Customizing Canned Text?

[Donkey Hotey]

I guess I must be finally 'getting' this Mastercam stuff.

As I was hunting around in MCX last weekend, trying to solve my multiple work offset question, I discovered Canned Text. Now I know what it is and what it does. I haven't used it but I already want to customize it.

What I've been doing in the past is scheduling a part flip during my programs but I've been doing in manually (Manual entry, with this text):

G53 Z0.0
G53 X-15.0 Y0.0
M00 (FLIP PART AGAINST BACK JAW)

Now that I have discovered Canned Text, I'd like to edit things so I can just add that from the last operation before the part flip. I see how to put comments into the operation and I know that I can M00 from there as well. The part missing is my homing of the table at those machine coordinates (table to the door and spindle all the way up). I want a single Canned Text statement that I can pick and have it add the entirety of the text above (with the G53 moves).

I thought I had found it in the Control Definitions but I must be missing something. Do I need to add it as a Canned Text entry there (call it something like "part flip"), then edit the post with the text definition/equivalent from above? Is that basically how it works: the Control Definition gets the name of the entry and the Post outputs the text string of what that means?

Thanks in advance

[foxsquirrel]

I called the MCX rep for something similiar with canned text, they said the post needs tweaked to get it to work right. I was not very happy or impressed by all the "post mods"

[cadcam]

I used the manual entry and used a text file. for simple click and get this.
pretty easy and you don't have to edit the post and you don't have to type each time.

N254 G3 X2.425 Y0. R.5
N256 X-2.425 R2.425
N258 X2.425 R2.425
N260 X1.925 Y.5 R.5
N262 G1 X1.425
N264 Z-.05
N266 G0 Z.25
N268 M5
N270 G91 G28 Z0. M9
N272 G28 X0. Y0. A0.
N274 M01
( 1/4 CHAMFER MILL TOOL - 2 DIA. OFF. - 2 LEN. - 2 DIA. - .25 )
G53 Z0.0
G53 X-15.0 Y0.0
M00 (FLIP PART AGAINST BACK JAW)
N276 T2 M6
N278 G0 G90 G55 X-7.08 Y-2.6875 A0. S6112 M3
N280 G43 H2 Z.25 M8
N282 Z.1
N284 G1 Z-.07 F8.56
N286 X-6.83 F24.45
N288 G3 X-6.58 Y-2.4375 R.25
N290 G1 Y2.4375
N292 G2 X-6.25 Y2.7675 R.33
N294 G1 X-4.7331
N296 G3 X-4.0074 Y3.1221 R.92
N298 G2 X4.0074 R5.08

[Donkey Hotey]

Yup, I've been using the 'text file' method but since I do it often, I figured it would save time if I could do it with Canned Text. I'm more interested because when I get into 4th and 5th axis stuff (indexing), I may want to insert similar commands as canned text.

I went into the machine definition and defined Canned Text #11. It showed up at the very end of the post as 11. "Home & Flip"

I tried to use the other predefined commands (like M00) as a template but I still don't understand the mechanics of that script. I found pcant_1, pcant_2, etc, but I'm not following how they work.

[cadcam]

Why would you need this for indexing?

[Donkey Hotey]

One way I plan to use the rotary is to store 4 and 5 axis 'positions' as work offsets. In that instance, I'd like to be able to do a full Z home before changing tool planes (and firing the indexer).

Another 'canned text' that I might use often would be to turn my Haas Auto Air gun on and off (M-codes).

[cadcam]

Well for starters let me show you how to program using planes to handle the rotation. and as for the air this can be set up for coolant section. I will try and help soon with all this.