Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

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@metalman23
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Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by @metalman23 »

So I'm running into an issue, when I run a part through sheetcam, it'll run the post processor successfully, but when I load the part into Mach 3, it won't show up in the part screen window, and I'm unable to run the part

Sometimes, I have to go back to the cad software, copy and paste the part into a different file, then run it all over again, (sometimes this works, sometimes it doesnt)

Sometimes what I've done is added an extra part in sheetcam with no active operations, idk why the heck that would work, but sometimes it works,.


What is going on here and how do I fix it? It is unpredictable, and a massive waste of time.


Are there other alternatives to sheetcam? I really hate it, badly.
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sheetcamCS2
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Re: Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by sheetcamCS2 »

@metalman- sorry to hear about your struggles with sheetcam. I'd like to help correct the experience. I'm not a Mach user, so I'm a little handicapped on that workflow and operation.
In sheetcam, prior to running the post processor, you can open the Code Editor to get a look at the gcode after it's generated. This is helpful to give it a sanity check with the eyeballs. Open the Code Editor with the View menu, and you can drag it as a floating window on the drawing canvas and it remembers the window size and location.

I should add that you can send us a sheetcam support.zip file of a case that is not working on Mach and I can take a look at what sheetcam did.
https://forum.sheetcam.com/t/creating-a ... -file/8078
@metalman23
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Re: Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by @metalman23 »

Does anyone know of an issue with Mach 3 loading files that have parenthesis or other special characters in it? Seems like whenever I put parenthesis in the file name it won't load, if I rerun the post processor without the parentheses in the file name, it'll load fine.
tcaudle
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Re: Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by tcaudle »

Its part of the spec for G-Code and the control programs ability to parse code . Special characters mean special things:
para thesis is normally a "Comment" in the code that is ignored by the motion engine.You can't use other things like backslashes and punctuation marks. Used to be even more stringent. Spaces used to not be allowed and it still can cause problems on some control programs.

Patent (flexing arm)'" It hurts when I go like this "
Doctor" "Dont go like that"
@metalman23
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Re: Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by @metalman23 »

tcaudle wrote: Mon Jan 13, 2025 2:30 pm Its part of the spec for G-Code and the control programs ability to parse code . Special characters mean special things:
para thesis is normally a "Comment" in the code that is ignored by the motion engine.You can't use other things like backslashes and punctuation marks. Used to be even more stringent. Spaces used to not be allowed and it still can cause problems on some control programs.

Patent (flexing arm)'" It hurts when I go like this "
Doctor" "Dont go like that"

It would've been great to know that before hand, I was asking advise on a Facebook group, without any success.

Why doesn't Mach 3 tell you that this is a problem? A dialogue windows with a quick message would have save me months of headaches
tcaudle
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Re: Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by tcaudle »

Well, if you did error checking for every possible input and value the program would be twice as big and half as fast ....Each program would have to have al;l of the error checking because it varies as to what program you are using and that the characters are It can even change based on the programming language its written in.
Social Media may not be the best place to get technical advise.
OTOH search engines can be great tools but it all demands on how you word it.
05Duramax
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Re: Mach 3 not loading tap file from sheetcam

Post by 05Duramax »

Man o man, learn something new everyday. Thanks Tom.
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