Manual MPR-TOOLS 3.0	25/01/01
Generating WOODWOP MPR-Files in AutoCAD

Main Topics

What is it – MPR-Tools ?

Command: MPROUT

Command: PROCPART / WERKSTK

Command: VARIABLE

Polylinetools

  PLSTART

  PLREV

Blocks as Macros

  Blocks without Attributes

  Blocks with Attributes

  Special Variables

  Calculations in Attributvalues

Options (Command MPROPT)

Setup / Installation

Contact the Author: mailto:Huebner@Caligrafika.de

What is it – MPR-Tools ?

This AutoCAD-application enables AutoCAD to write directly 2D-AutoCAD-Objects to Woodwop MPR Files version 2.5 or 4.0. Additionally almost all Woodwopmacros can be used over AutoCAD blocks.


Command: MPROUT

Type in MPROUT after loading MPRTOOLS3.VLX and the filedialog appears:

MPROUT V 3.0 - Writing MPR-Files for WoodWop 2.5/4.0  Date 12/2000

(c) Ing. Buero U. Huebner

Time limited Version (until 04/30/2001)   or Licencenumber.

Select a new or existing MPR-File.

Afterwards select a processing Part (PROCPART). UCS will be aligned automaticly to the Processed Part Block

Select processed Part:

Select Objects:

For userdefined variables select Inserts named VARIABLE with Variable definitions.

Select Variables:

Select Objects:

A last select AutoCAD Objects for export.

select objects, to write in MPR-File:

finished.

•	Valid Objects are Lines, Arcs, Circles, Ellipses, 2D-Polylines, Points, and Inserts.

•	Countourcoordinates are UCS-coordinates. (ECS should be paralell to UCS)

•	Double Points in the contours with a Distance smaller then 0.02 (look accuracy in MPROPT) will be not written..

•	Contours are written in Object creation order.

•	Polyline is the prefered Objecttype. Contours from single lines are detected only with selection in order, otherwise at each individual line a new start point is set.


Command: PROCPART / WERKSTK

The Command PROCPART defines the size of the processing part.

The Block WERKSTK or PROCPART is inserted. The block PROCPART represents a rectangular slab. The X, Y and Z scaling of the block will be assumed as the length, width and thickness of the pocessed Part.


Command: VARIABLE

The Command VARIABLE defines Variables for Woodwop. The Block VARIABLE is inserted.

You’ll see the Variables in the Variableslist of Woodwop.


Polylinetools

Polylines are normally used to define contours. Additionally to the built-in functions of AutoCAD 2000 for editing Polylines (PEDIT). Following Commands may also help to create and modify Polylines.

Command	Function	contained in
PEDIT	Edit Polylines, crates new Vewrtexpoints	AutoCAD
BOUNDARY	Crates a boundary Polyline by picking in the contour.	AutoCAD
PLSTART	Defines a new startpoint for a Polyline	MPR-Tools
PLREV	Reverses the drawing direction of a Polyline	MPR-Tools
PLJOIN	Fast Joining of Polylines	Express-Tools
TXTEXP	Explode Text to Polyline, p. e.to mill text	Express-Tools
PLSTART

Defines a new Startpoint of a Polyline. The Startpoint must be snapped with an Objectsnap an it has to be a Polylinevertex.

After selecting a Polyline a red line marks the current startpoint and the current drawing direction. Then select a new Startpoint with an Osnapmode– ready.

PLREV

Reverses the drawing direction of a Polyline. Check the new drawing direction with the Command PLSTART.


Blocks as Macros

Each block in AutoCAD is regarded as macro. If the block name is not well-known, the macro is assumed as “vertical drilling”. "macro blocks " are defined and processed with MPROPT, and stored in the Windows registry. Here a certain Woodwop macro number is assigned to each block name. The insert position of the block is taken over as X, Y, and Z-coordinate, the X-scaling of the block as diameter.

Tip:	Define Drilling-Blocks with a diameter 1, then the drilling will shown in the correct size on screen.

Blocks without Attributes

have a default depth and Diameter (defined with MPROPT).

Blocks with Attributes

All available attributes of a block are additionally entered as options for the macro in Woodwop, you overwrite all standard taken values e.g. for the depth and the diameter. Use only in the documentation (MPRFORM4.DOC) of Homag / Weeke defined options as Attributnames.

The values of the Attributes have priority.

Example: A horizontal drilling have the Attributes ZA, TI und DU

ZA	d/2	Z- Pos. Of the Drilling, d is a user defined Variable

TI	BL:XSCALE	Depth BL:XSCALE is the X-Scale of the Blockinsertion

DU	10	Diameter here constant 10

By the exampleblock POCKET.DWG the use of attributes becomes clear.

It is also possible using Variables instead of entering fixed values, however no syntax check for the entries is made. Own variables should be defined over the block VARIABLE first, so that WOODWOP detects the variable immediately, but it can also be defined in WOODWOP later.

Special Variables

which can be used for macros. These are derived from the block (Insertion) data.

At present available:

BL:NAME	(Blockname)

BL:X	(x-coordinate of Block insertion point)

BL:Y	(y-coordinate)

BL:Z	(z-coordinate)

BL:ORIENT	(rotation angle (in degree °)

BL:XSCALE	(X-scale)

BL:YSCALE	(Y-scale)

BL:ZSCALE	(z-scale)

This variables are converted during the writing of the MPR file into the appropriate value

Calculations in Attributvalues

Calculations with these variables above must be forced by the Symbol $ as first Character. The formula must be defined as LISP-expression. You can include ervery valid LISP funktions, LISP constants, numbers and the o. A. Special Variables.

As example of the calculation with special variables is this Block for creating “Grooving and Sawing”.

The block GROOVE consists only one line of the length 1 and 4 attribute fields.

With the insert point, the x-scaling and the angle of rotation the endpoint coordinate is calculated by following expression inserted as text into the attribute fields.

XA	BL:X

YA	BL:Y

XE	$(+ BL:X (* BL:XSCALE (COS (* BL:ORIENT 0.01745329))))

YE	$(+ BL:Y (* BL:XSCALE (SIN  (* BL:ORIENT 0.01745329))))

Since the angle is indicated in decimal degrees,but the trigonometric functions of Lisp only use rad, the angle must be converted from decimal degrees to rad.

Angle(Rad)=angle(degree) * Pi / 180.0

where Pi / 180 = 0.01745329 ist


Options (Command MPROPT)

The Values ented by the Command MPROUT are stored in the Windows Registry

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\UdoHuebner\\MPRTools“

Note: No complete Syntaxcheck of the inputs is made. Incorrect inputs, particularly with the variable names and the brackets, lead sometimes to the failure of the program. In this case load the defaults with the Command (MPRFIRSTSTART) again and reenter your adjustments.


Setup
Setup / Installation

1.	Install all Files from ZIP Archive MPRTOOLS3.EXE to
C:\Program Files\MPRTOOLS

2.	Add C:\Progam Files\MPRTOOLS
to the AutoCAD Support-Directories (Command OPTIONS)

3.	Load the Application by entering following Command at the AutoCAD Commandline
(LOAD “MPRTOOLS3.VLX”)
or enter APPLOAD and select MPRTOOLS3.VLX

The Pulldownmenue MPRTOOLS will appear at the right top positon.

4.	Open the MPRDEMO3EN.DWG and select MPROUT to create a Woodwop MPR-File.

Note: The blocks for pocket, groove and drilling are meant only as example. Not all possible Woodwop options were implemented as attributes, to use the blocks for both Woodwop formats without modification. Feel free to add more Attributes to the Blocks (for WoodWop 4) if you plan to enter all possible options in AutoCAD.