Gene, Rene is working on a new implementation of the tool table that removes the 56 tool limit. I don't know when it will be complete enough to merge to master, but I hope it is relatively soon.
In the mean time, it would be fairly easy to write a little bit of python code and add to your VCP so you could select from multiple tool.tbl files. In the first (GTK2) version of hazzy I experimented with a combo box to select which tool table to use. Basically, I had LCNC load an active_tool.tbl file, and when the user changed the selection in the combo box it would copy the selected tool table over as active_tool.tbl and then tell LCNC to reload the tool table. It worked, and as long as you make sure you do not repeat any tool numbers it is safe, since even if you selected the wrong tool table by accident LCNC would not find that tool in the table. If you don't have a tool changer, having multiple tool tables allows you to categorize your tools. For example you could have endmills.tbl, which could contain up to 56 end mills starting at T1 and going thru T56. You could also have drills.tbl, which would start at T57 and have up to T112 etc. Each tool table does not have to span 56 tools, so you could have countersinks.tbl, that goes from T113 to T123. They key is not to have any tool number repeat in different tables (pocket numbers can repeat), that is what makes it safe to have multiple tool tables. Now, if you have an ATC it becomes more difficult, because all the tools you use in a given program must be in the same tool table. In this case it would probably be best to have a separate tool table per tool tray, or per part. Cheers, Kurt ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot _______________________________________________ Emc-developers mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-developers
