Getting Started / Format Conventions

(Note: on the live site, the "Getting Started" and "Format Conventions" nav entries both resolve to this same physical page.)

Getting Started

GRIP NC programs usually need geometry. Use ordinary GRIP statements (GRIP Programming Manual) to create geometry, or GRIP NC statements to select existing geometry.

To perform a GRIP NC function:

1. Activate Manufacturing.
2. Select an operation type and set the machining options.
3. Define a tool (if necessary).
4. Generate a path.

Activating Manufacturing — use &MODULE = &MACH at the start of the program.

Selecting a Submodule and Setting Options — select the submodule, e.g.:

&OPTSET = '/mydir/templates/cam_oper_templ_set.opt'
OPER/NEW, OPNAME, 'operation name', 'op type', 'op subtype'

Then set machining options (the same ones interactively available). It's good practice to repeat option settings for each operation.

CLSF naming — when creating/saving a CLSF, using the .CLS extension makes the file type easy to identify.

All GRIP NC functions require an active part, whether running under GRIP NC or GRIP Batch. In GRIP Batch you may not see errors produced when &MODULE = &MACH runs with no active part.

You can reach the design-related commands from the GRIP Programming Manual with:

&MODULE = &CORE

Defining a Tool — a tool can be defined anywhere before the generate-path statement.

Generate a Path — if you generate several different operation-type tool paths in the same program, be careful about option state carrying over between operations (repeat option settings per operation, as noted above).

Format Conventions

GRIP NC syntax diagrams use:

Symbol	Meaning
/	Command terminator
[ ] or []	Optional parameters
{ }	A series of options; one or more is required
( )	Encloses variables you may use
COMMAND	Placeholder for any command name; /A, B, C etc. represent the parameters allowed after it

Command-format interpretation examples:

• COMMAND — no parameters allowed.
• COMMAND[/ A] — A is optional.
• COMMAND/ A — A is required.
• COMMAND/ A [,B] — A required, B optional.
• {A|B|C} style (braces) — one of A, B, or C is required.
• A required + one of {B|C|D} also required.
• COMMAND/ A [,B [,C] ] — A required; B optional; C optional only if B is used.
• No parameters required, but either B or C must be used when A is used.
• A or B required, C optional when B is used.
• One of A, B, or C required; D and E both optional if either B or C is used; D and E cannot be used with A.