Post processing within Fusion 360

[GeorgeRoberts]

Good afternoon community!

The post-processing option has now been merged into the NC program experience. 

The experience and functionality you get for post-processing used to depend on both what operating system you were using and what button you used to start post-processing. Over the past few months, we have been working on unifying these experiences by expanding NC programs to ensure it has all the functionality needed to replace the multiple post-processing dialogs that exist today.

One of the important changes to be aware of is the usage of the post library for post-processor management and selection. This gives you more ways to manage your post-processors and will give a better way of consuming post-processor updates from our Fusion 360 post library.

If you would like to continue to use your local drive to store post processors, simply 'link' your local drive to the post library by right-clicking on the 'linked' option and choosing 'link folder'

Like always with post-processing, check your selected post properties and output code carefully before running code on your machine tool

[KneubaeckerS7UG4]

I agree. I see in some ways how the new processor could benefit my workflow but having to modify a post processor that had no previous issue is not in the cards for us right now. Whether or not is a "better" way of going about naming programs and posting to have a post accept letters I feel as though after reading this thread its not for everyone. I hope the "filename" line begins to address some of the issues.

[mattdlr89]

@GeorgeRoberts 

If there is a filename box (which I'll welcome) - if this box is used at the set up of an NC Program could that be the name that is used in the browser tree too. Perhaps not linked but just on the initial creation of an NC Program anything typed in the filename box should be the program name IMO. Better than NCProgram1,2,3 etc.

[rhdfmail]

This is maybe not something directly connected to the NC-posting but something I would like to have:

"Dependent postparameters" . I have some parameters in my post that is used together. As an example the chipconveyor can be set to run  in intervals. Sometimes I dont even want it to run, sometimes i want it to run every 2 min next job it migt be every 10 etc. 
Today I have 2 parameters for it: Intervaltime if its >0 it adds the code for the interval-cycle  and autostart yes/no 
A more intuitive way would be something like
Use Chipconveyor (yes/no)
 - Interval time
 - Autostart  
Where  time/autostart is hidden until I select to use chipconveyor since none of them will have any effect on the NC-code regardless what value they have

[MC-009987776]

Hi 

Is there a way of getting the post processor screen to open where you want to add the file to every time you post it out? as we use the output folder to direct to our base level directory and then open where the location where we want the file to be saved within that folder structure, as we post out 100s programmes a week if not a day it doesn't work for us having to finally select the folder each time within the post screen as we don't always know where we want it to go which machine etc.

Also we use a post for our router that only lets you use a number as the programme name, this was fine as when the folder selection opened upon pressing post as it used to let you write a separate file name whilst keeping the 1001 programme number for the machine to read at the top of the code.

This new way of pre selecting the final output folder and name at time of post just doesn't work for us in any way.

We have gone back to the old style post screen, is there anyway that the new one could be changed to let you select the output folder destination and file name after pressing post?

Thanks Mark

[ltomuta]

@MC-009987776 just edit your post processor to a) accept alphanumeric program names and b) ignore the program name given (only use it for file name) and set an hardcoded himeric ID as the program name.

Two small edits and your problem is solved.

[castleweldingfabrication]

So now i am screwed with a program i can not use any more. I cant post process any tap files so what good is it.

[ltomuta]

@mattdlr89 @GeorgeRoberts another field is a cumbersome solution.

We already have a program name field and the name is all we need/want. Some need that to be a specific number? They can write a number there. But my bet is that very few actually care about the number (as in using it to call a subprogram) and would be just happy with any hard-coded value that satisfies the header requirement. So it sounds like that number should be at best a property. Hardcoded and overwriteable if need be.

Everyone is asking for a way to input a file name just because everyone is having to ignore the program name, reserved for something they don't need. So why keep proeminent something we all ignore?

Also, program name (from setup) is picked up by the setup sheet. "Setup sheet for program 01010" makes no sense. "Setup-sheet for program Bike Frame" does. 

[seth.madore]

@castleweldingfabrication huh?? Nothing really changed, it's just a new UI. If it doesn't work for you, change it back to the old UI.

[ltomuta]

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@castleweldingfabrication wrote:

So now i am screwed with a program i can not use any more. I cant post process any tap files so what good is it.

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@castleweldingfabrication wrote:

So now i am screwed with a program i can not use any more. I cant post process any tap files so what good is it.

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Nothing should stop you from posting taps, either with the new post dialog or with the old one, after re-activating it in preferences 

[ltomuta]

@engineguy I don't know if my machine supports alphanumeric program names. I don't care. It always gets in integer from me. But I always write alphanumeric names that make sense to me, the machinists, the people finishing the parts and shipping them. We all look at the same "part_name" drawing, "part_name" setup sheet, "part_name".NC file and they make sense for us. The machine sees some O10101 nobody cares about. Not even the machine really.

So the point is:

- keep accessible things humans care about

- hide away stuff only machines care about

- make it possible to do things that need to be done in weird cases, even if not necessarily the easy way

[david6XWFN]

Its VERY frustrating when you automatically update your software and break my workflow. Why are the updates forced upon your users?! 

I use an x carve and need T1 M6 to not be output in my post process file. Please either tell me how to get back the old way of post processing machining paths, or how i can edit out this line without having to manually do it after the post process.

[Anonymous]

When I am posting I need it to overwrite a text file on a USB drive. Is this possible with the new release? I can't make it work. 

Also, every time I click post it makes a NC program in my file tree, is it possible to have it not do that?

Thanks, and I look forward to using this new release.

[castleweldingfabrication]

Thank God for Andy Dick with Fusion 360 he help me get the previous version of Fusion 360 since the new one doesn't have the post button on he screen.

 Thank you Andy Dick

     Rick

[daniel_lyall]

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@david6XWFN wrote:

Its VERY frustrating when you automatically update your software and break my workflow. Why are the updates forced upon your users?! 

I use an x carve and need T1 M6 to not be output in my post process file. Please either tell me how to get back the old way of post processing machining paths, or how i can edit out this line without having to manually do it after the post process.

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Where did you have your post stored in the cloud or inbuilt libury?

[daniel_lyall]

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@Anonymous wrote:

When I am posting I need it to overwrite a text file on a USB drive. Is this possible with the new release? I can't make it work. 

Yes as long as the output is set to the correct location

Also, every time I click post it makes a NC program in my file tree, is it possible to have it not do that?

No

Thanks, and I look forward to using this new release.

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[daniel_lyall]

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@castleweldingfabrication wrote:

Thank God for Andy Dick with Fusion 360 he help me get the previous version of Fusion 360 since the new one doesn't have the post button on he screen.

 Thank you Andy Dick

     Rick

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What does not have the post button if you right-click on a setup or a toolpath the post button is there then when It brings up the post dialog it's at the bottom like below.

Also right-clicking on setups and selecting create NC program brings up the dialog where you get the same thing as the pick above. 

[carl.j.barker]

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@Anonymous wrote:

Also, every time I click post it makes a NC program in my file tree, is it possible to have it not do that?

.

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This can be annoying and Autodesk have said they are reviewing this behaviour.

After creating the first NCProgram, you can from then on highlight it in the browser and click post, it will not create a new one but will indeed post using the settings and op from the highlighted NCprogram.

[ltomuta]

@Anonymous @daniel_lyall 
"Also, every time I click post it makes a NC program in my file tree, is it possible to have it not do that?

No"

Every time you press the button the button will do the same thing. That's what buttons do. But why are you still pushing the button after it is done its job? 🙂

The "Post Process" command now acts as an alias to "Create NC Program". But that command only needs to be created once,  the first time you want to post something new. Once it does its job and creates an NC Program record you don't call it again, instead you call "Post Process" on the NC Program itself every time you want/need to update the output file.

[ltomuta]

@david6XWFN 

In the old dialog you told Fusion to use your custom post-processor (the one that does not output the tool change)  and post process your program with it dumping the output in the specified file.

All you have to do now with the new dialog is to tell Fusion to ... use your custom post-processor (the one that does not output the tool change)  and post process your program with it dumping the output in the specified file.

[Jon_Bancroft]

@GeorgeRoberts 

I like the new NC programs method, but I have one issue that I cannot figure out.

When I used to post programs I would get the Windows file manager pop up and I could change the filename to whatever I wanted. I would typically name my files to the "program comment" from the setup, but occasionally I'd call them something like "TEST"  so I knew to delete that program later.

With the NC Programs method Fusion immediately posts the file to the directory and assigns the program number to the filename.

I suppose this isn't terrible, but for me having my windows folder full of thousands of files I've posted I prefer to have them named something in "plain English" rather than the file number. So for example I currently have like 3600 G-Code files in my folder, each one I've changed the filename to the program comment while posting. (Even this was tedious since I had to copy the program comment and then paste it into the windows file manager that popped up during posting each file).

I understand the "Legacy" default was also the program number, but what I've lost is the convenient way to rename it before it actually exports the G-Code. And now, if I manually rename the file in Windows after exporting, then if I re-post the code I now have another file and have to manually delete the first rather than overwriting it and then again change the filename.

So long story short... Is there a way I can make the "Windows file name" be the "program comment" from the Setup when I post/export code?

Or is there a way you could add a text field to NC programs to allow me to put a filename in before posting? It could even have some kind of toggle button or drop-list of "Program Number", "Program Comment", or "Custom".

For now I will revert to the Legacy method

Thank You,

Jon