Inch/Metric Conversion Software Needed

Have Kris provide a copy of Repost Dan.

JC

"John R. Carroll" wrote in news:Xh8Lk.2610$ snipped-for-privacy@flpi149.ffdc.sbc.com:

I have a copy. Forgot about that. LOL.

=========== Sounds like a fun programming project with some real utility.

What cnc dialect are you using?

Can you post me a sample cnc program? Try to include one with as many options/functions as possible. Macros may be a problem. Do any of the programs use macros?

Use the email address shown.

Unka' George [George McDuffee]

------------------------------------------- He that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils: for Time is the greatest innovator: and if Time, of course, alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman. Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).

D Murphy wrote in news:Xns9B3DA8076AC85BW12BU20MU38SY@130.133.1.4:

Ncplot has function "Scale", it may be useful. their website ncplot.com

Dinh.

F. George McDuffee wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Right away I need a quick solution for one of my customers who is switching to metric. They can afford to buy something if need be. But I was hoping for a freeware solution.

I was scrounging around on my computer because I was sure I had a program that does this. Turns out I do. I just needed John to remind me. But I'm sure a freeware or shareware solution from you would be welcome, if you're looking to do some hobby programming. I'll refer them to that and whatever else turns up.

It's Just G and M-code.

They do. But Macros shouldn't be a big problem. Even if you had to go through and check them for inch values that need to be converted, it would be a smaller task than converting everything by hand.

To make it truly useful though you should make it so any word address could be selected to be converted or not. On some machines an axis, say the "B" axis might be linear, while on others, it would be a rotary axis. Obviously you wouldn't want to convert rotary axes to metric. Since there are loads of machines and configurations out there making the program configurable to convert only the specified word addresses would make it vaulable to a wider audience.

While this isn't from one of the machines in question, it's similar. It's a short simple part and there's a video on the web you can refer to. Here is the path 1 program:

% O0099 /M61

M20100

N10 (START UP) M501 G00 G18 G99 T0 /M08 M11 G300 X-0.08 Z2.219 T1700 G150 Z0.412 M10 M03 S4360 G00 X1.4961 Z-0.04 T0 M502

N20 (PREPARE T16) G00 Z0.0 T1616

N30 (FRONT FACING) X0.518 G01 X-0.08 F0.003 Z-0.04 F0.08 G41 X0.358 X0.518 Z0.04 F0.003 G40 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N40 (PREPARE T14) M03 S2728 G00 Z-0.04 T1414

N50 (FRONT CENTER) X0.0 G01 Z0.105 F0.003 G04 U0.5 Z-0.04 F0.08 G00 Z-0.04 T0

N60 (PREPARE T13) G00 X1.4961 T0 M03 S6437 G00 Z-0.04 T1313

N70 (FRONT DRILL) X0.0 G01 Z0.018 F0.08 Z0.2805 F0.002 Z0.058 F0.08 Z0.2605 Z0.414 F0.002 Z0.058 F0.08 Z0.394 Z0.5475 F0.002 Z0.058 F0.08 Z0.5275 Z0.6397 F0.002 G04 U0.5 Z-0.04 F0.08 G00 Z-0.04 T0

N80 (PREPARE T12) G00 X1.4961 T0 M03 S3055 G00 Z-0.04 T1212

N90 (FRONT COUNTER SINK) X0.0 G01 Z0.057 F0.003 G04 U0.5 Z-0.04 F0.08 G00 Z-0.04 T0 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N100 (PREPARE T01) M03 S8000 G00 Z-0.04 T0101

N110 (FRONT BORING) X0.285 G01 X0.195 Z0.005 F0.001 X0.195 Z0.058 X0.104 Z0.058 X0.0935 Z0.063 X0.093 Z0.068 U-0.04 W-0.04 F0.08 G00 Z-0.04 T0 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N120 (PREPARE T11) M03 S2031 G00 Z-0.04 T1111

N130 (FRONT COUNTER SINK) X0.0 G01 Z0.545 F0.006 G04 U0.5 Z-0.04 F0.08 G00 Z-0.04 T0 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N140 (PREPARE T16) M03 S4360 G00 Z-0.04 T1616

N150 (FRONT TURNING) G41 X0.1547 G01 X0.2347 Z0.0 F0.003 G02 X0.2382 Z0.001 R0.002 G01 X0.3415 Z0.0905 G02 X0.3381 Z0.0935 R0.002 G01 X0.345 Z0.201 X0.395 Z0.226 Z0.351 X0.345 Z0.376 Z0.438 X0.413 Z0.472 Z0.625 X0.43 X0.518 W0.044 G40 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N160 (PREPARE T02) M03 S870 G00 Z0.1444 T0202

N170 (RIGHT HAND THREAD +) X0.475 G92 X0.3811 Z0.375 F0.0278 X0.3756 X0.37 X0.3672 G00 M03 S0 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0 M50 G28 H0

N180 (PREPARE T03) M23 S1375 G00 Z0.275 A0.7465 T0303

N190 (CROSS KEY GROOVING) X-0.062 C90.0 M82 G98 G01 A0.6285 F11.0 G04 U0.1 Z0.275 G04 U0.1 A0.7465 F236.0 M83 G00 C270.0 M82 G01 A0.6285 F11.0 G04 U0.1 Z0.275 G04 U0.1 A0.7465 F236.0 M83 M25 M51 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N200 (PREPARE T16) M03 S4360 G00 Z-0.04 T1616

N210 (FRONT TURNING) G41 X0.1547 G99 G01 X0.2347 Z0.0 F0.003 G02 X0.2382 Z0.001 R0.002 G01 X0.3415 Z0.0905 G02 X0.3381 Z0.0935 R0.002 G01 X0.345 Z0.201 X0.395 Z0.226 Z0.351 X0.345 Z0.376 Z0.438 X0.493 Z0.512 G40 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N220 (PREPARE T02) M03 S870 G00 Z0.1444 T0202

N230 (RIGHT HAND THREAD +) X0.475 G92 X0.3811 Z0.375 F0.0278 X0.3756 X0.37 X0.3672 G00 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N240 (PREPARE T16) M03 S4360 G00 Z0.398 T1616

N250 (FRONT TURNING) G41 X0.413 G01 Z0.438 F0.003 Z1.939 X0.43 X0.518 W0.044 M03 S0 G40 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0 M50 G28 H0

N260 (PREPARE T04) M23 S7639 G00 Z1.548 A0.3 T0404

N270 (CROSS D-CUTTING) X0.3126 M82 G98 G01 A-0.175 F30.556 A-0.3 F236.0 M83 G00 C180.0 M82 G01 A0.175 F30.556 A0.3 F236.0 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N280 (CROSS D-CUTTING) G00 Z1.548 T04 X0.3426 A0.2803 G01 A-0.1553 F30.556 A-0.2803 F236.0 M83 G00 C0.0 M82 G01 A0.1553 F30.556 A0.2803 F236.0 M83 M25 M51 G00 X1.4961 W0.0 T0

N290 (PREPARE T17) M03 S1962 G00 Z1.939 T1717

N300 (CUT OFF BACK-SP) M503 X0.518 M504 M56 M53 M20 M705 G99 G01 X0.368 F0.003 X0.453 F0.08 Z1.8654 X0.368 Z1.939 F0.003 X-0.08 M704 M03 S500 M57 M505 M506 M42 M507

N310 (END OFF) M508 M95 /M98 P9001 M96 M11 G00 X-0.08 Z0.4121 T0 M97 M509 M30 %

Here is path 2:

% O0100

N10 (START UP) M501 G00 G18 G98 T0 G310 Z6.6929 T2100 M502

N20 (PREPARE T31) M104 S2799 G00 X0.493 T3131 Z-0.132

N30 (GROOVE TURNING) G42 G99 G01 X0.413 Z-0.172 F0.002 G03 X0.393 Z-0.182 R0.01 G01 X0.307 Z-0.186 X0.393 G03 X0.413 Z-0.196 R0.01 G01 X0.43 X0.518 W-0.044 G40 G00 Z6.6929 T0

N40 (PREPARE T32) M104 S2836 G00 X0.0 T3232 Z0.04

N50 (BACK CENTER) G01 Z-0.101 F0.003 G04 U0.1 Z0.04 F0.08 G00 Z6.6929 T0

N60 (PREPARE T34) M104 S3148 G00 X0.0 T3434 Z0.04

N70 (BACK DRILL) G01 Z-0.455 F0.003 Z0.0 F0.08 Z-0.435 Z-0.728 F0.003 Z0.0 F0.08 Z-0.708 Z-1.001 F0.003 Z0.0 F0.08 Z-0.981 Z-1.274 F0.003 Z0.0 F0.08 Z-1.254 Z-1.4297 F0.003 G04 U0.1 Z0.04 F0.08 G00 Z6.6929 T0

N80 (PREPARE T21) G98 G01 Z6.6929 F236.0 T0 G00 T2100

N90 (WORK SEPARETOR) M17 G04 U0.5 G00 Z6.6929 T0 M21 G04 U0.5 M18 G04 U0.5 Z6.6929

N100 (PREPARE T21) M105 G00 X0.0 T2121

N110 (CUT OFF BACK-SP) M503 M103 S500 Z1.979 G01 Z0.375 F236.0 M504 M705 M704 M505 G00 W0.002 M105 M506 M507

N120 (END OFF) M508 G00 Z6.6929 T0 M105 M509 M30 %

The other trick is dealing with addresses in canned cycles. Unfortunately these were written with CAM software so there are no canned or multi repetitive cycles being used. Other than the threading anyway. Also the dwell command (G04) uses the word address "U". "U" is also used as an incremental word address for the "X" axis. So when "U" appears with a G04 you wouldn't want it converted. But you would want it converted in any other case.

Not so easy when you start delving into it.

Here is the video -

Not freeware and may be a little overkill: