Pre-processor

[btk]

Is there an existing shopbot utility that can be used to pre-process sbp files so that embeded/nested files (FP command within a file) and/or formulas can be converted to a single file.
Then this preprocessed file could be run later without need to have dependent files on hand.

[Brady Watson]

No.

The only files that are laid out like that are ones that people have spent a lot of time developing....Be sure to check the headers of the SBP files in question to make sure that they are not copyrighted or for personal use only. In that case, there is no need to convert since you aren't going to use them in any kind of commercial capacity.

-Brady

[btk]

Brady,

I am not sure if was asking the question correctly.

I was going to try to import some sbp files (that I created) into Rhino (using the import method I beleive that you pointed out in another thread), however some of my files have formulas and loops included, so I would like to first process them into sequential "M" Commands to create the list of coordinates.
I was unsure if there was a command or utility built into shopbot to do this (I did not find any mention in the documentation and some tool vendors have such a tool for GCode), or if I had to create my own.

Thanks


After re-reading Part File Programming Handbook, I am going to try puting an "OPEN for OUTPUT" at the begining of my MASTER file and see if that works.

[Brady Watson]

Gotcha...

Typically what I would do in this situation is write a small program/utility in VB to handle all of the variables (assign seed values via textboxes) and generate the complete code in there. You can output a file or just use a RichTextBox control to display the populated values & copy/paste into notepad.

I have done this a few times to generate dynamic SB code for things that need to fit together. I have found that just generating comma delimited XYZ code in VB and a few RhinoScripts here and there goes a long way. I just generate the code in VB, populate a textbox and paste it right into Rhino (XYZ data and properly placed RhinoScript commands). Works pretty well. Then you just take the resulting geometry created in Rhino and export it as a DXF.

Does that help at all?

-Brady

[mrdovey]

BTK...

If you would like a utility program that replaces all instances of 'FP <file>' with the contents of <file> (recursively so that FP commands within the included file are processed the same way), you're invited to e-mail me at the address in my profile.

...Morris

[btk]

Yes, thanks for the info.

While I do generate sbp files programmatically, I was hesitant to replicate some commands (i.e. CC function) as these have apparently been optimized by Shopot and also pull variables from VU entry in Shobot.ini., etc.

But for the sake of importing into Rhino, I guess the optimization does not apply and I can just approximate the arcs (or better yet, use Rhinoscript to generate the arc segments)

Thanks.

[btk]

....Morris,
Thanks anyway, however I do not need the FP utility.


...Brady

On a similar note (if it is not too off topic) Do you kow any way of importing files (or toolpaths) created in PW2 into Rhino directly other than the circuitous route of using SBP files as an intermediate step. (i.e. is there any export to DXF functionality)

Thanks

[Brady Watson]

BTK,
No...not really. Other than copying it to a raster (I use PaintShopPro to capture) and then tracing out manually...there's no way to get it out of PW as a vector.

-Brady

[bruce_clark (Unregistered Guest)]

BTK,

This one is kinda late, but YES there is a file that will sorta merge ShopBot files into ONE big file. If I remember correctly, it also supported some elementary math functions and variables but not a lot of work was put into it. It was mainly written to convert Bill Young's Coffee Desk file into one file that I could then test the Shopbot "backplotter" or Reverse Engineer 2 program.

Email me for more info/files. My email address is available by serching on the forum.

Bruce Clark