Postprocessor Chain

With a Postprocessor Chain, different postprocessors can be executed one after the other in order to export the selected objects. In the Export with Postprocessor dialog, a postprocessor chain can be executed and edited.

In addition to outputting the actual NC file (for example with the "Universal DIN-ISO" postprocessor), the simplest application is the creation of a data sheet (postprocessor "Data sheet"). This data sheet can contain, for example, general information about the export, such as the name of the current drawing, export date, tools used, feed distance and the number of infeed / extraction processes. The execution of the postprocessor chain is started in the Export with Postprocessor dialog by applying the appropriate button.

Imagine you have a machine for milling / drilling large wooden elements or for cutting large tarpaulins. In addition to this machine, there is a laser projector that projects the contours onto the work surface so that you can immediately see whether the NC program to be executed is correct. The program for the actual machine is generated, for example, with the "Universal DIN-ISO" postprocessor, while the file for the laser projector is generated by the "Minimal HP-GL" postprocessor. With the help of a postprocessor chain, both NC files can be comfortably generated together in one process.

The postprocessor chain variables can also be of interest in this context. These are initialized before the execution of a Postprocessor Chain and remain unchanged during the entire execution of a postprocessor chain - i.e. over several export processes. These variables can be used to reuse values determined by a postprocessor in a postprocessor following in the chain. You can find additional information on this in Variables for Control Texts.

In the default directory for drawings you can find the drawing PCB Manufacturing.mkd in the "CAM" folder with a sample for the manufacturing printed circuit boards (PCB). In the default directory for CAM projects you can find the corresponding CAM project PCB Manufacturing.cpd.

File Injection

With a file injection, a file that has already been generated from the chain by a postprocessor can be inserted at any point in the NC program of a postprocessor following in the chain. For this purpose, e.g. the following character sequence is inserted in the Control Text for Program Start or any other control text:

\\\~*UsedTools.nc1*

UsedTools.nc1 stands for the file name of the file to be inserted. If, as here, you specify a file name without a path, the path of the fixed export file is used automatically. This path is typically used by all postprocessors in the chain. With the postprocessor "Used Tools" you can, for example, generate a list of the tools used. In order to save this list in the UsedTools.nc1 file (regardless of the current name of the export file), you must assign a job to the postprocessor (see below) that defines a corresponding extra file name.

You can do multiple file injections per line. The insertion is therefore carried out without additional line breaks. If necessary, you can place the file injection character sequence on a separate line.

Job

A Job can be assigned to each postprocessor in the Postprocessor Chain. With such a job you can achieve, for example, that an extra file name is used when the export file is generated by a postprocessor.

However, a job can also define a tool filter, which ensures that only listed tools are used for the associated postprocessor.

To execute a command line, you can activate the corresponding option in the "Assign / Edit Job" dialog. Here you can, for example, add the export files generated by the postprocessor chain to a zip archive or copy them to a specific network path.

Finally, it is also possible to combine several exported files into one and to give them a new extension.

Shadow Mode

The shadow mode can be activated in the Postprocessor Settings. Shadow mode causes a file to be deleted after the export is complete. The shadow mode can be used to merely assign values to postprocessor chain variables or to assign a job to a inoperable postprocessor. With such a job you can, for example, call up a batch file at the end of the execution of a postprocessor chain, which creates a zip archive from all previously output files and then copies this to a specific network path.