PID settings for THC

phillc54 wrote:

Because when it was originally done I used Sheetcam tool files from yourself and John any THC was part of those files.

We both originally worked from the same candcnc post processor as the original base so the variable probably carried over. It really became a bad idea becasue it was too complex...

One day I might get to creating a SQL cut chart and move stuff to the correct data entity but its a pipe dream for now.

eg. what data fields belongs to the following: job, plasma machine, material, Done right, the database could hold default cut charts for every known machine and you could set that machine in the ini file and it would just show applicable settings

Yeah, not being a SheetCam user I didn't realise until much later that some of those entries are custom and not part of SheetCam itself.
Do you know why CandCNC would have that. I know nothing about that product.

phillc54 wrote:

Yeah, not being a SheetCam user I didn't realise until much later that some of those entries are custom and not part of SheetCam itself.
Do you know why CandCNC would have that. I know nothing about that product.

I suspect a lot of their stuff was historic carry over from their old Mach based systems.

rodw wrote:

phillc54 wrote:

Yeah, not being a SheetCam user I didn't realise until much later that some of those entries are custom and not part of SheetCam itself.
Do you know why CandCNC would have that. I know nothing about that product.

I suspect a lot of their stuff was historic carry over from their old Mach based systems.

So that would be baggage then.

phillc54 wrote:

rodw wrote:

phillc54 wrote:

Yeah, not being a SheetCam user I didn't realise until much later that some of those entries are custom and not part of SheetCam itself.
Do you know why CandCNC would have that. I know nothing about that product.

I suspect a lot of their stuff was historic carry over from their old Mach based systems.

So that would be baggage then.

Yeh, garbage baggage. So when Plasmac 3.0 comes out you can have a big cleanout too!

THC_ON and THC_OFF is used in the post processor when the user put "rules" in the job. They sometimes want to turn the THC off before a sharp corner or wherever they feel like it. So that is where it comes from originally. I looked in the post for PlasmaC and the THC is turned on in the beginning of the file. I personally like that as I can ensure that THC is one even if the operator forgets to turn it on.
I dont think it should be removed. It does no harm as it is now.

Not just CandCNC that uses that feature in Sheetcam. It is widely used.

I think here its the fact that the default condition in the materials file is that THC is disabled unless you specifically enable it for each material. It should be the other way around in my view. Always enabled unless its disabled for a particular material. But I never understand why you would want to do that for a particular material.

Its not about removing the ability to turn the THC on and off from Gcode, just it shouldn't be tied to a material.

In any case, I think in time we will extend Plasmac so that it is smart enough to do this all automagically without the need to insert THC on and off snippits in the gcode. Thats what you get with high end controllers.

rodw wrote:

I think here its the fact that the default condition in the materials file is that THC is disabled unless you specifically enable it for each material. It should be the other way around in my view.

Is it? I have never used Materialverter. I'll take a look.

Always enabled unless its disabled for a particular material. But I never understand why you would want to do that for a particular material.
Its not about removing the ability to turn the THC on and off from Gcode, just it shouldn't be tied to a material.

I think if other systems have it then there must be some reason for it. I don't use it but I don't do much cutting either and what I do is mostly only 1.6mm sheet.

I have not looked at what happens with materialverter or how I configured tools in sheetcam either. I have recently noticed I have to turn it on, so maybe I bumped it and saved again. I will get to it one day soon.

Its specific to the other systems and created in the post processor with post.DefineCustomToolParam
So its not a Sheetcam default.