PowerMILL Excel SetupSheet plugin

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Hi Everyone,

I've been working on another plugin last year that was just publicly released.  This one will let you create an excel template to export your setupsheets.  It gives you a bit more flexibility than the current setupsheet we have in PowerMILL.  On top of that, since the source code is available you can do whatever you want with it.  The plugin include a folder of sample files and some documentation as to how to use it.

I'm joining the pdf I made to give you an idea of what is available but also what can be done with it.

https://github.com/Autodesk/powermill-api-examples/tree/master/addin-excel-setup-sheet

Enjoy!

Michael

[metalurgicaprogreso]

Unfortunately, I do not know how to debug a plugin. It would be of great help if you could help me.

I'm now attaching the project with which I have problems (I had the same problem with all of the projects I tried).

The template I used is the one that comes by default when installing with the installer: Toolpath_List.

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Humm, I just ran the setupsheet on your file without any issue.  Few things that comes to my mind, are you running the latest 2020 release?  Do you have a recent version of excel?  I noticed that your toolpaths and nc program are not named in english which probably means your regional settings are set to your local language (which is fine).  But I've seen in few situation where setting the regional settings of the pc to be English could fix some parameter separator issues so you can try to see if that could be the problem to help narrow it down.  I'm also joining the last revision of the plugin installer here.  I don't think I made any update to it since it was released few months ago but just in case you can try uninstalling and re-installing this version.

Hope it helps!

Michael

[metalurgicaprogreso]

Unfortunately, I'm out of luck. I updated everything, installed excel 2016, changed all language and regional settings to english, unistalled and reinstalled the plugin, and the problem still remains. Is there anything elese I might try?

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Humm, I have only tested with the most recent version of Excel so maybe the problem is coming from Excel API which has changed between now and then...  You can try opening the echo commands when running the plugin and see if there is an error in there.  If there isn't, it's probably coming from Excel and would need to be debugged on your pc with the source code.  Any chance you can try with Office 365?  Can you get a demo of it to try?

[metalurgicaprogreso]

I opened the command echo, and this is what it shows after clicking on gnerate:

PowerMill >
Process Command : [print $project_pathname(0)\n]

C:/Users/lmancini/Desktop/Prueba Post/Envio a Foro Autodesk/Cortante
PowerMill >
Process Command : [print $entity('model';'1-20 cortante').IsReferenceModel\n]

0
PowerMill >
Process Command : [DIALOGS MESSAGE OFF\n]

PowerMill >
Process Command : [SIZE MODEL '1-20 cortante'\n]

Modelo: 1-20 cortante
X Y Z
Mínimo: -151.98886 -18.00000 -30.00000
Máximo: 120.00000 57.00000 0.00000
Longitud: 271.98886 75.00000 30.00000

Componentes: 70

Color
Componente Nivel Tipo Rojo Verde Azul
1_1-20 cortante-964 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-804 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-798 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-628 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-802 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-726 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-846 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-488 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-464 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-800 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-462 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-540 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-610 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-532 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-842 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-968 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-394 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-652 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-416 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-832 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-580 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-346 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-696 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-808 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-602 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-952 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-880 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-618 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-646 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-904 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-522 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-538 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-644 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-454 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-714 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-658 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-756 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-450 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-936 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-578 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-684 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-560 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-494 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-608 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-754 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-934 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-682 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-492 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-932 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-516 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-490 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-976 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-514 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-442 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-624 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-974 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-718 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-926 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-792 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-622 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-432 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-408 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-430 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-482 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-856 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-734 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-758 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-786 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-938 1 Superficie 255 255 0
1_1-20 cortante-426 1 Superficie 255 255 0

[metalurgicaprogreso]

I'm sorry for the delay in the testing process. I installed office 365 and performed a test and still get the same behaviour.

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Did you try to change the software language to english and try it again?  The plugin is looking for specific string depending on what parameters we use in the template so maybe because of your localized language it brakes...

[metalurgicaprogreso · Accepted solution]

It worked!!! As soon as I changed the language to English, everything worked perfectly.

Thank you very much @michael.grenier4GVTU  for the help!!

[SSSDOS]

Добавьте поддержку других языков, именно здесь это важно.

Add support for other languages, this is where it matters.

[fg]

Hi, I followed the whole article carefully. I did the whole installation procedure of the plugin and I customized my excel model (I chose the first one already set) Every time I create an NC Power mill program it crashes. I also tried to change the language but nothing has changed. I attach my project to this message. What am I doing wrong?

[metalurgicaprogreso]

I think your problem may be in the excel template you are using. I tried your project with my template, and it worked perfect.

[fg]

Okay thanks, but I don't understand what I'm doing wrong with my excellent model.

[metalurgicaprogreso]

Have you tried using the default excel templates? You can start by using those and see if anything goes wrong. If it works, I would recommend you build your template by editing the default ones (I did that and had minimal issues). Also take it slow, and start with a simplified version of your own template and test it. Once you have it working, start adding complexity step by step, so that you can identify what is it that is giving you trouble.

With all this said, I think Autodesk could incorporate this fantastic plugin written by @michael.grenier4GVTU into powermill. Setup sheets have always been "not too good/useful" and they have remained the same for over 10 years!

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Thanks Guys, I appreciate the feedback.  I had a discussion with development when I wrote this plugin to incorporate it into the installer so that it would be there for everyone to use.  The problem was that we would then not be sharing the source code and would have to maintain it ourselves.  My goal when I wrote this was exactly what you mentioned.  I heard many customers asking for Excel SetupSheets instead of HTML and wanted to give them an option.  But I also knew that there are as many different concepts of what the perfect setupsheet is as we have customers so thought it would be cool to share the source code so that anyone could end up with their perfect solution.  I hope it makes sense.

Have a great day!

Michael

[fg]

Thanks, I managed to make the program work. But of course it only works with English power mills. Is there a way to make the program work with the Italian language?

[metalurgicaprogreso]

I tried several times with different configs, but unfortunately just could not manage to make it work with other languages. I think there might be an issue with the interface naming scheme changing and the scrips not being able to reach the data they are surveying. Overall, I think the english language "trick" is a price more than worth to pay. 

[fg]

Hi I managed to get the worksheet working.

However, I am attaching two projects to this message. One correct and one incorrect. If I use the same excel model with the two projects, the results are that in the correct one I get the sheet right.

Instead the incorrect one crashes the program.

Can you help me?

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Hey Guys,

yes you are right, the way I have to extract values in the background seems to be language specific.  For some specific parameters, I have to look for specific string in a big paragraph of text and extract the values from there.  It's not all parameters that are like that but some specific ones like the toolpath limits where I'm looking for the minimum and maximum where in italian is probably massimo or something like that.  Those should be adjusted in the source code for your own language.  It's not really complicated to do and is one of the reason why the source code was made available.  Most of the logic is there in the backgrounb for you to adjust and customize to your needs.

[fg]

Hi I managed to get the worksheet working.

However, I am attaching two projects to this message. One correct and one incorrect. If I use the same excel model with the two projects, the results are that in the correct one I get the sheet right.

Instead the incorrect one crashes the program.

Can you help me?

[michael.grenier4GVTU]

Hi Fg,

I took a quick look at your project and ran it in debug since I was having the same issue as you did.  I found 2 problems.  One which was a bug in the plugin and the other one which is a limitation in Excel.  First, the problem with the second project was coming from the post processor name.  I won't dive into to much details, but the plugin ignores some lines where it sees .pmoptz, .pmopt or .opt but you post had the extension in capital letters so it would not ignore it and search for a tool,path that has that name.  Since it's a simple modification, I've made it for you even if I'm not supposed to anymore.  As far as the second problem, it's because Excel can't have sheet names longer than 32 characters so I had to remove Hurco from the ncprogram name in order to have the sheet generate.

Hope that helps!

Michael