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Using offset commands

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 6:43 pm
by mjkahler
I cannot find any documentation regarding the use of g41 and g42 offset commands... I am using an amada laser and cannot get the output files to offset to the correct side of the feature.. They generate to the center of the line only....Any suggestions???? :?: :?:

Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:16 am
by andrew
The reason why you cannot find any documentation about this is that
CAM Expert does not directly support any type of specific commands
or formats (including G-Code).

CAM Expert outputs whatever is configured in the machine configuration
file (.cxm) which is used for the CAD -> CAM conversion. If there are
any G40/G41/G42 codes in there, they will be output to your file.
In fact you can output anything to the CNC file.

I.e. CAM Expert does not know or understand G-Code or any other
machine languages. It simply writes whatever is configured in the
.cxm file, be it G-Code, HP/GL or any other file format or language.

CAM Expert can use tool offset corrections under the following condition:
- All contours are closed and have the same orientation (clockwise
or counter-clockwise). Note that CAM Expert can automatically reorder
all closed contours in one or the other orientation (see CAM export dialog).

If this is the case, you can simply output a static G41 or G42 in
the order that starts a new contour (OrderContourStart) and a G40
in OrderContourEnd.

If your drawing is more complex than that, you might want to split it
up in a drawing that contains all CW contours, one with all CCW contours,
one with all open countours, etc.