VUTRAX SOFTWARE ADVICE NOTICE 204 - 12 Sep 1999

VUTRAX 12.0 & 12.1 - Help with CNC Output Compatibility Problems
 

There are many styles of CNC (Computer Numerical Control) outputs available from Vutrax selectable as control files. They can be recognised by the file extension .NXY .

Most of these styles start & end with a series of zero bytes that provide notional (and even today sometimes real) blank paper tape.

Most customers just provide the files unchanged to the CNC machine and experience no problems. However, some customers need to remove these blanks for particular machines. Here are some schemes for doing this:-
 

• Use Open CNC Data from (Text > Open > NC Outputs) to start the SEE text editor on the output file. The blanks appear as Red character cells containing a '?' at the start and end of the file. Use the Del key to remove them. Do not remove the whole of the first line which includes the first tool selection at the end, or the first set of drill operations may use the wrong drill. (No new line appears here because some machines interpret any new line as 'drill' - equally bad.)
  
  

• If you want to automate the process you can use utility VTXPATCH to update the file. To use this scheme prepare a file NOBLANKS.ASC that contains
  
          0  ;
  (Yes just Zero, space, Semicolon and an implied new line) 
  To perform the change use a Option x from (Specify) item to enter the command.
  
         VTXPATCH   NOBLANKS.ASC   <CNC output file>   -L0 -H999   -C
  
  That's a Zero after the -L.
  Accidentally applying the change a second time simply does nothing
   
• You can use the SEE text editor to alter the Plot Control File itself so that no blanks are produced.
  Use Open All Files from (Text > Open) and then Browse to select the appropriate *.NXY in the Vutrax installation directory. Locate the two lines near the end of the file which mention Leading Tape and Trailing Tape, and delete one or both whole lines as required.

Distribution:

• Internet Site.
• For Customers reporting problems with CNC output.