This form is displayed when the Rule Preparation Output tool is started.
Blocks Tab
All of the Rule Preparation Blocks in the current layer are listed.
Rule Preparation Output - Blocks
Select
Use this button to select the blocks that match the lip and end conditions specified on the Rule Preparation Select form.
Change
Select the required block and press this button to edit the end conditions and other general details of the block using the End Conditions form.
Change Bend Table
Select the required blocks and press this button to change the bend table of all the selected blocks.
Machine
Check this radio button and then select the required machine from the drop-down list. This specifies that output will be sent to a single machine. Temporary changes can be made to the machine attributes by pressing the edit button.
Machine Group
Check this radio button and then select the required machine group from the drop-down list. This specifies that output will be sent to all of the machines in the chosen group. Temporary changes can be made to the machine group.
Show only machines in specified group
Select this option to restrict the machines that are displayed in the Machine list to only those that are in the specified Machine Group.
Report job as forme
Select this option to specify that the output is to be done showing the forme (or die) face. The output will be mirrored if the project is set to print face.
Report settings
Press this button to define which information will be included in the output using the Report Settings form.
Extra
You can increase the number of each block to output either by specifying a percentage or an absolute value.
Settings Tab
Rule Preparation Output - Settings
Confirm filename
Check this option to be prompted with the output filename, which can then be overridden.
To Screen
Check this option to send the output to the Impact output toolbox.
Add CR/LF
This option is only available if output to screen is selected. Select this option to add a carriage return and a line feed character after each command. This is just to make the output more readable.
Add CR before each delimiter
Select this option to add a carriage return character to the output before each command, as required by some machines.
Bridges
Select this option to enable the following bridge related features.
Notch instead of bridge for arcs
Select this option and specify the maximum arc radius it applies to. These arcs will have their bridges replaced with bottom notches when they are output.
No bridges for arcs
Select this option and specify the maximum arc radius it applies to. These arcs will not have any bridges output for them.
Notches at bridge
Select this option and specify the maximum bridge width it applies to. All of these bridges will be replaced with bottom notches when they are output.
Close Bends
When a rule has two bends that are close together, then the adjustment that is returned from the bend table may need to have another adjustment applied to it.
Maximum Distance
Enter the maximum distance apart that two bends can be such that they are still considered to be Close Bends.
Reduction Factor
This is the percentage that should be applied to the adjustment value that is returned from the bend table.
Ignore Notches
Select this option if you do not want bottom notches to be output.
Interactive Output
If this option is selected then for each rule preparation block that is selected for output you will be asked if you want to output it using the Interactive Output form.
Longest First
Select this option to output the selected blocks in rule length order, starting with the longest. Otherwise the blocks are output in the order that they appear in the drawing.
Adjust Nicks Positions
Select this option to adjust the nick positions on the printed report by half the nick width. The nick width is calculated from the nick name in the usual way.
Linbend - LVS Format
The following option only applies to Linbend machines.
Palette->Rule Mapping Table
From the pull-down list select the required mapping table.
Generating reports and output data
You should select the required blocks and then press one of the buttons at the bottom of the form.
Report
Press this button to generate a printed report that will look something like this:
The first picture in the output shows how the rule will look from above after the bends have been applied. S and E represent the start and end points of the block respectively.
The second picture shows a side-on view of the rule indicating the positions and widths of bridges, the positions of bottom notches (short lines) and the (numbered) positions of bends (1 - 4). It also shows a reduction at the start (0.35) and an extension at the end (0.42).
The table lists the details of each bend, including radius, bend angle and distance from start and end. If a free-grind had been enabled, this would be displayed here.
The final column gives any nick information. Here there is one instance of Nick_0.3 and three instances of Nick_0.4.
Output Number
Press this button to output the selected Rule Preparation Blocks. The required number of blocks will be output, including any extras specified.
Output Single
Press this button to output a single instance of each of the selected Rule Preparation Blocks.