Post Processors - General
Machine Initialisation
Default Initialisation
Choose from the list of Machine Initialisation settings for the machine. These settings control, for example, codes sent to the machine before and after output, before and after subroutines, and so on.
Feedrates
If feedrates are required, the following options will be enabled for configuring:
Feedrate Option
The following options are available for specifying how the feedrate tables will operate:
- Do not use feedrate tables.
- Interpolate 45deg. Values.
- Interpolate and use tool on/off.
- Use feedrate tables normally.
- Use normally with tool on/off.
Feedrate Regular Expression
A regular expression can be entered to filter out unwanted feedrate tables from the Default Feedrate Table option. Here are three examples for a flatbed laser with the following feedrate tables; Die 15mm, Die 18mm, Die 21mm, Strip 9mm and Strip 12mm:
.* - will display all feedrate tables configured for the current plotter machine.
Die .* - will only display Die 15mm, Die 18mm and Die 21mm.
Strip .* - will only display Strip 9mm and Strip 12mm.
Default Feedrate Table
This is the feedrate table the Post Processor will use to generate the output. This table can be overridden at plot time.
Programme Numbering
Automatic Programme Numbering
This will enable the use of automatic programme numbering for the post processor.
Minimum Programme Number
Enter the default starting programme number for the selected post processor. Once the Maximum Programme Number is reached, the Minimum Programme Number will be the next programme number to be output. If neither the post processor nor the plotter machine uses Automatic Programme Numbering, this number will be output for every programme.
Maximum Programme Number
The programme numbers will be automatically incremented by the value specified in the Programme Number Increment field until the Maximum Programme Number is reached. The next programme number output will be the Minimum Programme Number.
Programme Number Increment
The first time a programme is output to a machine, the Minimum Programme Number will be output as the programme number. Every subsequent plotter output sent to the machine will be incremented by the value shown in this option.
General notes regarding automatic programme numbering
There are four possible combinations for using Automatic Programme Numbering. These are shown below:
Plotter Machine = OFF & Post Processor = OFF
Plotter Machine = OFF & Post Processor = ON
Plotter Machine = ON & Post Processor = OFF
Plotter Machine = ON & Post Processor = ON
In the first option where neither the plotter machine nor the post processor uses Automatic Programme Numbering, every programme sent to the machine will use the Minimum Programme Number specified in the post processor.
In the second option where automatic programme numbering is only turned on for the post processor, each post processor is able to have its own number range to output. e.g. A post processor 12mm Dieboard could have a programme number range of 100 to 199 and a post processor 15mm Dieboard could have the programme number range of 200 to 299. The machine operator would then know that any job with the programme number in the range 100 to 199 would require 12mm thick wood.
The third option where automatic programme numbering is only turned on for the machine and not for the post processor would only enable a single number range to be output regardless of the post processor used.
The fourth option would have the same effect as the second option as the post processor would override the plotter machine.
If the automatic programme numbering option is turned on in the plotter machine and also in some post processors, the post processors using automatic programme numbering will use their own number range and the remaining post processors will all use the common number range as specified in the plotter machine.
If the plotter machine does not support programme numbering and the output is sent directly to the machine rather than outputting to a file, the Automatic Programme Numbering will be ignored. If the output is being written to a file to be spooled to the machine later, the programme number can be written to the file name by using the %<p> substitution code in the Output Path option on the output page of the post processor.