script for CNC code for CNC mill

[blahblahblah5038]

I have a wood project at school, which as part of my design needs to be cut on a cnc mill. Beacuse of the thickness required by the design, I glued several pieces of wood together, but needed to take material off the top. The pieces were too short for the planer, so I decide to head to the mill early and cut down the pieces on the mill. The mill software is a pain in the butt, so no one can reall figure out how to get it to consistantly work. I was told by the teacher to manualy write the code. Yeah right! Instead, I wrote a script to write the several hundred boring lines of code for me. Please excuse the messiness of my work, I had not origonally intended to post this on the forum.

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;Created by Blahblahblah5038 
;for the purpose of generating CNC code to control a CNC Router and Face a Block

#include <math.au3>
;before using this program on the CNC Mill I need to zero the x and y to be approxametly the left front(nearest side to the oporator) corner of the work piece
;as well as the z exactly to the bottom of the piece.
;This portion asks questions pertinent to the program
$startthickness = InputBox("Machining", "What is the current thickness of the material?") ;starting thickness of the work piece, does not need to be exact, but it is better to overestimate
$endthickness = InputBox("Machining", "What is the final thickness of the material?");if you zero the machine correctly, this will be exact
$buffer = InputBox("Machining", "How many inches would you like as a buffer");increases cutting area, don't need accuracy in the X and Y directions
$length = InputBox("Machining", "What is the piece's length (Y)?") + $buffer ;however your machine measures Y
$width = InputBox("Machining", "What is the piece's Width (X)?") + $buffer ;however your machine measures X
$passno = InputBox("Machining", "How many passes other than the Last should the drill make?") ;number of rough cut passes
$intCount = 0;counters
$intCount2 = 0
$N = 4 ;keep track of line number, in case the computer doesn't do it for you, our equipment doesn't
$bitDia = InputBox("Machining", "What is the Bit's Diameter?") 
$intLR = Int(($length/ (2 * $bitDia))) ;number of passes left to right per height
$A = - ($startthickness + .5) ; a distance from the work piece
$increment = ($startthickness - $endthickness - .01) / $passno ;how quickly the bit approaches the work piece, .01 is left for finish cut
$Z = $startthickness - $increment ;distance in Z from bottom
Run("notepad.exe") ;cnc code will be sent here
WinWaitActive("Untitled - Notepad")
Send("{Enter}");N = line number, G9=absolute coordinates, G0=rapid movement, XYZ are directional
Send("N1G9G0X0YZ" & $A & "{ENTER}") ;move bit away from piece
Send("N2M3"); M3 = turn on mill 
Send("{ENTER}")
Send("N3G1Z" & $startthickness & "F4" & "{ENTER}") ;move to start thickness as provided by user
if _MathCheckDiv ($intLR, 2) then $intLR = $intLR+1  
For $intCount = 1 To $passno   ;makes rough cuts
    Send("N" & $N & "G0X0Y0Z" & $startthickness & "{Enter}")
    $N = $N + 1
    Send("N" & $N & ";Rough cut " & $intCount & "{ENTER}")
    $N = $N + 1
    Send("N" & $N & "G1Z" & $Z & "{Enter}")
    $N = $N + 1
    For $intCount2 = 1 To $intLR + 5 step 2
    $X =$bitDia * $intCount2
        $X2 = $bitDia * ($intCount2 +1)
    Send("N" & $N & "X" & $X & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Send("N" & $N & "Y" & $width & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Send("N" & $N & "X" & $X2 & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Send("N" & $N & "Y0" & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Next
    $Z = $Z - $increment
Next
;makes final cut
Send("N" & $N & ";Final Cut" & "{ENTER}")
$N = $N + 1
$FinalLR = $intLR * 2
Send("N" & $N & "G0X0Y0Z" & $startthickness & "{Enter}")
$N = $N + 1
Send("N" & $N & "G1Z" & $endthickness & "{Enter}")
$N = $N + 1
if _MathCheckDiv ($FinalLR, 2) then $FinalLR = $FinalLR+1
For $intCount2 = 1 To $FinalLR + 5 step 2
    $X = .5 * $bitDia * $intCount2
        $X2 = .5 * $bitDia * ($intCount2 +1)
    Send("N" & $N & "X" & $X & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Send("N" & $N & "Y" & $width & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Send("N" & $N & "X" & $X2 & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
    Send("N" & $N & "Y0" & "{Enter}")
    $N = ($N + 1)
Next
;return to origional position
Send("N" & $N & "G0Z" & $startthickness & "{Enter}")
$N = $N + 1
;M2 ends program
Send("N" & $N & "M2")

[ConsultingJoe]

Cool idea, too bad you can't write a GUI that connects directly to the mill.

Nice job though

[blahblahblah5038]

there is one. You can use it to manualy move the mill or to manually enter keystrokes. just answer the questions, wait for the code, copy, paste, zero it in, and click run.