Predator not working

[GITRDUN]

I have installed Bobcad V23 and Predator Editor on one stand alone PC , both work perfect. I also have a dongle for a sceond seat and with any computer i use the dongle for the Predator editors backplot isnt working properly. I have a seperate installation disk for the stand alone seat and the dongle seats, so something is different i think.

The problem is there is no tool or material that shows up in the backplot window. Its just a blank black screen. The cursor will scroll down through the NC text like normal but thats it. The timer doesnt even work. I am useing the same post processor on all computers and the material and tool definitions are being output into the predator header. So that shouldnt be the problem. Ive spent hours on this problem and im stumped. Ive unistalled and reinstalled and repaired both predator and bobcad and doesnt help. Dont know what else to do

[BurrMan]

Attach your post processor here.

Between the 2 different "seats", please note the Build of each. Help menu-About BobCad.

[The Engine Guy]

.

Are you using the same Template/Machine setup in the Predator that doesn`t work to the one that does ???

.

Regards
Rob

[GITRDUN]

I downloaded a lathe post processor i found on the net and the backplot works fine with it, but not with my post processors from the stand alone seat. So it is a post issue. The downloaded post was for a lathe, so i still need to get my mill post working on the dongle. Here is the header, stock and tool defintions i am trying to use.

0. File header
default_add_spaces
"(BEGIN PREDATOR NC HEADER)"
"(MACH_FILE=HAAS - 3XVMILL.MCH)"
output_tool_list
output_stock_definition
"(END PREDATOR NC HEADER)"
" "
"%"


108. Rectangular stock format.
comment_start,"SBOX X",stock_min_x," Y",stock_min_y," Z",stock_min_z," L",stock_length," W",stock_width, " H",stock_height,comment_end

109. Rotary stock format.
comment_start,"SCYL",rotation_axis,"X0","Y0","Z0", rotary_stock_diameter,rotary_stock_length,comment_end

110. Tool list format.
comment_start,"MTOOL","T",list_tool_number,mtool_type,"D",tool_diameter,"H",tool_length,mtool_angle, mtool_corner_rad,"DIAM_OFFSET",list_tool_number,"= ",tool_radius,comment_end


The above seems to work fine on my stand alone PC seat but not on the dongle seats. shouldnt there be a standard header and definitions that can be copied into any post? I cant find any posts that came with my V23 Bobcad that actually work with Predator.

[GITRDUN]

.

Are you using the same Template/Machine setup in the Predator that doesn`t work to the one that does ???

.

Regards
Rob

Im useing the machine templates that Predator has preinstalled just for simplicity sake.

My Bobcad build # on my donge seats is 1595 , i dont know the build for the stand alone seat as its at work.

[GITRDUN]

Ok, i found a post to download for a mill and it worked perfect. So i copied the header and definitions from it into my post and it now works fine. I compared the downloaded post header and definitions to my posts and couldnt see a single difference, but something must have been different.

[GITRDUN]

Once again, another problem.

In order to get my posts to work in predator backplot, i must first post the NC useing one of the posts i downloaded from the net. Then run it through predator backplot. Then i post the NC useing my modified post and go run it through predator backplot. If i dont first post and backplot useing the downloaded post file then the backplot doesnt work on my modified post. Something is missing and i cant figure out what. I am attaching a copy of my mill and lathe posts that i modified and also a copy of the lathe and mill posts that i downloaded that work.

The "Okuma OSP5000L modified" post is my modified lathe post that doesnt work in backplot.
The "HAAS TL downloaded" post is the lathe post that does work.
"Haas VF modified" is my modified mill post that doesnt work.
"Fadal-Format 1F downloaded" is the mill post that does work.

If someone with more brain power than i can skim through my two modified posts and tell me what ive done wrong i would apreciate it greatly.

[BurrMan]

Hi Gitter,
In your Haas VF Modified post processor, In your tool list format line, be sure to add "commas" to this part:

[BurrMan]

With regard to your Okuma Modified post, be sure in the tool list format that you insert a hard coded "M" just before the ltool_home command:

[GITRDUN]

I put the "M" into the Okuma lathe post and after 5 attempts, closeing and restarting the software before each attempt , it worked fine every time. I have my fingers crossed but i think that must have been the trick.

The commas in the Haas mill modified post didnt seem to be the only problem, its still not working. However i did find a Haas VF post that worked fine so i modified it to my likeing and its working fine. So i think im up and running finally.

Thanks for takeing the time to pick through my posts. Saved me tons of time and more headaches.

[BurrMan]

The haas post would backplot for me after the one change. Possibly one other area in that post would be to reverse the position of the C and the H output in the toolist format.

But it sounds like you got it going anyway, so.....go (I'll spare the pun)

[GITRDUN]

Burrman, thanks for the help.

I got one more for ya if you happen to know. My Okuma modified lathe post doesnt keep track of the cycle time in Predator for some reason. The rest seem to be fairly acurate in cycle time but it doesnt even make an attempt to run the clock when useing that post. Any ideas where to look?