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Getting NC files to a shop computer

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Aluminum
Joined
Oct 12, 2013
Location
San Francisco, CA
I apologize if this is off-topic, but I think it's relevant.

Here's what I've got:

1) A fancy computer I want to keep in the office (my personal property);
2) A cheap computer I want to keep in the shop (company property);
3) Solidworks & HSM Works on #1 & HSM Edit/Cimco DNC on #2;
4) USB/Serial adapter;
5) Mitsubishi Meldas 64s controlling a VMC.

How would you upload NC files using the above?

I use Solidworks to model and HSMWorks for CAM (a Solidworks add-in) on a Dell Precision Mobile Workstation computer. This week I found an old laptop at the company that I have adopted for use as a dripfeed source that I can keep connected to the CNC machine without worrying about my good computer.

I'd like to be able to use this second computer solely for upload/DNC, so I factory reset it and it now it has HSM Edit/Cimco DNC and nothing else. I was able to map it to a Z drive (network share), and it populates fast because g-code is very small.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM:

I don't want to change the default save location for HSMWorks NC files, but... I can't figure out how to automatically get the NC files over to the share drive without manually dragging and dropping or setting a scheduler to do it once a day or whatnot. I want to post the code in the office, then walk over the machine and press cycle start.

I spent half the day today trying to figure out how to force Windows to do something that should be so easy, but totally isn't supported out of the box. So instead of trying to bend Microsoft to what I want to do, I thought I'd ask here what you guys already do.

P.S.
I'm a Mac person.
 
It's going to depend on which version of Windows that the 2 computers are running.

You want to setup a mirror. You might have to map the folder on the source PC to a drive letter, and the same on the destination PC. Then you mirror the volumes. Windows 10 has some native folder synching functionality- not sure how good. I think Windows 7 only has scheduled synching.

There are 3rd party applications that will do what you want.

Changes on either end will take effect on both computers, so you have to be careful about deleting files...
 
My environment is different than yours so probably not a good example....

I usually program up at the house on my "nice laptop". CAD/CAM files are saved on a thumb drive and carried to the shop (no network, separate buildings, heavy trees between house and shop). I post the files on the "not-so-nice laptop" in the shop. CNC code is saved on that machine only. If I tweak the CAM files in the shop, they are saved back to the thumb drive so can be used at the house.

The parts that I make that are repeats, I save the programs all on the shop laptop and on a PCMCIA card in the CNC.

Much of what I do are one of a kind parts and the exact same part will never be made again. Occasionally, I'll need to make something similar to something else I've made. For those, I will tweak the CAD, regenerate the toolpaths and post on the shop laptop to send to the CNC to cut.
 
It's going to depend on which version of Windows that the 2 computers are running.

You want to setup a mirror. You might have to map the folder on the source PC to a drive letter, and the same on the destination PC. Then you mirror the volumes. Windows 10 has some native folder synching functionality- not sure how good. I think Windows 7 only has scheduled synching.

There are 3rd party applications that will do what you want.

Changes on either end will take effect on both computers, so you have to be careful about deleting files...

As a shared drive, we have a WD MyCloud on the network. I have a Z drive signed in on both PCs, so anything I drag to it will immediately show up on the other.

My dilemma is cloning the folder where HSMWorks saves them natively to that Z drive without a lot of fuss. I've found plenty of mirroring applications, but none of them watch folders - they have to be opened and ran, or run on a schedule. No bueno.

Cloud services like G drive just sync up and back to the same place.

I just don't understand why this isn't a thing.
 
My environment is different than yours so probably not a good example....

I usually program up at the house on my "nice laptop". CAD/CAM files are saved on a thumb drive and carried to the shop (no network, separate buildings, heavy trees between house and shop). I post the files on the "not-so-nice laptop" in the shop. CNC code is saved on that machine only. If I tweak the CAM files in the shop, they are saved back to the thumb drive so can be used at the house.

The parts that I make that are repeats, I save the programs all on the shop laptop and on a PCMCIA card in the CNC.

Much of what I do are one of a kind parts and the exact same part will never be made again. Occasionally, I'll need to make something similar to something else I've made. For those, I will tweak the CAD, regenerate the toolpaths and post on the shop laptop to send to the CNC to cut.

I hear you, and it looks like I'll be doing a similar thing.

I just don't believe for a second that I am the first person to want to automatically sync two folders within a user account on a computer. It's freakin' 2018!
 
What version of Windows on each PC?

Windows 10, Pro on the workstation and Home on the beater laptop.

I don't know how that's relevant though, since the problem is strictly within the workstation. For the record, I have no problem accessing the Z drive on either machine.

Let me add another wrinkle: I want to keep the beater laptop free of any of my sign-on credentials other than the shared drive password. I'd rather not allow network sharing if I can avoid it.
 








 
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