel Structures,
Incorporated
> mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.highsteel.com
>
=============================================
>
>
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