anyone used apt360?

Hey
I started as a machinist but became a NC Programmer in the 1980's using IBM APT 360. Or apt (not debian apt). Apt is a programming language used to define and drive geometry. There is now a free version of apt360 available at
sourceforge.net/projects/aptos/files/
There is also a manual online at
www.archivist.info/apt/aptos/apt360/doc/manual/
I haven't had an occasion to write anything very complex but it has done well on the times I have used it. One thing I like is the ability to subscript points so a simple loop can be used to read in the points and preform center drilling, drilling, reaming, tapping, and spot facing by using drive statements in a separate loop for each operation.
For a lot of people doing 2D work it can be a easy way to generate g-code. While a person familiar with g-code may be faster just writing the code out. On more complex parts or familys of parts apt360 can be a good choice. Once you learn the language it can do a lot more complex work than can be done by writing the g-code.
I believe the apt360 processor has a post processor that works with linuxcnc.

Jim

this is very old, from the wiki:
wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?AptProgrammingForEMC

But i have never used it.

Chris <m

There are some APT fans in the LinuxCNC community.
In theory you could load an Apt interpreter rather than a G-code one and machine away.

Having said that, the conditionals and loop operators in LinuxCNC G-code can get you at least part-way there.

(Ie, you can use G-code as a very poor-quality programming language, it is Turing-complete)

If you are interested in programming with more support for
programming functionality available in higher level languages
you might consider gcmc by Bertho Stultiens:

www.vagrearg.org/content/gcmc

You can download it and use it to create gcode for LinuxCNC

It is also supported by ngcgui/pyngcgui to add some flexibility
with input boxes:

linuxcnc.org/docs/2.7/html/gui/ngcgui.ht...mc_file_requirements

Sim example configurations (from the config picker) are at:

Sample Configurations/sim/axis/ngcgui/ngcgui_gcmc.ini
Sample Configurations/sim/axis/ngcgui/pyngcgui_gcmc.ini

Demos:

Just happened to run across this in my email archives. Shows what apt can do.

Apt Part

This was a link to the APT manual but is now dead.  But a copy of it comes with Apt360

Thanks
Jim

Greetings,

What a welcome surprise. I, too, moved from the shop to programming in my early days. Sadly, APT was being phased out in favor of graphical programming. We used CATIA, which was adapted to use use APT MACROS.

During my apprenticeship, we were actually taught APT programming. We used a offshoot called "NAYLOR APT", which had five-axis capability

I have a PC version of "Personal APT" somewhere in the house. Just have not been able to find it. This version only does simple three-axis work.

When time allows, I plan a trip down memory lane.

Many thanks, once again, for the links.

Cheers,

Dave