CNC Scan - How It Works

   Select the CNC programs on your PC and drag them into the blue window (on the RH side).
You can add files from different directories or remove files (highlight and delete the line).

Selected CNC programs are scanned according to CNC editor parameters and required information (tool ID, tool length offset, comments, max Z depth) are stored in memory. The stored information are formatted and printed in the format specified in Settings options.

Note: CNC programs must be plain text (ASCII) files.

 

   There are two ways how to read and print the data from CNC programs in setup sheet or tool list:

1. All data are taken directly from CNC programs. - no tool table or part table is required.

   Reading and printing data from CNC programs may be a problem - tool description may be missing in the CNC program or is placed somewhere in the program and not detected by CNC Scan. (CNC Scan considers a tool description a comment placed directly above tool ID or on the same line as tool ID.)

   In some cases the same tool may have different descriptions in different programs.

   To avoid this confusion a tool table can be made with all tools used in the workshop in place with their proper descriptions (and H and D parameters). Then all tools will have their descriptions taken from the tool table and printed identically (see next section) .

 

2. Data are taken from tool table and part table.

    Tool IDs are read from CNC programs and each tool ID is compared with tool IDs in the tool table. If a match is found the data are printed from the tool table.
Data from the part table are read and printed if the path of the CNC program matches the path in the part table.

 

 Part table

   Part table is a list of CNC programs used in a particular session (or machining center, group of machines etc.) holding additional information pertaining to the part - part name, part description and fixtures.
Part table is needed if you select one of the options related to the part (Part name, Part description, Fixtures) as marked in the picture above.
Data from a part table are printed in the setup sheet if the path of the CNC program and the path in the part table match (and the option to print the data is selected).

   To make a part table:

  1. Select the CNC programs and drop them into the select window. Click Scan->Make part table. A new part table will be made with all CNC programs listed (their paths).
  2. Edit the records in the table (add part description, part name, fixtures used) and save the table.
  3. Open Settings dialog box, click Tables | Parts and click Add... button, locate the part table on your PC and add it to the list. Note: There are two pages in the Tables page - Parts and Tools - the tabbed buttons are on the bottom.
  4. On the Scan options page select the table from the list.

   To edit a table:

From the main page: Click View->Table on the toolbar. An empty table will be displayed. Click Open on the toolbar and locate the table on your PC. Edit the table data and save the table.

You can also open the table from Settings dialog box (if the table is loaded in the list). Click Settings -> Tables and select Part table or Tool table list. Select the table you want to open (click on it) and click the button Open (on the bottom of the page).

 

 

  Tool table

   Tool table a list of tools used in a particular session (or machining center, group of machines etc.) holding additional information pertaining to the tool - tool description, tool H, D values.
Data from a tool table are used if the option Use data from tool table is selected and the tool ID from the CNC program matches the tool ID in the table.

   To make a tool table:

  1. Select the CNC programs and drop them into the select window. Click Scan->Make tool table. A new tool table will be made with all tool IDs listed in the ID column.
  2. Edit the records in the table (tool description, H and D parameters) and save the table.
  3. Open Settings dialog box and on the Tables->Tools click Add... button and locate the tool table on your PC. The table will be added the table to the list.
  4. On the Scan options page select the tool table from the list.

  To edit a table:

From the main page: Click View->Table on the toolbar. An empty table will be displayed. Click Open on the toolbar and locate the table on your PC. Edit the table data and save the table.

You can also open the table from Settings dialog box (if the table is loaded in the list). Click Settings -> Tables and select Part table or Tool table list. Select the table you want to open (click on it) and click the button Open (on the bottom of the page).

 

 

  Setup sheet (or tool list) can be printed into the text editor or in the MS Excel if it is found o the PC.

To print the results in the Excel - tick on the option Print to Excel in the General page.

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