Has anyone here on the Forum built their own custom Post Processor? If so I have some questions!
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Post processor for which CAM program? That is vitally important.
To answer your question, yes, several.
Oh I should add, you donât âbuildâ a custom PP, you modify one thatâs close to what you want.
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kind of what a woman does when she marries a manâŚat least that is what my wife saysâŚ
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I am absolutely sure your wife made the right choice! 
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Modifying a Post Processor is what I thought, But I do not know where to begin. As I have mentioned before âI use BobCAD/CAMâ. They do not have a Post Processor for the FireControl by Langmuir. I believe they have one for Mach3. BobCAD has been working with me with many questions. They list about 25 or more Processors but none for Langmuir. I asked this question the other night and I got a reply from Langmuir stating that I would have to do as I have been. Draw in BobCAD and then Post using Fusion. I know BobCAD very well and would like to Post there. As many of the Forum members have their favorite software, so do I⌠I tried to open one of the BobCAD Post Processors but failed.
Langmuir Systems Help (Langmuir Systems)
Apr 5, 2021, 10:09 PDT
Hi Eugene,
We only have post processors available for Fusion 360 and SheetCAM. You can do your CAD work in BobCAD, but will need to use Fusion 360 or SheetCAM for CAM work and post processing.
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Can you get the source for the Mach3 post processor? That will be close enough that it should provide a good basis for a CF post. Zip it up and post it here. Iâll take a look at it.
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If you are using the integrated post processor in the newer version of bobcad, you can just right click on the post processor in the cam tree in the upper left pane, and select âeditâ. This brings up a directory, select the one you want to edit, and right click on it and select âeditâ again from the pop up menu. (Left clicking in the folder window selects a post processor from the list for you to use in bobcad.) Selecting edit will open the post in notepad so you can edit it.
Iâm sure Langmuir will provide the library for you to use to to edit the post. âHow to write a post processorâ is a whole different discussion. If you just need to edit definitions (i.e. the post you decided to edit uses different M-codes for THC enable and disable), itâs easy. If youâre trying to change more complex stuff, you might have to know how to write the g-code you want it to output (i.e. write a functional .tap file in notepad to do what you want it to doâŚ). Sometimes the order of the code matters, sometimes it doesnât.
I would look at the fusion and sheetcam crossfire post files as a template, then open 2 different pre-made posts in BobCad for different brands of plasma systems with the same features (such as the same type of THC - I think crossfire uses voltage), and then you can see whatâs different between different software, vs whatâs different between different machines, so you can edit the BobCad canned post to work on the Crossfire.
Make sure you âsave asâ before you start editing canned posts. If things go horribly wrong, you can always reopen the original and start over.
Newbie here in the plasma game. Iâve played around in BobCad and it seems to fit well for my little shop. Recently ordered an XR tableâhopefully December deliveryâAm I wasting my time looking into BobCad if Iâm going to have to end up using Fusion 360 or something else anyway, Or did The post processor issues with fire conrtol and BobCad get taken care off. Just would like any info on the subject.
Don
IMO, You should start a new thread with something like âBobCad post processor for FireControlâ if you want targeted answers to your question.
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I have a working BobCad Post Processor for FireControl. There is a line that needs to be added but I am not sure of where to put it in the Processor. I have one year of support from BobCad so I am going to contact them to see if they can add it to the Processor. It is missing the line ( 2D Profile) at the beginning of each Paragraph so you canât restart on a selected Paragraph, it will completely restart at the beginning. As of now I edit the program and change what I need. Hope this helps. I am not sure of how to Zip a file or I would attach the Processor.
Fusion
(2D Profile2) " The number behind Profile doesnât matter "
G0 X22.4648 Y9.4595
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.2
G38.2 Z-5. F10.
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.04 (IHS Springback + Backlash)
G92 Z0.
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P0.5
G0 Z0.065 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 X22.268 Y9.4596 F75.
BobCad
(PROFILE FINISH) " This is the only line in the program with (____) "
G00 X10.8041 Y2.8114
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5. F100.
G92 Z0.
G00 Z0.2
G38.2 Z-5. F10.
G92 Z0.
G00 Z0.04
G92 Z0.
G00 Z 0.15
M03
G04 P0.7
Z0.065
H1
G01 X10.8278 Y2.793 F11.25
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Your Fusion file appears to be an older version of the Firecontrol post processor, because it is probing the material twice in the IHS sequence.
This is the same sequence of commands from the current post processor using Sheetcam:
(v1.6-sc)
G90 G94
G17
G20 (Units: Inches)
H0
G0 X0.4255 Y0.4255
G92 Z0.
G38.2 Z-5.0 F100.0
G38.4 Z0.5 F20.0
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.02 (IHS Backlash)
G92 Z0.0
G0 Z0.15 (Pierce Height)
M3
G4 P1
G1 Z0.06 F70.0 (Cut Height)
H1
G1 F42.0
None of my files have the (2D profile) line and I can re-start at any line or loop in Firecontrol.
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Please do not read any anger into this because just plain words can come over harshly but Yes! I have an older version because when the one after the one that I have was released it had problems. At least according to the Forum. I am not real computer savvy so I stayed with what was working for me. Knock on wood, I have not had any problems with my setup since day one. I had a plug and play from day one. I do not have Sheetcam, I do use the Post Processor in Fusion with out any problems and will let me restart from a line in the NC program. It is nice to draw in BobCad and then Post Process with out moving to another Soft Ware. It is the BobCad Post Processor that still needs some work. But as I said, I know what I have to do to make the program work as if I Posted it thru Fusion. May be I will upgrade my Fusion Post Processor. ds690 thank you for your input.
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No! BobCad modified one for me and it works great! FireControl is happy with it. Thanks, Gene
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Gene,
Are you willing to share the Bobcad/Fire control post?
Thank you.
-Sean
Hello, I believe BobCad has an updated post. If you go to their site, you can download the post from the list. You can call them, and they will help you better than I can. I get lost in my computer when I try to find my BobCad post list.
Gene
Call 727-306-2138, Monica Gomez is customer relations, it used to be Joan Belaire
Gene