Please help - CMS WinTools

[Ecclesiastes]

I am trying to operate/program a CMS router with a OSAI 8600MC controller. The last guy who worked on this was CMS trained and strongly suggested to the owner that he get WinTools.

Actually, the technician did all of his work in WinTools and took it with him when he left in the middle of the resurrection of the equipment. I'm told everything I need is on the computer, but ...

CMS wants to sell me a $$$ school, or send a $$$$$$ trainer. I'm sorry if I offend anyone, but I really must avoid these two options.

What does WinTools output that can't be generated with, say, Rhino or Solidworks?

Or have I completely misunderstood what it does?

Thank you,

[cabnet636]

button on upper left hand side when adding to your thread

what is wintools?

jim

[ger21]

http://www.cms.it/asp/scheda.asp?id=348

[cabnet636]

ohhhhh
jim

[Ecclesiastes]

OK. I guess I deserved your response ger21. I'll be more explicit.

I suspect that the machine I am working on has a non-standard G Code implementation. For instance in this online example < http://www.cncezpro.com/g02m.cfm > on line N45, G02 will take an argument R for the radius. The OSAI 8600MC manual for my machine doesn't allow for that option, specifying that I and J are mandatory.

Does WinTools output standard G Code? Or is it proprietary and configured for the particular machine I have?

Does WinTools output anything that can't be generated with, say, Rhino or Solidworks?

[ger21]

Actually, my response was to Jim, who asked what Wintools was.

I've actually never heard of CMS Wintools until you started asking about them. I don't recall ever hearing them mentioned here before. Hopefully, someone will be able to help you out.

I and J are standard G2/G3 options, and are a preferred alternative to the R method.

[Making chips]

Eccles,

As Ger stated the I an J does the same thing as a "R" value. I and J are the centerpoint of the arc.
With that said, I used to work for CMS until about a year ago. Good people. I was their in-house applications engineer. Or in better terms, I did all of the CAM and CAD training. Yes software training can be expensive, but you get what you pay for. You could probably play around with the software for a year and still not pick up what you would get in a week of class. I did not do the Wintools training though.
Wintools is a CAD and CAM package. Solidworks is a CAD package only. I am not familiar with Rhino, but assume that it is a CAD package also. Unless you are really good at writing code by hand and have parts that are not too complicated you will need a CAM package like what you have.
You could have someone else make you a post processor for another software, but you would not be any further ahead after purchasing the software, having a post built, and training costs for the new software.

I hope this helps.

Paul K

[C4M'R0n]

wintools is a verry complex software. The advantages about this software is that it can be programmed in parametric values such as varriables and conditions without ever toutching the cad options.. All is parametric in a .txt file , heres an example

variables ;
REAL _gcx ; start point for X
REAL _gcy ; start point for Y

REAL _rr = 2.5 ; arc or rad
REAL _aa = 5 ; width of first line
REAL _bb = 3 ; width of second line
REAL _cc = _aa+_bb ; first line + second line

NEWPEICE ;
LINE PI(_gcx,_gcy,0) LINE DIRECTION 0 LENGTH _aa ;
ARC CCW _rr P(_gcx+2,_gcy+3,0) THIS ;
LINE DIRECTION 90 LENGTH _bb ;
LINE DIRECTION 180 LENGTH _cc ;


etc....

this is known as GLC language, by adding variables to your program its as easy as changing one of them to transform you piece or toolpath.