CAD CAM EDM DRO - Yahoo Group Archive

SuperCam and PCB's G-codes

Posted by Dennis Bohlke
on 2000-10-16 18:10:04 UTC
I wrote SuperCam to be a real time machine control program. The G-code
generating commands were created as an aside to the central purpose of the
program. The current demo version exports G-codes.

Whatever is viewed in the graphics area is converted to G-codes by using the
EXP_CNC command found under the FILES pulldown menu. The G-codes generated
depend on the current configuration of the attached machine, or suede
machine if one is not attached. Such as feedrates and where the surface of
the material is to be engraved.

The files Mill.PLT and Board1.dxf were supplied to me by users. They became
my test files.

To View and Edit G-code in text there is the EDITCNC command in the FILES
pulldown. Individual lines of G-code can be executed by the attached
machine by highlighting them, as in WORD, then clicking on the execute
button. The whole G-code file in the editor can be executed by first
stroking a Control-A this selects all the text in the EDITOR, then click on
the EXEC button at the top right.

To View a G-code file in 3D there is the VIEWCNC command under the CONTROL
pull down at the top right. To make a machine simulation run you can use
the INP_CNC command found under the FILES pull down, before executing
DESELECT the attached machine, the tool path that would have been executed
by a selected machine is displayed to graphic area in the same time frame as
if it was being cut, I think.

The F6 key switches between 2D and 3D. The F10 switches to a 4 view
display, each display being 3D or 2D. The F4 key zooms to the limit of the
machine that is currently configured. F2 is zoom window, F3 zoom previous.

Changing machine configurations is done by the MCONFIG command found under
the SETUP pull down.

The .CAM file format is my own. It is a text based format. SuperCam is
essentially a text editor that reads the text file and interprets the file
line by line displaying the results in graphic format. There is no limit to
the length of the ASCII line. I evolved the file format before I knew there
was G-codes. It is essentially the Graphic item time followed by the
operands associated with that item time.

Best Regards

Dennis
http://www.super-tech.com

Discussion Thread

Dennis Bohlke 2000-10-16 18:10:04 UTC SuperCam and PCB's G-codes