Would the cam part of Bobcad, or for that matter any cam program, out differently on different os. I have two seats of v17 with one on an xp-pro machine and one on a 2000 pro. Would, should or could the cam output differently either system?

Mike

Not if you're running the same post.

'Rekd

Uh oh! Let me check that and see. Thanks reked!
I know it's rekd but it just sounded right.
Mike

turmite,

how are they acting differently? Is it in the G-Code output, or another function of the CAM window?

Regards

Originally posted by turmite
Uh oh! Let me check that and see. Thanks reked!
I know it's rekd but it just sounded right.
Mike

Still looking? ;)

'Rekd

Hey Rekd, sorry about the absence. I lost my internet service for a few days. Ok now help me understand what you mean by different post. The only ones I can find are the ones I have to set up. I admit I am not the best at cod or cam and probably has to do with the fact I didn't need anything bot g0,g1,g2 and g3 with my old controller. Any help will surely be appreciated.
Mike

Are you using oone post that you copied to the other computer or did you create two posts, one on each computer? If you created two seperate posts, you can copy the cfg file to a floppy and load it onto the other computer. But, I am still not quite sure on how they act differently.

Regards

The One and Rekd I have one pc that is running 2000 pro on an amd 1.3 gig with 256 ram. That setup is the one I use to run my cnc machine with Mach2. I have over 500 old programs all in incremental that I had made from way long agon when I didn't have the ability to use anything except incremental and g0,1,2 and 3. I have edited some of those programs for use on Mach2 by insterting G91 where applicable and doing manual edits where necessary to make sure they were right. I started getting lots of lost steps only in the x axis which is the axis that all of my little bitty interpolated moves are. I decided to backplot the program through v17 and found many of the lines were not ending up where they were supposed and thereby giving me the lost steps or more correctly lost position. I contacted Bobcad support and got one email back from them asking me if the program had a G91 in it. After answering them that I had run it both ways I got no answer back. I have since made programs (incremental) on the pc here at the house with that is running XP pro with an amd 1.8 gig processor and 512 ram. Everything was set the same in the cam cfg. It ran on the machine fine and also backplotted fine on the home pc. I have not backplotted it on the machine pc. I was just curious if the different os would affect the output.

Mike

Do you mean your old programs ran in Mach 1 or another program, and now you are running Mach 2? I am no expert, but it sounds like your current cam program, Mach 2, dosen't support your old g-code files as they are written, and has no bearing on your operating system. If you backplotted an old program using a "good" Mach 2 configuration (post), and the lines where goofy, that should be proof enough and you may have not edited them properly. The key is, you must have Bobcad configured properly to be compatiable with Mach2, both for creating new G-code, and backplotting old g-code reliably. I have V18 and don't see a config file for Mach2.

The operating system should not affect any G-code files that you save as a text format. It is the most basic format for a PC. If you are incountering errors in backplotting then you should do as MikeA suggested and check your programs for errors. If there aren't any I would like to know, as well as see a program that you have this problem with. But as long as you use the same cfg file on both computers you should have no difference in the output.

Regards

Thanks guys. I am kinda like a cat on a hot tin roof right now so it may take me a couple more days to get back with you.
Mike

I know it has already been suggested, but, have a look at the post that you have setup on the pc that works, note its name, then go to your bobcad/posts folder and copy it to a disk, then take the disk to your other pc and copy the file into your bobcad/posts folder on the pc that is not working and when you fire up BobCAD make sure you select the post you have just copied, in the setup of the NC cam. Then try it again.

Hope this helps

Hey guys, I'm back. Had a little health problem and have not been able to keep up with everything. I started working on my file again today and it reminded me I need help. Can anyone take a couple of emails with dxf and do a screen shot so you all can see what I am talking about. I have a dxf of the original toolpath that I cammed in v.17, and I have two different backplots on the same screen of the toolpath. One is with a G91 in place and the other without. That is the one question that support asked me and I haven't heard back from them.

This is not a controller problem because the gcode file is direct from the cam.

Mike

Turmite,

You can send them to me if you wish and I will take a look. dave@cncteknix.com :cheers:

Thanks Dave. Here they come. In two seperate emails and I will put my name in the subject line so you will know it is not spam or virus.
Mike

No worries,

I will take a look at them, just give me some time, but hopefully I'll get to them today as it is only 6:30am over here and I have a full day ahead.

tumite,

I think I know what you are talking about and tell me if I am wrong.

You have generated a program using BobCAD 17. When you run it on the machine you have areas that should be machined and aren't being machined. When you backplot the program it displays exactly what happened on the machine.

regards

Hi The One.
Nope not the problem. I generated the drawing and cam in v.17 in incremental mode about 18 months ago. The controller I had then did not have any type of positioning so I could not tell if anything was wrong or not. Upgraded to Mach2 and Gecko 201's and found I had positioning problems. I then recammed the same drawing in v 17 as a G90 absoloute program ran it and the positioning problem went away. I then backplotted the original incremental program and found that in the x axis showed the positional problems. I backplotted the G90 absolute program and it was identical to the original .cad drawing. I will try to attach a couple of screen shots. I found a free screen grabber this morning!:D

Mike

Ok this is the original drawing.
Mike

Is there no one to hear my cause? CNC Dude, anyone??

Looks like it might be a filter issue, either with toolpaths or with the geometry. I'm not familiar with Bobcad, but it might be a place to start.

'Rekd

Hey,

How big are the steps that are being omitted?

Hi rekd. I need help with "filter". Please explain.

The One, the longest segment is no longer than .100" and the shortest will be no shorter than .080".

This much I know, this is beginning to cost me pretty good money:( !

Mike

As I said, I don't know Bobcad, but a filter in toolpaths takes an allowable amount of error, the filter amount, and may modify the actual toolpath up to that much.

Crunching numbers to generate toolpaths is a very involved computing process, and that 'load' on the computer is reduced when there is more error allowed.

I'm sure one of the Bobcad guys will chime in real soon to tell me I'm off my rocker. ;)

'Rekd

Hey Rekd I am beginning to think they are not going to tell you that you are wrong?

I got an idea, no that wouldn't work either!

:( :( :( :( :( :confused: :confused: :confused:

Mike

Turmite,

You have given me a really good one, I can't help thinking that there is a simple thing we are both overlooking, but I am still looking for it. This doesnt make sense.

Dave I have been in contact with the support staff in Florida today and they are somewhat in the same boat. I just had a though that I will try and repost shortly.
Mike

Dave and anyone else, here is my config I use for incremental camming. Is there anything in the config that would cause this if for some reason I had changed the config from the time I cammed the program till the time I backplotted?

Mike

So, it is missing steps of .1" or .08" no less correct? Are the steps being skipped on arcs or line segments? Also, I would like to see the programs you are using to get this error. Could you possibly e-mail them to me at wrenrin@verizon.net?

Regards

Hey guys though I had better give an update.

TheOne the lost steps were much smaller than what the drawing shows. My combined position error may not have been over .100 but that is still too much.

The Bobcad support team has found the problem. Seems like I am about the only person in the world who loves incremental programming and there was/is a small bug in the incremental backplotter in v.17! I said was/is because they are writing a fix for it I just don't know how long it will take. The lost steps in my program while actually running it on the machine was caused by my trailing decimal setting. I had it set to only three and some of the moves needed better resolution than that. I still have to test it but it may be that I can still use all of my incremental (500+) programs without having to do so much rewriting and repositioning on the cad.

Does anyone know of a program that will take an incremental gcode and translate it to an absolute code??

Mike

Mike,

Glad you're getting results. :D

As for a program to convert inc to abs, I don't think I've seen anything like that. You can write a script to do it I'm sure. It would take some really good logic and bullet proof error trapping, but it could definately be done.

'Rekd teh On Error GoTo Hell

Rekd you want to hear a funny? I was talking with Glen from Bobcad support and he turned to the others in the room and ask if anyone had seen the thread on the zone by turmite. I hear one of the guys say " oh yea, he's that guy that put that stupid question on there" . If you will notice I spelled stupid different here in the post than that of the original. I immediately told Glen to tell him that it was not a stupid question that I had a problem and needed help!:o :D After I hung the ph up I realized what I had done!

If you guys from bobcad support read this :o :o :o

Mike

Mike,

That explains my frustration level as well, glad to hear that there will possibly be a fix for you.

LoL, there's no telling which direction that one went, Mike. But for sure, now it's gone both! :D

'Rekd

Originally posted by Rekd
LoL, there's no telling which direction that one went, Mike. But for sure, now it's gone both! :D

'Rekd

Yeah Mike, Upover and Downunder :) :cheers: