Help, error message when trying to cut file!

[myxpykalix]

Yesterday i cut my plenum but did not cut my holes. Today i went to cut the holes. I have X,Y 0'ed in the center of board. I Z zero'ed to the table surface. When i opened the file vachole.sbp I get this error message:
Variable error- line 7
Undefined error XOFFSET (OFFSET (%(1) &XOFFSET; 0)

And i'm not sure what that means? I opened the file in shopbot editor to look for line 7 as a clue but wasn't clear to me. The error message comes up after i click start on the fill in page....help!

[steve4460]

Jack
You have to be at 0,0 in the corner. If your z axis is up high enough then just type C3 in the box and the bot will zero in the corner .
Bot on

[myxpykalix]

I asked them at shopbot and they told me i had to be zero'ed to the center...i'll try that tho

[steve4460]

Hi Jack

Try air cuts first , and if it puts the holes in the right spot and right size then go for it .

[paco]

Reboot the PC and try again. It work fine here (4X8_4zone.sbp). SB3 look the value of the variable which appear to be undefined but which should be the current working location (X). It's an error since SB3 should always know where it is... right?! Rebooting the PC instead of only SB3 may clear the "brain" of any odd stuff inside...

I second Stephan advice if it's one of your very first run file... ;-)
But yes, the file should be zeroed at the center (of X & Y) as the file prompt say at the start. If you answer Y (yes), it mean you approve to have zeroed the X & Y at the center. N (no) it'll end the file. Y but have not zeroed as supposed, you'll get either a prompt or a surprise.

[myxpykalix]

I tried starting the file while x,y zero'ed to center mark on table, same error message. I tried to go back to the corner zero'ed x,y to the corner and got same error message. What am i doing wrong?

[myxpykalix]

I also had rebooted the computer and sb3. I was not running 4x8 4zone.sbp file that you refer to above paco but the vachole.sbp file. I had already cut my plenum but had not cut the holes and that was where i had problems. If i can't get vachole file to run can i rerun 4x8 4zone.sbp but only aircut then continue when asked to cut vacumn holes? Will i have to re z zero, or am i making this too complicated?

[dvanr]

Hi Jack

Vachole.sbp is called by the 4x8_zone.sbp program using the FP command. The 4x8_zone program declares and gives &xoffset a value. The problem comes from vachole being run on its own, &xoffset hasn't been declared and it doesn't know what to do with it. I don't believe vachole was ment to be run on its own.

To get around your problem and save some time , you can edit the 4x8 program temporarily by inserting directly in front of the block of move commands just whats in red

&XOFFSET=%(1)

[paco]

I see what's going on (I've never used this file, so I've assumed part of your problem...); the 'vachole.sbp' file you refer is looking for the variable FROM the 4x8 4zone.sbp. That's why it's not listed/loaded in the variable. I get the same here starting 'vachole.sbp' without having run '4x8 4zone.sbp' first.
If you look at the start of '4x8 4zone.sbp' you'll see where this file define this value (form the system variable) and you might have a better understanding of what's involved...

Quick temporary fix; start the '4x8 4zone.sbp' file and just stop it as it start to move/jog (at this point it will have loaded the variables values needed for 'vachole.sbp') and quit it. Retry 'vachole.sbp' again and let us know if it help.

[paco]

Feature request for the forum; some kind of VERY FLASHY icon that tell that someone else is already replying something!!! 8-|

[myxpykalix]

Disaster struck! I rebooted laptop, control box, I re Zzero'ed (previously) rex/y zero'ed to center of table called up 4x8 4 zone.sbp followed prompts, turned on router hoping i could aircut till i got to the part of the file for cutting holes, hit the start button and disaster struck! The vachole file never would work by itself. I now have a lovely hole in my table all the way thru. Whahopin? I was told by shopbot to run vachole.sbp from center x,y 0, and tried running it from x/y 0 from corner of board like stephen suggested but it never would work.

7759

7760

[myxpykalix]

BTW dick,
I don't understand the shopbot code yet so I would be afraid to try to edit something but i do appreciate the answer, but its still greek (or is it GEEK) to me! thanks

[dvanr]

Hey Jack

You can not run the VACHOLE program on its own. It has to be run by the 4x8_zone program. I suspect what happened there is that it plunged to the cut depth at the center of the table and then proceeded to head to where it need to cut in the center of one of the plenums.

You have two ways of doing this, rerun the 4X8_zone program right from scratch to completion, retracing your plenum lines to get to to the vac holes part of the program or my way


after re reading the code, the last line in my previous post is incorrect. You have to let 4x8_zone direct the bot to the placement of the next hole. Vac hole simply cuts the hole.

There is no harm in trying my way, use preview rather than cut and see if the changes work. Try it out when you have thrown in the towel for the day and your sitting at the computer away from the shopbot (while your waiting for the glue on your patch to dry) . No sharp bits required.

You won't be able to zero off the middle of the table when you run in preview, so just pretend that the lower left corner is the middle and give the instructions a try. Being able to read, modify or even write SBP is a very powerful tool.