How to avoid post-processing an optional operation?

[ateliercnc3d]

Hello!

I'm using HSMXpress and I have a job with different operations. Some of them I like to mark as Optional and avoid to be post-processed, when I choose RMB -> PostProcess(All) on the job stock.

What modifications I have to make to the postprocessor file in order to skip the operations marked as Optional?

Could someone indicate a simple post file example dedicated for skipped Optional operations?

[serge.quiblier]

Hello @ateliercnc3d 

initially the Optional operation was not defined for this usage.
The actual behavior of the optional is as follow :

The first operation is set as "normal", and the second one as "Optional":

N60 G0 Z5.
N65 G1 Z-1. F1000.
N70 X-80.
N75 G2 Y0.95 I0. J12.663
N80 G1 X80.
N85 G0 Z15.
N90 M1
/ N95 M9
/ N100 M5
/ N105 G53 G0 Z0.

(2D-Contour)
/ N110 M1
/ N115 T2 M6
/ N120 S6000 M3
/ N125 G54
/ N130 M8
/ N135 G1 X-9.725 Y36.25 F650.
/ N140 G0 G43 Z15. H2
/ N145 T3
/ N150 G0 Z5.

Please not the / sign in front of the line.

On controllers we can have a switch (software or hardware) for running or not the optionnal blocks.

If you want to remove the outputcompletely, the writeBlock function can be modified.

The changes I will show will be ok on a 3 axis milling machine.

But don't use it for a multi axis machine, i will explain later below.

Imagine the initial writeBlock is as follow:

function writeBlock() {
  var text = formatWords(arguments);
  if (!text) {
    return;
  }
  if (getProperty("showSequenceNumbers")) {
    if (optionalSection || skipBlock) {
      if (text) {
        writeWords("/", "N" + sequenceNumber, text);
      }
    } else {
      writeWords2("N" + sequenceNumber, arguments);
    }
    sequenceNumber += getProperty("sequenceNumberIncrement");
  } else {
    if (optionalSection || skipBlock) {
      writeWords2("/", arguments);
    } else {
      writeWords(arguments);
    }
  }
  skipBlock = false;
}

We will change it to

function writeBlock() {
  var text = formatWords(arguments);
  if (!text) {
    return;
  }
  if (getProperty("showSequenceNumbers")) {
    if (optionalSection) {  // do nothing
    } else if (skipBlock) {
      if (text) {
        writeWords("/", "N" + sequenceNumber, text);
      }
    } else {
      writeWords2("N" + sequenceNumber, arguments);
    }
    sequenceNumber += getProperty("sequenceNumberIncrement");
  } else {
    if (optionalSection) {  // do nothing
    } else if (skipBlock) {
      writeWords2("/", arguments);
    } else {
      writeWords(arguments);
    }
  }
  skipBlock = false;
}

Why not using it on a multi axis post?

N85 G0 Z15.
N90 M1
/ N91 G69		//workplane cancellation in 3+2 for example
/ N95 M9			// En of operation that will be suppressed by the Fix
/ N100 M5
/ N105 G53 G0 Z0.

(2D-Contour)
/ N110 M1
/ N115 T2 M6
/ N120 S6000 M3
......
Bunch of line ine thes middle suppressed for concision
......

/ N340 G0 Z15.
			// no G69 here as the operation may be in 3 axis only
N345 M9			// end code of the second operation that will be used as end of the first one.
N350 M5
N355 G53 G0 Z0.

(2D-Contour with compensation left)
N360 M1
N365 T3 M6		// potential crash after that as the tilted workplane may still be active

Have a nice day.

Regards

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