Easy way to enter MOVE/CLEARPLANEs in-between selected features?

[Kp61dude!]

I remember looking over the shoulder of a Hex Apps Engineer while he was programming and he somehow got the demon to insert MOVE/CLEARPLANES in-between a group of commands or in-between each command eg. Circle command | move command | Circle command and so on... I can't replicate that. I'm beginning to question my memory... getting old sucks!

What I am doing:

Highlight features
Click Insert > Move > Move Clearplane in both Command mode and Summary mode but to no avail. Has anyone done this? I use so many different software right now it's not even funny.

Thanks in advance.

Edit:

thanks for the clarification Douglas !

[Douglas]

you mean between features or between hits in a feature? between hits just put the cursor at the end of a hit in command mode and insert, highlight nothing

[Kp61dude!]

Apologies about the confusion. Post updated. Thanks.

[neil.challinor]

A trick I use is to write my program offline but not bother adding any moves, just create all the features, alignments, comments, dimensions, tip changes etc. Then when I'm done, go back up to the top of my program to where I turn DCC mode on - just after I've finished my manual alignment. Here I hit F10 and define my clearance plane and make sure I click the "clearance planes active (ON)" checkbox. When I hit create, PC-Dmis automatically inserts a move/clearplane command before each tip change and feature. Obviously this is more suitable for parts where you only need one clearplane definition. You can also use the same checkbox to automatically add the move/clearplane command "on the fly" as you're writing your program. To do this you just define it, tick the box, hit create and it will automatically add a move/clearplane prior to any command that requires motion as you create them. If you're using auto-features, you can over-ride this behaviour with the clearance plane toggle - if the toggle is on, it adds a move/clearplane, if the toggle is off, it doesn't.

[NinjaBadger]

As Neil says if you retrospectively switch a clear plane on it will add MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands in for every feature.

This is usually what you want but not always so just be careful.

Other than that the easiest ways of adding MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands is to either

1) Type the command in:
Hit Enter for a new line (with the cursor on the line above where you want the command to go), start typing MOV (then Tab) then C then Tab

2) If you need to do several, Copy-Paste them in - So copy a MOVE/CLEARPLANE command and then like above, click on the line above where you want it to go and just Ctrl+V

[RandomJerk]

Just a note about adding clearplanes after the fact - as neil.challinor pointed out, you can add the clearplane command near the beginning of the program after it's complete and it will add a move/clearplane beofer every feature and probe rotation. I highlighted the probe rotation aspect as this can cause some serious issues if you don't catch it. Say you're at A90B0, in your program you make a nice move point so the part is clear and you rotate to A0B0.

{aircode}
[code]
MOVE/POINT,<0,0,15>
TIP/T1A0B0
[CODe]

All good, but now you add the clearplane command and it inserts

{aircode}
[code]
MOVE/POINT,<0,0,15>
MOVE/CLEARPLANE
TIP/T1A0B0
[CODe]

Better make sure your clearplane is high enough for that rotation or that you delete it, otherwise you could (and some here (me included) have done) index into the table/part.

Just a head's up. Would be nice if the software offered an option someplace to never add a move in front of a rotation...

[Kp61dude!]

Thanks to all who chimed in. I am aware of those 'techniques' mentioned above.... unfortunately those aren't what my memory paints in my head. I am in real need of some fish oil pills.

This Apps Engineer did it so easily... I remember stopping him and asking how'd he do that. He then showed me the 'trick' but I cannot remember how he did it. LOL!

[neil.challinor]

The only other thing I can think of is if he'd set up a custom shortcut key maybe?

[Kp61dude!]

Nope, it was my machine. I would be using that shortcut right now.

[mb0258]

didnt he just select one feature and toogle clearence planes in the F9 menu ? by this, the move to clear plane command is added before feature.

[LaserJay]

copy MOVE/CLEARPLANE > click the feature before where you want the clear plane > hit enter > paste

[Hi-Tech Redneck]

I don't know if this is what you're talking about but if you click this icon on any of the auto features it will insert a "Move/Clearplane" after every auto feature created...

[Kp61dude!]

I'm beginning to think there's no such thing....

Appreciate everyone who took some time to chime in.

[Kp61dude!]

A trick I use is to write my program offline but not bother adding any moves, just create all the features, alignments, comments, dimensions, tip changes etc. Then when I'm done, go back up to the top of my program to where I turn DCC mode on - just after I've finished my manual alignment. Here I hit F10 and define my clearance plane and make sure I click the "clearance planes active (ON)" checkbox. When I hit create, PC-Dmis automatically inserts a move/clearplane command before each tip change and feature. Obviously this is more suitable for parts where you only need one clearplane definition. You can also use the same checkbox to automatically add the move/clearplane command "on the fly" as you're writing your program. To do this you just define it, tick the box, hit create and it will automatically add a move/clearplane prior to any command that requires motion as you create them. If you're using auto-features, you can over-ride this behaviour with the clearance plane toggle - if the toggle is on, it adds a move/clearplane, if the toggle is off, it doesn't.

Actually this is it!!!!! Wrote it off as a "nope" when you mentioned that it puts a clearplane between each and every feature... that's not what I remember it doing, didn't want to have to go back and clean up unwanted lines. That's more of a burden than a convenience depending on the application.

This feature is cursor dependent meaning that, like you and others mentioned, wherever you place your cursor it will add a clearplane from there on down. This I do want as I tend to create 'shunks/blocks' of fetures/code at a time, some with and some without move commands and I hardly open up an autofeature dialog or any dialog for that matter.. I use keyboard shortcuts and/or type in the Edit Window.

What the Apps Engineer did was he created about half a dozen 1/4in auto/circles, well into a large part routine, and then went back up and placed the cursor before the first 1/4in auto/circle and hit F10 > Clearance Plane > Clearance planes active (ON) > Apply and then there it was a clearplane between each and every 1/4in auto/circle (ONLY!)!!! He then un-ticked that feature so that clearplanes didn't clutter the routine and continued to quietly make some jam. Bogging deep!

Like most geeks... I like my software to do things when i tell it to, PcDmis inserting things 'automagically" will magically make probe tips disappear. Big no-no for me. I am forgetful, I'll forget that it's stuck on and create a mess for me to clean up later.

Thanks neil.challinor you're a huge help!

[Mike Ruff]

Actually this is it!!!!! Wrote it off as a "nope" when you mentioned that it puts a clearplane between each and every feature... that's not what I remember it doing, didn't want to have to go back and clean up unwanted lines. That's more of a burden than a convenience depending on the application.

This feature is cursor dependent meaning that, like you and others mentioned, wherever you place your cursor it will add a clearplane from there on down. This I do want as I tend to create 'shunks/blocks' of fetures/code at a time, some with and some without move commands and I hardly open up an autofeature dialog or any dialog for that matter.. I use keyboard shortcuts and/or type in the Edit Window.

What the Apps Engineer did was he created about half a dozen 1/4in auto/circles, well into a large part routine, and then went back up and placed the cursor before the first 1/4in auto/circle and hit F10 > Clearance Plane > Clearance planes active (ON) > Apply and then there it was a clearplane between each and every 1/4in auto/circle (ONLY!)!!! He then un-ticked that feature so that clearplanes didn't clutter the routine and continued to quietly make some jam. Bogging deep!

Like most geeks... I like my software to do things when i tell it to, PcDmis inserting things 'automagically" will magically make probe tips disappear. Big no-no for me. I am forgetful, I'll forget that it's stuck on and create a mess for me to clean up later.

Thanks neil.challinor you're a huge help!

A few things to be aware of when doing this:

1. This will only add the code for the clearplane move, it will not change the clearplane toggle within the Autofeature itself! If the CLEARP/ toggle is OFF and you create features, then go back and turn the toggle ON, it will insert MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands in front of every feature. However, if you F9 any of the features that were created while it was off, the toggle within the actual Autofeature dialogue will still be OFF.

2. If you change the CLEARP/ command from OFF to ON using F7 or F8, it will NOT insert any MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands. You need to F9 the CLEARP/ command (or F10 to create a new one), and check the box to turn it on, to add the MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands.

[Kp61dude!]

A few things to be aware of when doing this:

1. This will only add the code for the clearplane move, it will not change the clearplane toggle within the Autofeature itself! If the CLEARP/ toggle is OFF and you create features, then go back and turn the toggle ON, it will insert MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands in front of every feature. However, if you F9 any of the features that were created while it was off, the toggle within the actual Autofeature dialogue will still be OFF.

2. If you change the CLEARP/ command from OFF to ON using F7 or F8, it will NOT insert any MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands. You need to F9 the CLEARP/ command (or F10 to create a new one), and check the box to turn it on, to add the MOVE/CLEARPLANE commands.

Appreciate the heads up. #1 and #2 is exactly what I want. Auto insertion of move commands are on the same category as Xact Measure, and Clearance Cube for me.... I never use them, I don't want them.


I ONLY want to place my cursor at a place where every feature thereafter I want a move/clearplane and that is ALL. No auto commands, no Clearp definition, nothing at all. I only want MOVE/CLEARPLANEs to be inserted where I tell it to.

[A-machine-insp]

I use an X-Keys keypad that I have programmed to do certain things. Inserting a move/clearplane is one of them. I have almost 40 things programmed in it that I can do with one keystroke then I have my Spacemouse programmed for about 14 more things. It keeps my hands away from the keyboard and my mouse in the graphics display window as much as possible and makes programming a lot faster.

[Kp61dude!]

I keep my hands on the keyboard lol! makes sense to keep them on the Graphics Display.... other than that I assigned Alt+M to insert move/clearplanes