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Hi Les,

if I select some areas for pocket milling and if I'd like to drill a hole in the center of each pocket (i.e. where the pocket cycle starts) to make it easier for the following tool to work, is there a function or a variable to support me for this ?

If not it would be a nice feature to add :

a 'Drill a hole in the center' - cycle ?

Thanks,

Richard

Hmm, there isn't anything in place to do that at the moment. It can be done with a custom post processor but it is a bit complicated. Have you tried ramp cutting? Ramping at an angle of 15 - 30 degrees makes a huge difference.

No I didn't try ramping. Just thought it might be possible with a function or a custom post processor as you mentioned.

So I will have to read the pp-documentation.

Perhaps I find a solution.

Richard

It is pretty ugly. Basically you write a post that only outputs code on the plunge (function OnPenDown()). You then use that post to generate the pierces/drill points then you use a separate post to generate the full tool paths.

Can't you use a part of your spiral pocketing algorithm to extract the startpoint of this moving (spiral pocketing) and use it for a drill operation?

The problem is mainly in how to implement it. Operations are independent of each other so I can't create a drilling operation that depends on another operation's cut starts. The other option is to add drilling options to the pocketing dialog but that adds a lot of extra confusing options that few people will need.

Another idea :

If I could set the coordinates of the move-to operation with the mouse I could create a sequence of movements and then add a tool call and G81 at the beginning of the sequence .

Can you add the mouse to the move-to operation ?

Richard

I've been meaning to do that for a while. It is in the next dev version.

@ Les : Thanks for your help and implementing this idea !

@ Pete : Thanks for helping me. I'm planning to mill plywood with a thickness of 1/8" or 2/8" and with tools of 3/64" .
Should be no problem though I have no experience with such small tools

Richard

Pete,

MLCS has obviously great tools but s&h to Germany for example for #202

is as follows :

First-Class Mail International ($17.64)
Priority Mail International ($31.05)
Express Mail International ($38.00)
UPS Worldwide Expedited (SM) ($91.00)
UPS Worldwide Saver (SM) ($95.12)
UPS Worldwide Express (SM) ($98.87)

That's pretty too much for a hobbiest like me

Richard

Les,

don't want to bother you , but what about an additional option to select / deselect ' stay in mouse-mode ' to be able to click more than one position in sequence ?

Richard

Hmm, that wouldn't be so easy. A move operation only allows one move. For a multiple click to work it would have to create a series of moves. You would then probably have to edit the moves afterwards to check all of the other settings were correct.

My idea was actually to ' collect ' some positions to use for drilling in connection with G81/G80 and if I do this I will know that the drilling operation will work with the same parameters at every position. If I need different values i.e. for the depth I will have to add them manually in each line .
And for for use as drilling coordinates the G00 in each line must be removed, too (manually of course)

The same way I could add between each move a subprogram call to mill something like a pattern at this position.
I know those capabilities from the control I use day by day at work (Heidenhain TNC 430).

Anyway I can use it the way it works now

Thanks

Richard