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NativeCAM Install Proceedure

This document provides instructions for installing NCam software and embedding it in LinuxCNC Debian Wheezy. It involves cloning NCam from GitHub, installing necessary Python packages, creating symbolic links to NCam files in LinuxCNC directories, modifying configuration files, and adding settings to the .ini file to enable NCam features in LinuxCNC. Optional steps are provided for translating the NCam interface and extending subroutines.

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178 views3 pages

NativeCAM Install Proceedure

This document provides instructions for installing NCam software and embedding it in LinuxCNC Debian Wheezy. It involves cloning NCam from GitHub, installing necessary Python packages, creating symbolic links to NCam files in LinuxCNC directories, modifying configuration files, and adding settings to the .ini file to enable NCam features in LinuxCNC. Optional steps are provided for translating the NCam interface and extending subroutines.

Uploaded by

mallardfirst
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Procedure for installing NCam and embedding it in LinuxCNC Debian Wheezy.

Note: Since support for Debian


Wheezy ended May 2018 I discovered that many sudo apt-get install commands described in many Ncam
installation instructions no longer work, so this is the procedure I used to install NCam.

1. Installation
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Clone NCam from https://github.com/fern/nativecam.

2. Make sure python-lxml installed. To verify, open a terminal and type python

If python is not installed, clone it from a website. Note: The following terminal command will
not work for installation now that Debian Wheezy is no longer supported.

sudo apt-get install python-lxml

2. Testing Stand Alone


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To start, find the file Ncam.py and double click it.

3. To Embed Ncam in LinuxCNC


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Install python-lxml if not done yet.

2. Using the steps below, create links into /usr/share/pyshared/gladevcp/

1. Open a terminal window and type


cd /usr/share/pyshared/gladevcp

2. Type in the open terminal


sudo ln /HOME/fernand(replace w/your user name)/ncam/ncam.py -s
sudo ln /HOME/fernand(replace w/your user name)/ncam/ncam.glade -s

3. Using the steps below, modify hal_pythonplugin.py in /usr/share/pyshared/gladevcp/

1. Option 1: If you have gedit,


1. Open a terminal and type
sudo gedit /usr/share/pyshared/gladevcp/hal_pythonplugin.py
2. Add this new line anywhere and save the file:
import ncam

2. Option 2: If you DO NOT have gedit,


1. Open a terminal and type
cd /usr/share/pyshared/gladevcp
2. In the terminal type
sudo nano hal_pythonplugin.py
3. Add this new line anywhere and save the file:
import ncam

3. Modify hal_python.xml in /usr/share/glade3/catalogs ()glade3 can be glade2)

1. Open a terminal and type

sudo gedit /usr/share/glade3/catalogs/hal_python.xml

2. Find (it is in the beginning):

<glade-widget-classes>

Add after:

<glade-widget-class name="Ncam" generic-name="ncam" title="ncam">

<properties>

<property id="size" query="False" default="1" visible="False"/>

<property id="spacing" query="False" default="0" visible="False"/>

<property id="homogeneous" query="False" default="0" visible="False"/>

</properties>

</glade-widget-class>
3. Find:

<glade-widget-group name="python" title="HAL Python">

Add after :

<glade-widget-class-ref name="Ncam"/>

IMPORTANT NOTE : when linuxcnc updates, it recreates directories and if features do not load
you will have to redo steps 2, 3 and 4

4. Using the steps below, create links into /usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7

1. Open a terminal window and type


cd /usr/lib/pymodules/python2.7/gladevcp

2. Type in the open terminal


sudo ln /HOME/fernand(replace w/your user name)/ncam/ncam.py -s
sudo ln /HOME/fernand(replace w/your user name)/ncam/ncam.glade -s

4. Using Embedded
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Add these lines into your .ini file inside [DISPLAY] section :

# required NativeCAM item:


NCAM_DIR = ncam

# required NativeCAM item:


PROGRAM_PREFIX = /home/ fernand(replace w/your user name)/linuxcnc/nc_files

# required NativeCAM item:


GLADEVCP = -U --catalog=lathe-mm ncam.ui
NCAM_PATH = /home/fernand(replace w/your user name)/ncam

To use different features use one of the catalogs


--catalog=lathe
--catalog=lathe-mm
--catalog=mill
--catalog=mill-mm

2. Add this line into your .ini file inside [RS274NGC] section :
# Required NativeCAM item:
SUBROUTINE_PATH = ncam/my-stuff:ncam/lib/lathe:ncam/lib/utilities

5. Optional Translations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Translation will work in Stand Alone AND Embedded modes

Make links in your system locale directories to translation files

cd /usr/share/locale/<YOUR LOCALE>/LC_MESSAGES

sudo ln /<full path to features directory>/locale/<YOUR LOCALE>/LC_MESSAGES/ncam.mo -s

Use poedit to translate strings in ncam.po then save and copy ncam.mo to
above path.
6. Extending subroutines
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Param subsitutions
"#param_name" can be used to substitude parameters from the feature.

"#self_id" - unique id made of feature Name + smallest integer id.

2. Eval and exec


<eval>"hello world!"</eval>

everything inside <eval> tag will be passed

trought python's eval function.

<exec>print "hello world"</exec>

allmost the same but will take all printed data.

you can use self as feature's self.

3. Including Gcode

G-code files can be included by using one of the following functions:

[DEFINITIONS]

content =

<eval>self.include_once("rotate-xy.ngc")</eval>
<eval>self.include("some-include-file.inc")</eval>

4. Data types

[SUBROUTINE] type should be lower case, short, without space. Ex : circle, rect, probe-dn

Valid params types are : string, float, int, bool (or boolean), header (or hdr), combo, items

Note : you can change string, float and int types on the fly with the context menu.
This is usefull with variables.

When using a value like #&lt;var_name&gt; use "string" because if will evaluate to 0 if "int" used
or 0.0 if "float".

Study examples in ini/mill/fv_circle.ini and others.

Note : icons and images only need name.ext.

Some information in Russian can be obtained here: http://cnc-


club.ru/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=3124&p=72441#p72441

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