Changing material specs

General
1

What do I need to do in order to re-load a .tap file into Sheetcam so I can change the material type I am cutting from, but retain all the original leadin positions and types? I tried saving the file as a .job file and re-loaded that, but when I tried to change only the material type and speed etc, I lost all the leadin specs from the original.

Can what I am trying be done?

Any help would be appreciated,

Thank you.

2

what is your cutting process ?
do you want to change tool(s) on the Operation(s) ?
do you really want to load a .tap file ? that is the toolpath gcode file.
.job file is likely the way to begin this process, very different than the .tap file.

3

Sorry, I forgot to mention it is for cnc plasma cutting. Lets say I have a file all set to cut on a specific material type and thickness. All the leadins, start points and leadin types are configured for each contour. In 3 weeks I want to cut this same project out of different material and thickness, but I don’t want to have to go thru all the contours again and re-do the leadins. All I want is to change the speed, pierce delay and kerf width to suit the new material.

How do I go about doing this?

4

while waiting on your answers, here are some tips…

  • menu Mode / ‘Edit start points’ not only changes start position, but it can also Lock all start positions in the Operation. See the context menu for this Mode, right click on drawing. This usually overrides the Auto cut sequence planning and start position placements that otherwise is usually in effect, see Operation / ‘Cut path’ window.
  • when a start point is moved or edited, it becomes ‘soft’ Locked, meaning it can be switched back to Auto placement via the Operations window as noted above. However when it is explicitly Locked via the method above, then it remains Locked until UnLocked via similar method as above.
  • Notice the start point sequence number changes color when you move or Lock it.
  • If the start points are Locked via Lock All context menu choice, then you can change the Operation tool while keeping the start point position on the contour, but leadin/out, feedrate, etc. other tool parameters will take affect.
  • If changing anything in a job, it’s always a good idea to first Lock the start points for each Operation.
5

Thank you for those pointers, it is good to now know how to lock the start point position, as I have previously noticed they moved around when changing others.

If I understand you correctly locking the start position is all I can do; I cannot lock the start type or length. Is that so?

So in order to change the “tool” for a different material, I have to start from scratch?

6

negative.
By Locking start points, WHEN you change a Tool in an Operation, the Operation only inherits the Tool parameters for start points NOT Locked. This will include leadin/out style, on start points NOT Locked.

Note that you can change individual start point parameters by using menu Mode / ‘Edit start points’, then right click on a start point and select Properties. If you are doing this with great frequency, I can understand why your are asking the question. But again, by Locking the start point(s), you can protect these settings even when you change the Operation Tool selection.
I’ve tested this in v7.1.40

7

I am running v7.0.21 and when I tried locking the start points, then un-ticking the selection in the operation window on the left, then selecting operation again from the top banner, I could indeed change the tool, and the start points were the same, but the leadin type and size stayed with the “blanket” leadin parameters from the operation window, it did not “keep” the altered leadin specs from when I changed them via Properties, even though those were the ones I (thought) I locked in.

Can only the start points themselves be locked in and not the style and size?

8

That is not the result I get when I change a start point using it’s individual ‘Properties’ as selected when right clicking on THAT start point. Notice when you go into start point Properties, in order to change the leadin/out parameters, you have to UNCHECK the “Use Operation leadin/leadout” condition checkbox. That is the clue that those parameters will be preserved when the Operation parameters change. In that case, the start point appears to be automatically Locked.

On the other hand, IF a start point is forced Locked via the context menu selection, IF individual properties of start point are using (inherit) the Operation leadin/leadout parameters (per checkbox noted above), then they appear to follow the Operation parameters regardless of a new tool being used or not.

I’m also noticing as I test this function for you, that editing individual start point properties seems kwirky if not buggy, sometimes taking a selection and preserving it, sometimes not.

Look, sheetcam is what it is at this point. It’s not likely to go through another fix or release cycle, in my opinion. If it does, that would be great. I’m no longer consulting directly for the company, so I’m not in a position to know for sure.

@zack-sheetcam can comment on futures for sheetcam. From the lack of activity we’ve all experienced since I left the customer support role last October, it doesn’t look like things will change, but he’ll have to advise.

I’m happy to share what I know in this forum as to sheetcam functions and kwirks. But we all need to learn to test for these conditions and kwirks ourselves because it’s NOT going to come from Sheetcam LLC any time soon it appears.

9

I do appreciate the time you have put into this for me, I now know how to lock the start points from bouncing around on me. Thank you.

I was just hoping to not have to re-do and save multiple copies of the same programme for the sake of using different material. I have just realized though that I can use the feed speed and pierce delay overides in my cnc controller to adjust for different materials. Can’t do anything about kerf width though, but hey, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.

Thanks again for all your help.