Last Software Release of 2011 adds G68 Coordinate System Rotation to G-Wizard Editor

Dec 31, 2011 // by Bob Warfield // Blog, Software // No Comments

I just posted our last software release for 2011: G-Wizard Editor version 0.420. It’s a minor feature release with the following changes:

- Added G68/69 coordinate rotation processing.

- Extended Internet connection timeout for a session to reduce likelihood of a false “No Connection” status.

- Fixed bugs around Post formats for “F” word. Added ability to specify Post format for “R” word.

- Changed default starting position for machine from X0Y0Z1 to Z0Y0Z0.

- Fixed a bug where if saving and you typed a name with no extension, 2 dots were added: “filename..ncc”.

- Fixed a bug in how variables were being mapped to words for a G65 call. Thanks Andrew for pointing that one out!

If you’ve never played with G68, it’s a very useful function. Here are some of the things you could do with it:

- Simplify your part program by creation of subprograms that repeat cutting operations multiple times along an arc. This will also reduce the memory requirements of the part program.

- Align work that is not exactly aligned to the coordinate system. For example, suppose you wanted to run without tramming in a fixture. If you can probe the fixture to determine its angle, you can apply a G68 to “zero out” that angle and then run the part program. This can reduce setup time by reducing the need to be accurate and trammed in.

- If a part program is written for a bigger machine and has more Y-travel (extents) than X, you may be able to rotate the coordinates so the long axis is aligned with your X and still be able to run it.

- You may be able to nest more parts on your machine table if you can perform arbitrary rotations on them. This is very easy to do with G68.

- A part that is otherwise too large for a machine might fit if you could take advantage of the extra long diagonal dimension. Once again, this is easy to do with G68.

Check out this sample from our G68/69 tutorial chapter of CNCCookbook g-code course:

G68 coordinate rotation

G68 rotated the “arched doorway” slot through 3 calls of a subprogram to create 3 slots…

That example was easy to do. Full details on the G68 tutorial page.

BTW, those fans in the middle of each pocket are tool entry and exit paths. You’ll get a much better finish if your tool arcs into the cut rather than just heading straight in along a line. This is one of the many tricks discussed in our CAM Toolpath Considerations page of the Feeds and Speeds Cookbook.