topic Re: 2018 custom setup in PowerMill Forum

2018 custom setup

TK.421 — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 16:06:30 GMT

would any of you care to share screen shots of how you've customized 2018 with the new interface? I would like to give it a fair shake before I make a decision on renewing maintenance or not, but I cannot use it out of the box the way it is. I'd like to see what some of the long term users have come up with to replace the toolbars.

thanks!

Re: 2018 custom setup

5axes — Mon, 11 Sep 2017 17:48:03 GMT

I'm not a big user of cutomized toolbar so on this point 2018 doesn't have change something. I'm only using 15 functions in my customzed toolbar , So on this point it's ok.

One of my toolbar was used to display some current informations with expression Field. I have migrate this toolbar in the QuickAccess Toolbar in order to always have this information on the screen .

I'm much more a Personnel user menu fan and on this point nothing has change . But I don't like the Ribbon because to access now to every function or toolbar you need to clic on the tab (Home, toolpath, Toolpath Edit , Simulation etc etc ) just to see your function so for every function you need to use in 2018 you need to add one more clic just to have an access to a group of function. At the end of the Day I would be really curious how many clic you have done /compare to the previous release

I'm using the ribbon style in Word and it's cool. Because in Word Most of the function I need are in the Home Tab , and In Word when I clic on an Image the system automatically activate the image edition menu. The ribbon is good for Word not for a CAM solution or not for this CAM solution as it have been implemented. And I don't really feal any benefits.

Re: 2018 custom setup

Anonymous — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 08:41:59 GMT

That's my current custom setup but I keep adding as I go along.

Re: 2018 custom setup

rmiller — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:23:13 GMT

@5axes

Can you explain how you got the information to display in the QAT?

Re: 2018 custom setup

iamcdn79 — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:52:43 GMT

@rmiller You just select 'expression field' from the pull-down menu and add whatever expression you would like to show

Re: 2018 custom setup

5axes — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 17:55:34 GMT

rmiller a écrit :

@5axes

Can you explain how you got the information to display in the QAT?

You can use the general variables to get the current information ie :

One Field give me the Current feedrate value in the active Toolpath -> Expression : 'F ' + $Toolpath.feedrate.cutting.value This general variable are automaticaly updated by the software. It works for informations on active $Toolpath , $Tool, $Boundary, $Workplane etc etc ..

Some values are not available directly, so I'm using a macro to declare some session variables Ie : One field give me the total time of every toolpath in the active folder : $Session.TotalTime

// Total times Calculation + Store in a $Session Variable :TotalTime
// Store in a $Session Variable :Folder
REAL $total_time = 0

// Session Variable to store the result
If NOT member($session._keys, "TotalTime") {
		      SESSIONPAR REAL TotalTime = 0
		   }
If NOT member($session._keys, "CFolder") {
		      SESSIONPAR STRING CFolder = "Toolpath"
		   }

// Active Folder
//get the active folder (if there is one)
STRING $a_f = active_folder()

//abort if there is no active folder
IF $a_f == '' {
  $a_f = "Toolpath"
}

//abort if the active folder is not in the toolpath mode
STRING LIST $Split = {}
$Split = TOKENS($a_f, "\")

IF $Split[0] != "Toolpath" {
  $a_f = "Toolpath"
}
		   
FOREACH tpath IN folder($a_f) {
	$total_time = total_time + $tpath.statistics.leadsandlinks.times.rapid
	$total_time = total_time + $tpath.statistics.leadsandlinks.times.plunge
	$total_time = total_time + $tpath.statistics.leadsandlinks.times.ramp
	$total_time = total_time + $tpath.statistics.leadsandlinks.times.others
	$total_time = total_time + $tpath.statistics.cuttingmoves.times.linear
	$total_time = total_time + $tpath.statistics.cuttingmoves.times.arcs
}

$session.CFolder = $a_f
$session.TotalTime = round($total_time,2)

When I need to update these informations I just click on the icon in the QAT closed to this field or using a shortcut F9

Re: 2018 custom setup

rmiller — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 18:12:46 GMT

@iamcdn79iamc

What I want to do is add information to the QAT like we can using the user defined fields in the status bar. I'd like the Description to show next to the Expression. For example RPM 3000

Thanks

Re: 2018 custom setup

rmiller — Tue, 12 Sep 2017 18:16:53 GMT

@5axes

Thanks that is what I was looking for.

Betreff: 2018 custom setup

N-Code — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 07:44:33 GMT

My 2 Cents

Regards

N-Code

Re: 2018 custom setup

5axes — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 08:07:33 GMT

If we refer to the old post concerning the customized setup https://manufacturing.autodesk.com/forums/forum.delcam.com/viewtopicd83d.html

Not so many people where using a lot of uge customized toolbar. So It should be not a big problem for them to migrate to the Ribbon style interface.

Different solution were used with HTML page , or plugins or as me a lot of user menu. @kukelyk is using a lot of button , but I think is still on 2016. I don't know if someone like @Ondrej have migrate to this new forum and to the 2018 release but he was also suing a lot of customized toolbar.

Re: 2018 custom setup

Scoobyvroom — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:55:26 GMT

@5axes

Did you happen to figure out how to increase/decrease the size of the expression boxes in the QAT?

Re: 2018 custom setup

TK.421 — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 14:57:58 GMT

Not to be rude, but can we keep the topics on here to my main question, and perhaps start a new thread or pm individuals with non-topic questions? Thanks!!

Re: 2018 custom setup

5axes — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 13:36:15 GMT

To go back to the topic of @TK.421, here is an example of an "interface" customization on which I have been working for a few months. A dual monitor configuration is required to operate properly. That's also certainly an explanation why I don't use so many icon button in Pmill

The left development is a generator of NC Process that allows to "automatically" program some parts (limited to simple cases in 3 axes)
The working process is as follows:

Load the part in Pmill ( but you could also start directly from the interface and create the Pmill project directy from the software)
Automatique analysis of the part in Pmill (Dimension of the block, depth maxi, mini radius ...)
Transfer of these datas into the software
Automatic or manual definition of the NC process according to the tool library ,the chosen machine and the cutting material
Transfer of the created Nc process / Tool creation and calculation of the paths / boundary / remaining material in Pmill.
Check and modifications by operator of the toolpath , modifications of the cutting parameters according to the particular conditions
Reload in the software of the toolpath parameters for difference analysis (In green parameter unchanged in Red those different from the original settings)
Upon decision of the user, update the tool database to integrate the right conditions and capitalize the data.

And we start again

Re: 2018 custom setup

danmic7JH66 — Wed, 04 Oct 2017 09:03:52 GMT

I realize this is a older post but I figured I can contribute.

Here's how I have my Ribbon customized

We have a few different machines that all require different parameters and therefore, different macros. The green check mark that's highlighted yellow in the QAT is my startup macro which loads up my custom ribbon and keyboard shortcuts based on what machine/operation I'm doing.

Our programming is very fast paced so there's quite a bit that I have assigned to custom keyboard shortcuts as well.

This setup works for me but honestly, I do miss the old toolbar system. Less clicks.

Re: 2018 custom setup

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 11:43:53 GMT

I've managed to bring over and update almost all of our toolbars with a few exceptions. One issue I am having is that the quick select preview of favorite toolpaths arent showing the icons for some of my custom templates. Ive scoured the earth for information on how to do this and to no avail. Anyone have any idea how to do this? Some of my custom ones work and others don't.

Re: 2018 custom setup

iamcdn79 — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 12:03:28 GMT

Are you sure you have the .ico file in that same directory as your template file and both names match?

Re: 2018 custom setup

NanchenO — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 13:20:06 GMT

I experienced the same trouble and that was actually the answer : The pathes did not match.

Olivier

Re: 2018 custom setup

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 14:05:30 GMT

Yes the paths were correct and correctly labeled. I found root cause to be the .ico files I was using were old PM2017 files and the new PM did not recognize them. I substituted for new 2018 .ico files and they still didn't update correctly. I un-favorited them and re-favorited them after the change and lo and behold the icons appeared. So update to current verison .ico files and re-favorite them and it will work.