RE: Tool tables

[Ray <rehenry-at-up.net>]

On Fri, 24 Aug 2001, Ethan wrote:
> And now for the next problem:
> 
> If I understand correctly, the G43 only works in the Z axis and the G41 and 
> G42 will only work in the XY axis.

It is essentially true that G41 and G42 work to offset the tool in the xy
plane but you can also ramp in z during an offset.
  
> I need to make tool length adjustments in the X axis both positive and 
> negative as well as tool diameter adjustments in the Z axis (Horizontal 
> spindle along the X axis)
> 
> Could I write to a variable and add the variable (either positive or 
> negative) to the tool length and diameter?
> 
> Is it only the offset that is called up during the G41,2,3 or the entire 
> tool table?

IMHO - This is a lookup of a single value rather than a set of a table of
values.  So if I understand the logical extension of your question, yes,
tkemc could do some computation on a tool length or diameter and write that
value back into the tool file where it would be read on the next g-code
command

> Where is an example of a widget that writes data to a variable? I'd like to  
> play with that for a bit. I have about 200 programs that I need to use and  
> they are identical except for the start position, end position and arc  
> radius. I think it'd be easier to fill in those parameters and have the  
> program pick up on those rather than write 200 or so programs. 

Uh... There is one under the scripts menu that sets the values for the
coordinate systems.  It is named emc/tcl/scripts/Set_Coordinates.tcl if you
want to look at the source code.  Using the scripts menu might be the
fastest way to achieve what you want without having to wade through all of
the 2214 lines of tkemc code.  To do that, write your Tcl/Tk script and put
it in the scripts directory.  The next time you start the EMC using tkemc,
it will be there.
   
> Also, where is the file that has all the Tkemc information. I'm going to 
> have to add some widgets to it.

Okay.  There isn't any except the little bit in the handbook on changing
the way it looks using the TkEmc file and the documentation in the file
itself.  If you wait a couple days, I will have a sourceforge upload of a
tcl/lib which will make it easier to customize tkemc.  There will be a
sample alternative gui called tkemcex included with that.  I can tar it all
up for you and place it in the linuxcnc.org/dropbox if that is acceptable.

HTH

Ray