Getting started modify posts

[Steinwerks]

@al.whatmough

Is there a way to get these videos in a downloadable format? I'll be taking a long-ish plane ride in a couple months and I think that would be a great time to get more familiar with the PP system.

[gdaniel450]

These videos made all my troubles go away can edit a post on the fly now for what i want to do or for any machine in the future. 

Thanks big help

[CGPM]

These videos were a great start, thank you.  I have been reading about modifying our JavaScript posts and slowly sorta getting it.  After these videos I made several changes that I needed but then hit a wall where the videos stopped.  I learned more in the 2-1/4 hours of video than I did in 20 hours of reading about it, I only care about posting code for my machines.  Now you need to continue on with more "advanced" features, I really don't think it is all that advanced.  What I want to see:

1)  I want to put as much code on each line that the control will handle.  Then I will need to see how you deal with not calling a M3 after the tool change for rigid tapping or A axis positioning.

2)  Go into detail about adding a rotary axis, you barely touched that topic.  You need to deal with applying the brake, releasing it, lifting the Z axis to rotate the A axis without going all the way to the home position, and then that first position move after positioning the A axis.

3)  I would love to know how to avoid posting code that does not need to be there.  I know the argument that it doesn't hurt, but not everyone has a newer machine or not every machine in your shop in newer.  A lot of us have come to Fusion because of the price and our cnc machines are the same budget oriented pick, hence not a lot of memory.  Some machines only have 4k, a lot are around 16k-32k.  Plus all the clutter makes it harder to read through the program to see what is going on.

You, Autodesk, need to add to the learning material for modifying posts.  Just pointing us to a vendor does not work.  We the users need to be able to do this ourselves even if we are not JavaScript programmers.  Posts are not something that you just have done, they evolve over time as you learn more about machining and your machines control.

Let's just set Matthew down and have him spend an hour or two cleaning up and optimizing a nice G code post where he adds a 4th axis, please!!!!  In fact I have one in mind for him to work on.

Please, please, please more videos.  These are pure gold for learning, just like the videos that are available from AU 2016.

[Laurens-3DTechDraw]

@CGPM

Most posts are already set-up for 4- or 5-axis.

Where Achim explains the simple steps here to unlock that power:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-post-processor-forum/how-to-set-up-a-4-5-axis-machine-configurati...

Most of these things like applying or removing the brake are fairly easy to find or set-up if you have done any other post editing before.

[CGPM]

Hi Laurens,

That post that you link to barely scratches the surface of what needs to be done for a real post.  Figuring out the brake was pretty easy, I just looked at a Haas post with a 4th axis.  I believe it would be quite helpful for others who are trying to learn how to modify their posts if the information needed to add a brake were in a video to go with the first three.  It would save them from fiddling around looking at other posts to see how it is done.  We need more videos that will help us finish the posts we started.  These  videos are great, they show me how to change my post without having to become a JavaScript programmer, which I have no other use for.  I would just like Autodesk to continue on with what it started.  It doesn't look like too much time is invested in making these videos and they are a gold mine of information for those of us who are trying to modify our posts, we just need more of them!

Please give Matthew a few hours to make a few more videos and post them to YouTube, that isn't asking for too much.  As a real finishing touch you could do an "Introduction to JavaScript" video to save us from learning that elsewhere as well.  With a few more videos I would think most of us could figure out how to make the posts we need just by watching this set of videos all in one spot nicely organized,  thank you very much.

The learning material for using Fusion 360 is finally pretty good, we just need a little more on modifying posts.

[Laurens-3DTechDraw]

The real problem is you can't explain and show how to add all the functions needed for 4 or 5-axis. Because that's a video that takes hours and isn't very easy to follow if you ask me.

I'm with you that if Autodesk can make it easier for the user they should, but as a guy that has taught himself to make a post I'm not sure on how to make an effective video on 5-axis that says much other than see these three posts as your guideline. I'm trying to think with you here if I could make a video on it myself for example but it pretty hard.

[CGPM]

I don't think many of us trying to make our own posts have an advanced 5 axis machine so let's leave 5 axis out of it, besides I never mentioned 5 axis.  So far Autodesk has taught me how to make a hobbyist post, now l am asking them to teach some low to mid level optimisation.

I appreciate you taking the time with this but really this is something Autodesk should spend a few more hours on.  

This is how I like my code to look.  Obviously this was not posted but had written.  Nevermind the subs, I just left them in there for simplicity.  I don't expect to get my post to work this well but I would at least like it to be close.

O1(FACE OP2 8PTS)
G0G17G40G49G52G80G90H0Z0M11
T1M6(FACE MILL)
T2
G0G43X2.5Y3.Z1.A180.H1G54S5000M3
M8
M10
G0Z.1
G1Z0F65.
M98P10
M98P10G55
G0Z1.M11
X2.5Y3.A0G54
M10
G0Z.1
G1Z0F65.
M98P10
M98P10G55
M9
G0Z.1M5

[George-Roberts]

What issues are you facing getting the post similar to what you have shown there?

Perhaps watch some JavaScript tutorials on YouTube, I understand that you think Autodesk should do a JavaScript tutorial, but that seems fairly pointless as there are so many out there (and it is a huge language which would take a long time to detail in full). Every post will need to use some sort of logic and basic JavaScript functions, but it would be hard to show these as they would be different in most situations.

If your looking to get a little more advanced with the posts, have you thought about contacting your reseller for a post training course (if they offer one...)?

[Laurens-3DTechDraw]

We have a 5-axis machine and a B-axis Lathe and I write the posts.

The trick is that post wise 5-axis is just as complicated as 4-axis.

But let's wait and see if Matthew can come up with something.

PS. I don't think Autodesk has to do anything 

[CGPM]

Hi George, you helped me get my 3 axis post working a year and a half ago, thank you.  The changes I need to make to my post is here.  I want to keep my personal needs out of this thread as much as I can. 

I have been to sites that teach JavaScript, the problem is they don't teach me how to modify my post which is all I want.  There is such a steep learning curve that I have yet to start learning it.  I only suggested a JavaScript video by Autodesk to cover most of what is needed to modify posts for their software so all the information can be in one place.  As you say it is a big language but it seems to me that not much is needed to modify our posts, again which is all most of us want to do.

I am a Fusion 360 early adopter so I am contacting who I purchase from, no reseller.

I have a feeling that since you and Laurens know JavaScript so well you are missing the point of what I am saying.  I watched the three videos, oh say 2-1/4 videos because I don't care about setup sheets, and that did more for me than 20 hours of studying the Autodesk manual on how to modify posts and all the other places I went to to learn JavaScript.  Autodesk is on the right track with the videos, they just need to do a few more, stick them in the Learning section for Fusion 360, and they will have it covered IMO.

[CGPM]

I don't think Matthew will come up with it since he doesn't know what is missing, because he already knows JavaScript and how the different elements of a program use the post processor.  He needs those of us who don't know these things to tell him what is missing.

Is Matthew in SF or Portland?  I am only an hour east of Portland.

PS  Then why did they do the 3 videos that started this thread?  I think there is a need for this learning material.

[ArjanDijk]

Hi @CGPM. When I started developing/adapting post my Javascript knowledge was limited. Thats now 3 years ago and I think I'm on a reasonable level. Most of the skills I developed is because I face challenges in machines and in Inventor HSM that needed to be fixed in the posts on more then 50 different machines. It took me a lot of time and challenges to get to this level.I think the same goes for Laurens, George and the few other resellers that change posts. From what I hear, its the minority of the resellers that even do post changes. 

If you take into account how much time it takes to learn good post editing and how little amount of users really change much else than the cooling codes, and how much is dependent on what you need for your machine, a specialist training would not be the best time spend for Mattew or anyone else.

When you look at it from a commercial perspective, if you make your money machining, its hard to justify the time spend learning to edit a post more then the basics. If you still want to spend this time, its more like a hobby and I don't think its Autodesks responsibility to create training material for that.

The training videos are a good start, if you want to do more you just have to train yourself, ask smart questions here on the forum or call one of the postadjusting resellers. 

[CGPM]

Ok, it looks like it would be best if we just agree to disagree.

[Laurens-3DTechDraw]

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@CGPM wrote:

Ok, it looks like it would be best if we just agree to disagree.

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Find a good example of what you want here: http://cam.autodesk.com/posts/?p=fanuc_compact

[Anonymous]

I downloaded notepad ++ for working on a post processor per one of the videos, but I cannot get the function list to show up.  Any suggestions?

[ivan.stanojevic]

@Anonymous

Have you tried with clicking on the view tab and checking function list?

If yes, and you still do not see any of the functions then you might have another issue.

Please check on the topic below

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/hsm-post-processor-forum/editor-for-post-processor-customizations/m-p/7010258/highlight/true#M13248

[Anonymous]

I found my answer.

[rick.klint]

You don’t need to know everything about JavaScript to edit and fine tune your post. You just need to learn the basics. It’s not super easy if you have never programmed before, but I will add that if you invest the time I think you will find it totally worth it. If you have never programmed before I highly suggest you get an iPad and use Playgrounds. It’s the best way I have seen for people to learn to program. This is a skill you will use way more times than you can imagine. After you feel that you’re getting the hang of it, go back and learn the basics of JavaScript. For most of the books I have read on JavaScript, what you’ll need to learn to edit your post will be covered in the first 5 chapters. Is it worth paying $320 for an iPad to learn how to program, YES! I have 3 computers in my house, I use my iPad about 20 times more than all 3 of them. I taught 3 people to learn to write code with no background in programming whatsoever with just telling them to get an iPad and use Playgrounds.

[dj_pigs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9NJ6P1vd1Y

this should help, does not work for MAC...I  got it working on pc...and I am still Learning..