That is, certain G-Codes are active by default such as G00, G90, G54 etc. When NCPlot begins to backplot a program, it starts from a fixed G-Code state. When NCPlot encounters an arc where the start and end radius is different by more than this amount, an error will be displayed. Whether this amount is fixed in the control, or is parameter settable, you can enter this amount into the "Arc Tolerance" setting. Most controls will handle this without a problem up until the difference reaches a certain amount. That is, the difference between the distance from the start point to the center and the distance from the end point to the center. When you command an arc using IJK arc center designation, it's not uncommon for there to be a small difference between the arc's start radius and end radius. If you have a control that behaves this way, check the box that says "I/J/K values are modal". If this is the case, the control remembers the last center point you programmed and you don't have to include an I, J or K value in every arc command. If your control uses absolute arc centers, it may also treat the center locations as modal. When unchecked, the I, J and K values represent the distance from the start point of the arc to the center point of the arc. When checked, I, J and K values in a G02 or G03 command represent the location of the center of the arc in the current work coordinates. If your control uses absolute arc centers, then check the box that says "Absolute Arc Centers". The arc settings determine how G02 and G03 arc commands are interpreted. Y1.250 n/a Y1.25 Since a decimal point was specified, the resolution setting is disregarded. Here's some more examples:Ĭommand value Coordinate Resolution Interpreted value For example, if you have a program that has commands like "Z-152500", then you would want to set the coordinate resolution to "0.0001" so that this would be properly interpreted as "Z-15.2500". The "Coordinate Resolution" setting determines how many decimal places to assume when a command value is given without a decimal point. This method will always move the Z axis by itself, either before or after the X & Y axes depending on which direction the Z is going. Some controls use a third method which is generally safer than the other two. If the axes reach the endoints one at a time, this would be "Non-Interpolated" sometimes called "Dog-Leg". If your machine handles this as "Interpolated", then all three axes will always arrive at their endpoints at the same time. This setting should be set to match how your machine responds to a multiple axis simultaneous rapid move. This tab contains some of the most important settings for determining how your G-Code programs are interpreted. Since this setting is part of the machine configuration, you can specify a different folder for each configuration. Simply set the default program folder to this folder, then any time you want to open a file, the "File Open" dialog will open right to this folder. All the programs for it are stored at "C:\Jobs\MakinoVMC". Say for example you have a configuration for a Makino vertical machining center. This setting can be set to point to a folder where the G-Code programs for this particular machine configuration are stored. The Lathe type also has a check box that allows the direction of G2/G3 arc commands to be reversed.Īlso on this tab is a setting called "Default Program Folder". This setting determines how NCPlot interprets the X/U axis command values. If you selected Lathe, you now have the option to select between Radius Coordinate values and Diameter coordinate values. If you selected Mill, you now have the option to select between Vertical spindle and Horizontal spindle. Choosing one or the other will change or enable/disable other settings on the dialog. You must first select between Mill and Lathe. This tab has settings that define the basic setup of your machine. This dialog is made up of several tabs, the first tab you see is labeled "Machine Type". To open the machine configuration dialog, click the menu "Setup", then click "Machine Configuration". Even so, you should check that these settings match the way your control works. These configurations represent the most common settings for a CNC control and should be good enough to get you started. NCPlot comes with a handful of predefined machine configurations.
Ncplot tool path code#
NCPlot doesn't recognize every G or M Code that your control does, but it should still be able to give you a good representation of your programs toolpath. Since there are many different types of machines and CNC controls, NCPlot has options that allow it to mimic the way your particular CNC control reads G-Code. In order for the graphics viewport to properly display your G-Code program, it must first know a few things about the machine you intend to run it on.