toolClass set incorrectly

[lunkwill]

Linux 6.1.57. toolClass appears not to be getting set until after the post runs. Created the attached minimal post to demonstrate. I've got a job with three operations: two using a plasma tool and one using a plate marker. First I ran the plate marker operation, and you can see that the toolClass shows up as 'nil' (delteme-scribe.tap). Next I run the post on both plasma operations (deleteme-plasma.tap), and toolClass == 'MarkerTool'. Then I ran it on the plate marker operation again and I got PlasmaTool.

[Les Newell]

That is to be expected. toolClass is set just before OnToolChange() is called.
The sequence of calls is:
OnNewPart()
OnNewOperation()
---- toolClass is set here -----
OnToolChange()

[lunkwill]

Thanks Les. Maybe setting it back to nil at the end of a post run and a mentioning in the toolClass post docs about when it gets set would help future head-scratchers.

More generally, I'm trying to get linuxcnc not to turn on the torch when I'm running a toolpath for the (unpowered spring) scribe. Is there a standard way to do that? Otherwise I'm thinking I should, like, put the torch on the coolant channel and explicitly turn it on when toolClass is PlasmaTool. What function do I want in the post to catch all the times when the torch should be on?

[lunkwill]

Huh, okay, looks like the default LinuxCNC.scpost doesn't have an OnPenDown(), so that's why I wasn't seeing M03 in the generated code when using that post, and looks like the other variants do have that and conditionally send it based on tool type, which is what I wanted.

[Les Newell]

It sounds like you weren't looking at a plasma post. Milling/routing posts don't generally use OnPenDown/OnPenUp.