Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: CNC Workshop 2.0 book with software

On Thu, 31 Jan 2002 23:32:05 -0000, "stevenson_engineers"
<machines@...> wrote:

>> Now, of course, I wish I had spent more time learning about G code
>>while my CNC mill was being retrofitted.
>> It is clear that having an application like Vector
>>which writes G-code is no substitute for knowing what has
>> been written so you can chase down the many many things that go wrong.

An excellent point. Actually, of the computer languages, g-code is one
of the easiest ones to understand once you can get a clear explanation
of what the definition and syntax interpretation is for your particular
controller. Its getting that precise syntax definition and
interpretation for your particular machine that is the most difficult.

It is also handy, for example, to be able to sit down at the computer in
the shop (used to upload to The Animal in my case) and just code up a
simple program using the g-code editor for drilling a couple of holes on
a bunch of parts, etc. I did that the other day - had 8 pieces of bar
stock that needed two holes each. The program took 5 minutes, another
couple of minutes to set up the mill, a minute or so to drill some air
(just to be sure). The drilling went like clock work. Very handy
compared to doing it in the manual mill, even with the DRO.

I focused on learning g-code and running the mill from uploaded
programs. I have not learned how to run it in "conversational mode". I
use the manual jog controls to register it for setups and set the zero.

I got my early practice with g-code forced on me by starting out with
BobCAD which required a lot of manual programming after it generated the
tool path command from the drawing. The pony in the pile was that it
forced me to go through the manual for the machine, and gave me the
practice I needed to have at least some very limited competence with it.
My manual programming is limited to linear moves, tool definitions, and
canned cycles.

Fitch