Does anybody know what headers need to be added in the post so that I can verify my toolpaths in predator with stock, 3d tools, etc. I already updated the reverse post in predator, and verified that the backplotter is working correctly.

Are You running VISTA? I could not get mine to work. I went to an older version of Windows and All of my functions are working.

Good Luck.

No, I'm running in windows xp

If you look in the help files it talks all about the header. Once you have used it a few times it easy to edit.


( BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER )

This is what you start with

(MACH_FILE=4AXVMILL.MCH )

Not sure about this one, bobcad always post what ever post I am using here

( MTOOL T1 S1 D.125 H5. DIAM_OFFSET 1 = .0625 )


MTool is the they type a tool you are using and what tool number it goes to.

So MTOOL T1 is for T1 in your program

You have a few types of tools that you can simulate. BobCAD only calls the S1 in the posted header ( for an end mill ) so you'll need to go in an edit this for the different types of tools you may be running.

S1 End Mill

S2 Ball Mill

S3 Bull nose

S4 Drill

S5 Radius

S6 Sphere

S7 Chamfer

S8 Dovetail

S9 Taperball

S10 Taper bull

For each of the tool calls you have different variables.

Like S7 for a chamfer would be called like this

(MTOOL T# S7 C0 A90 D.25 H 5. )

So that would call a chamfer tool that is pointed at the bottom / who's angle is 90 and diameter is .25


Your best bet is to check the help files and search predator header it will tell you want all the calls are and variables and samples of each.

SBox is the square stock shape. X Y is for the start location of the software. L W H I am sure you can guess what those are.

The cool thing about the predator is you don't have to call a square stock, you can all a cylinder or eaven load in an stl stock or fixture.

SSTL is for an stl stock

FSTL if for an stl fixture.

You can draw them in BobCAD or any other CAD package that saves as STL the trick is to save the STL file in the folder

C:\Program Files\Predator Software\Common Files\Stock

When you want to call that stl file as a stock or fixture just use

SSTL then the file name sample.stl

When the simulation starts up it will work with you STL file as the stock !

Really cool and great for setup checks.


Sample headers:




( BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)
( MACH_FILE=4AXVMILL.MCH)
( MTOOL T1 S1 D.125 H5. DIAM_OFFSET 1 = .0625)
( SBOX X-4.25 Y-9.75 Z-1. L8.5 W19. H1.)
( END PREDATOR NC HEADER)


(BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)
(MACH_FILE=HAAS - 3XVMILL.MCH)
(MTOOL T1 S1 D.75 H3. SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(MTOOL T2 S1 D.75 H3.SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(MTOOL T3 S1 D.75 H3.SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(MTOOL T4 S1 D.25 H3.SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(MTOOL T5 S1 D.25 H3.SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(MTOOL T6 S1 D.5 H3.SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(MTOOL T7 S1 D.5 H3.SD.75 SH.25 HT1 HD2 HH2)
(FSTL OH1.STL )
(SSTL oh.stl )
(END PREDATOR NC HEADER)



(BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)
(MACH_FILE=HAAS - 3XVMILL.MCH)
(MTOOL T1 S1 D.5 H5.)
(MTOOL T2 S2 D.5 H5.)
(MTOOL T3 S2 D.5 H5.)
(SBOX X-5.5 Y-2.25 Z-3. L11. W4.5 H3.)
(END PREDATOR NC HEADER)