G Code Viewer Not Showing Toolpaths

[DMSdesignco]

Hello Tom,

Although I have been using your products for years, I wanted to test a g-code program using the g-code viewer screen in KMotionCNC, but the toolpath doesn't display. The tool is moving, but no path. I'm sure I'm missing something obvious, but I can't find it.

Thank you,
David.

[TomKerekes]

Hi David,

If you are using a Custom Screen the toolpath is displayed on the main screen GCode View control not the separate GCode Viewer Window.

If this is the case either add the GCode Viewer Control to your screen or switch to a non-custom dialog face.

[DMSdesignco]

Thanks Tom,

It is a custom screen, so I will make the change you suggested.

[Igor]

Good afternoon Tom. I have a problem with displaying a 4 axis toolpath. 5 axis is displayed correctly. how to solve this misunderstanding. I use KFLOP 4.35b Build 13:25:11 Jan 16 2019 . in match3 the trajectory is displayed correctly during the simulation. thank you hope you can help

[TomKerekes]

Hi Igor,

What are you expecting?

What kind of machine is this?

Do you have kinematics?

How is KMotionCNC Configured?

How is the GCode Viewer Configured?

[Igor]

1. correct display of the trajectory (mach 3)

2.Kinematics5AxisTableAGimbalB
PivotToChuckLength = 3.208661 //inches (81.5mm)

3.non-standard machine. turning and milling.




What else do you need to provide to help.

[TomKerekes]

Hi Igor,

The GCode in the screen shot seems different than the file you sent me. When I view the file in Mach3 I get something different.

Please send the same file you used in Mach3 and post how you have Mach3 configured.

[Igor]

good afternoon Tom. I did not set up anything in match3. as it is out of the box. trajectory is the same. i tried that maybe the problem is in the post processor... but i always get wrong processing in... that's the reason i bother you... i can't solve this problem myself)))




I also tried the "F" version. the result is the same, the trajectory is not displayed.. when changing to the inch scale. there is no trajectory at all ... very strange. I see that the trajectory was downloaded 3 times .. or is there no one on this forum who can answer questions except dear Tom?))
My system is windows 10 pro . Intel i7-4960X/ 16 g . graphics sapphire vega 64, driver version 20.4.2 .. any versions of the state are not shy)))

[TomKerekes]

Hi Igor,

This is somewhat complicated to explain. But there are basically two GCode approaches: #1 with RTCP/kinematics and #2 without RTCP/kinematics.

Let's consider an example where we would like to engrave a groove around a cylinder's surface pointed in the X direction.

Groove.png (4.5 KiB) Viewed 1603 times

#1 To cut the Groove with RTCP we are controlling the Tool Tip so the Tool Tip should be commanded to move in a circle in the YZ plane to cut the groove. While moving the tool tip along the YZ circle path the tool angle might be also changed so that it is perpendicular to the cylinder surface. And so the A angle of the tool might be rotated 360 degrees while going around the circle.

RTCP is very powerful as the GCode can specify any arbitrary tool tip path with the tool at any angle along the path. The same GCode can be used regardless of the type of machine as exactly what is to be cut is specified by the GCode and the machine figures out how to do it.

The GViewer can just plot the tool tip path specified by the GCode to show what would be cut.


#2 To cut such a Groove without RTCP the tool is just moved to some point at a certain radius and then the A Axis is used to rotate the stock (cylinder) to cut the groove.

In this case the GViewer must create the path based on the radius and rotation.

Mach3 doesn't support RTCP/kinematics and must use this method.

I would recommend you change the CAD post processor to output RTCP GCode and use RTCP.

Otherwise KMotionCNC does support method #2 by specifying the A Axis to have a nonzero Radius in the Tool Setup. If you specify a small non-zero number such as:

A Radus TP.png (2.45 KiB) Viewed 1603 times

Also configure the GCode Viewer to display the A Angle based on radius with:

A GViewer.png (10.7 KiB) Viewed 1603 times

Then your GCode should then show a plot like this:

HTH

[Igor]

thanks Tom. method 2 shows a simulation. with one feature , the tool axis rotates together with the coordinate system .. for method 2, can "something" be corrected so that the tool axis is fixed and the coordinate is rotated?. I just indicated in the column "radius inches" some arbitrary number 1e-06. Question - this will affect in some way the actual processing in 4 axes and 5 axes. I will inapplicably try to correct the post processor of the CAD, but this may be difficult, due to the fact that I corrected it 7 years ago. and I forgot a lot... I tried some variants of the 5 axis post processor, I'm not sure at the moment what it produces, when displaying in cflop the correct simulation of 4 axis processing. for this reason. i guess i will use 2 post processors for 4x and 5x processing. thanks again.