Post Processor Mach4 Z reference distance

[TeasleyCnC]

Not sure if its a post processor or mach4 setting

Wanting a post processor that works with mach4 plasma that doesn't z probe every time before a cut.
I've played with a couple different posts but don't totally understand what I'm doing most the time.

Right now I'm using an edited swiftcut post and everything is working the way I need it besides the reference distance part. Its referencing before ever cut, I have the reference distance set to 350.


-------------------------This is what the Post looks like right now.-------------------

--Set this to the distance between the soft touch sensor and the torch in MILLIMETRES
touchoffOffset= 0

--this is the distance between each torch reference in MILLIMETRES
refDistance = 350

---------------End of config options --------------



function OnAbout(event)
ctrl = event:GetTextCtrl()
ctrl:AppendText("Mach4 plasma Post processor\n")
ctrl:AppendText("\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Modal G-codes and coordinates\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Comments enclosed with ( and )\n")
ctrl:AppendText("M03/M05 turn the torch on/off\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Intergrated Mach4 THC\n")
ctrl:AppendText("No Z Moves\n")
ctrl:AppendText("Incremental IJ\n")
end



-- created 1/18/19
-- Based on Mach4 Plasma.post


post.DefineCustomToolParam("PlasmaTool", "THC Delay", "thcDelay", sc.unitTIME, 2, 0, 10)
post.DefineCustomToolParam("PlasmaTool", "Preset amps", "amps", sc.unit0DECPLACE, 45, 10, 200)
post.DefineCustomToolParam("PlasmaTool", "Preset volts", "volts", sc.unit0DECPLACE, 137, 100, 200)
post.DefineCustomToolParam("PlasmaTool", "Air pressure", "pressure", sc.unit0DECPLACE, 71, 50, 100)
post.DefineCustomToolParam("PlasmaTool", "Tool type", "toolType", sc.unit0DECPLACE, 3, 2, 4)
post.DefineCustomToolParam("PlasmaTool", "Thickness", "thickness", sc.unitLINEAR, 0, 0, 200)
post.DefineVariable("refDistance",sc.unitLINEAR,0,1e17)


function OnInit()

post.SetCommentChars ("()", "[]") --make sure ( and ) characters do not appear in system text
post.Text (" (Filename: ", fileName, ")\n")
post.Text (" (Post processor: ", postName, ")\n")
post.Text (" (Date: ", date, ")\n")
if(scale == metric) then
post.Text (" G21 (Units: Metric)\n") --metric mode
else
post.Text (" G20 (Units: Inches)\n") --inch mode
end
post.Text (" G90 G80 G40\n")
bigarcs = 1 --stitch arc segments together
minArcSize = 0.05 --arcs smaller than this are converted to moves
dist = 9999999


thcDelay = -1
amps = -1
volts = -1
pressure = -1
toolType = -1
thickness = -1
params={}
referenced = false
end

function OnNewLine()
--[[ post.Text ("N")
post.Number (lineNumber, "0000")
lineNumber = lineNumber + 10]]
end


function OnFinish()
post.Text (" M05 M30\n")
end

function OnRapid()
local len = math.hypot(endX - currentX , endY - currentY)
dist = dist + len
if(endZ < safeZ) then return end
post.Text (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Z", endZ * scale, "0.0000")
post.Eol()

--[[
if endZ == pierceHeight and endZ ~= currentZ then
post.ModalText (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", (endX + touchoffOffset) * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.Eol()
post.Text(" #130=0 (THC Off)\n")
post.Text(" M12\n")
post.ModalText("")
end
post.ModalText (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
if(endZ == pierceHeight) then
post.Text(" Z#100")
else
post.ModalNumber (" Z", endZ * scale, "0.0000")
end
post.Eol()
]]
end

function OnMove()
local len = math.hypot(endX - currentX , endY - currentY)
dist = dist + len
post.Text (" G01")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
if(endZ == cutHeight and endZ ~= currentZ) then
post.Text(" Z#120")
else
post.ModalNumber (" Z", endZ * scale, "0.0000")
end
post.ModalNumber (" F", feedRate * scale, "0.0##")
post.Eol()
end

function OnArc()
local radius = math.hypot(currentX - arcCentreX, currentY - arcCentreY)
dist = dist + radius * math.abs(arcAngle)
if(arcAngle <0) then
post.Text (" G03")
else
post.Text (" G02")
end
post.NonModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.NonModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Z", endZ * scale, "0.0000")
post.Text (" I")
post.Number ((arcCentreX - currentX) * scale, "0.0000")
post.Text (" J")
post.Number ((arcCentreY - currentY) * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" F", feedRate * scale, "0.0###")
post.Eol()
end


function DoReference(goPierce)
dist = 0
post.Text (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", (endX + touchoffOffset) * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.Eol()
post.Text(" #130=0 (THC Off)\n")
post.Text(" M12\n")
post.Text (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
if(goPierce) then
post.Text(" Z#100")
end
post.Eol()
referenced = true
end

function OnPenDown()
if(toolClass == "MarkerTool") then
if(not referenced) then
DoReference(false)
end
post.Text(" M07\n")
--[[ if (pierceDelay > 0.001) then
post.Text (" G04 P#110\n")
end]]
return
end
if(dist >= refDistance) then
DoReference(true)
else
post.Text (" G00")
post.ModalNumber (" X", endX * scale, "0.0000")
post.ModalNumber (" Y", endY * scale, "0.0000")
post.Eol()
post.Text(" #130=0 (THC Off)\n")
post.Text(" Z#100")
post.Eol()
end

if (preheat > 0.001) then
post.Text (" G04 P")
post.Number (preheat,"0.0##")
post.Eol()
end
-- modaltext (" G00")
-- modalnumber (" Z", pierceheight * scale, "0.0000")
post.Text (" M03\n")
if (pierceDelay > 0.001) then
post.Text (" G04 P#110\n")
end
end


function OnPenUp()
if(toolClass == "MarkerTool") then
post.Text(" M09\n")
else
post.Text (" M05\n")
end
if (endDelay > 0) then
post.Text (" G04 P")
post.Number (endDelay,"0.0##")
post.Eol()
end
end


function OnNewOperation()
post.Text (" (Operation: ", operationName, ")\n")
end

function OnComment()
post.Text(" (",commentText,")\n")
end

function DoValue(param, var, comment)
if(var < 0) then return end
if(params[param] == var) then
return
end
params[param] = var
post.Text(" #", param, "=", var, " (", comment, ")\n")
end

function OnToolChange()
if(toolClass ~= "MarkerTool") then
DoValue(100, pierceHeight * scale, "Pierce Height")
DoValue(110, pierceDelay, "Pierce Delay s")
DoValue(120, cutHeight * scale, "Cut Height")
post.Text(" #130=0 (THC off)\n")
DoValue(140, thcDelay, "THC Delay s")
DoValue(150, amps, "Pre-set Amps")
DoValue(160, volts, "Pre-set Volts")
DoValue(170, pressure, "Air Pressure")
-- post.Text(" #180=1 (Cut mode)\n")
-- DoValue(180, cutMode, "Cut Mode")
if(thickness <= 0) then
thickness = materialThick
end
DoValue(190, thickness * scale, "Material Thickness")
end
local t = 2
if toolClass == "MarkerTool" then
t = 0
elseif toolType then
t = toolType
end
post.Text (" (", toolName, ")\n")
post.Text (" T")
post.Number (t, "0")
post.Text(" M06\n")
--modalnumber(" F",feedrate * scale,"0.#")
post.Text (" G43 H", t, "\n")
end

function OnNewPart()
post.Text(" (Part: ",partName,")\n");
end

function OnDrill()
OnRapid()
if(operationClass == "DrillOperation" and toolClass == "PlasmaTool") then
DoReference(true)
post.Text(" M20\n")
post.Text (" G00")
post.NonModalNumber (" Z", safeZ * scale, "0.0000")
post.Eol()
return
end

OnPenDown()
-- endZ = drillZ
-- OnMove()
OnPenUp()
endZ = safeZ
OnRapid()
end

[Les Newell]

The code appears to work correctly. If your cut + rapid distance is less than 350mm it doesn't call function DoReference. For testing, try setting refDistance to a really big number.