Post Processor Questions

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EdThorne
Posts: 345
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:26 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Post Processor Questions

Post by EdThorne »

I have used "CNCShark-USB_NewArcs_inch.pp" for Aspire 3.5 and VCP 6.5 to create all of my toolpaths. This post processor appears to work properly so I have settled for always selecting this.

Question 1: I have never tried "CNCShark-USB_3dContour_inch.pp" and wonder why and when I would elect to use this post processor. Am I missing anything by not using this?

Question 2: I just upgraded to Aspire version 4.0. Do I use these same post processors that I copied from the NWA website when I was using Aspire version 3.5 or will the Shark post processors that come with Aspire 4.0 work properly?

tonydude
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Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by tonydude »

Ed,

The answer to question 1 is Use the (arcs) PP for 2D, v-carving, profiling, pocketing and drilling. Use the (contour) PP when using Aspire this answer came from Buc, when doing a search.

The answer to question 2 is they are the same post processors.

Tony
Buffalo,NY

"What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave”

Aspire 11.015, photo vcarve, cnc mako shark extended bed with the new upgraded HD 5 gantry with Led pendent.

EdThorne
Posts: 345
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:26 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by EdThorne »

tonydude wrote:Ed,

The answer to question 1 is Use the (arcs) PP for 2D, v-carving, profiling, pocketing and drilling. Use the (contour) PP when using Aspire this answer came from Buc, when doing a search.

The answer to question 2 is they are the same post processors.

Tony
Thank you Tony for your response. I located Buc's PDF file and read it. He makes the reasoning for selection very clear. I had searched before I posted this question but I didn't search using the proper terms. Sorry to waste your time answering a previously answered question. Thank you again.

tonydude
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Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by tonydude »

Ed,

You're not wasting my time or anyone elses. We are all here to help one another. This is how we all learn.

Tony
Buffalo,NY

"What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave”

Aspire 11.015, photo vcarve, cnc mako shark extended bed with the new upgraded HD 5 gantry with Led pendent.

WoodEraser
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Joined: Fri Jul 20, 2012 7:07 am

Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by WoodEraser »

Tony, Where can we find this pdf ?
Eric the "WoodEraser"
Sun City Center, Florida

If today were perfect there would be no need for tomorrow.

tonydude
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Location: Buffalo,NY

Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by tonydude »

Here is the file. Check this site out. http://www.nextwaveautomation.com/DownLoads.aspx

Tony
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CNC Shark Post Processors - 3 Jan 11.pdf
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Buffalo,NY

"What will matter is not what you bought but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave”

Aspire 11.015, photo vcarve, cnc mako shark extended bed with the new upgraded HD 5 gantry with Led pendent.

monitoringpost
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Location: Canada

Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by monitoringpost »

Just an observation I noticed that the PP incl. with Aspire v4 have an earlier date than those posted on NextWave's site and are slightly larger. I've yet to CNC anything using these versions but am inclined to copy over the PP that I used with v3.5. They are definitely not exactly the same though...
Last edited by monitoringpost on Fri Dec 18, 2020 7:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.

jeb2cav
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Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by jeb2cav »

As Craig points out, the CNC Shark Post Processors are in fact different than those currently available from the NWA web site. I have no sense of why, but here's the summary:

1. If you are using the directed output option - sending the tap file directly to the Shark Control Panel from Aspire - you will need to perform a couple of edits on each of the .pp files from the default Aspire installation.
a. Open the .pp file in Notepad or other text editing program, and change txt to ini in the line DIRECT_OUTPUT = "CNCShark|CNCShark_run.txt"
b. Using Windows Explorer (file browser), change the extension of the file CNCShark_run from .txt to .ini
c. Again, this needs to be done to all 4 post processor files.

2. For some reason, the 'non 3D' post processors are using a different name - they don't use the word 'New' (CNCShark-USB_NewArcs_inch.pp for example).

3. The post processors fielded with Aspire 4.0 have the TOOLS_USED post processor variable in them. This enables Aspire and VCarve to publish a list of tools used for a given toolpath. As the Shark uses one tool per toolpath loaded, this was removed from the post processor released by NWA back in Jan 2012 as it duplicates the information published by the TOOLNAME variable. If you make no change or use this version, you'll just see your tool listed twice in the tap file header.

All of the remaining text, post processing commands, G64 settings, etc., are the same between the CNC Shark post processors fielded in Aspire 4.0 and by NWA at their web site.

So, if you don't use the mode where you send the tap file directly to the CNC Shark control panel from Aspire, and the slight change of name in the post processor doesn't bother you, and you agree with this assessment, you could do nothing and expect the same outcome. It's unfortunate that the differences exist, and that you still have to make some edits if you want to use the direct output mode - this isn't new - but straight forward to correct if you need to. It may be that there is some reason why Vectric could not use the .ini extension on this file in the installation. It may be that NWA didn't send this info to Vectric. In the end, easy to overcome - and both remain great products.

For new Shark owners who do not own Aspire, but found this post while searching on the topic of post processors because the one they are using with Cut3D isn't working for them, see http://cncsharktalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1264

EdThorne
Posts: 345
Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2012 11:26 pm
Location: Massachusetts

Re: Post Processor Questions

Post by EdThorne »

Thank you Joe. You made the use cases very clear. I don't output directly as I don't see an advantage to do so.

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