Starting mid program... can it be done?

I had a situation where I would have liked to skip a few drilled holes and go to the third hole... got me to wondering, can you start anywhere in a program? Older Fanuc controls couldn't do it, then back in the late 80's we got a Fadal and it had the ability to start on any line, the control went thru and read all the lines so your specific tool length off set, any diameter offsets or any special g-codes were in effect and then you could start on any specific line.

I currently start at the beginning of tools, but I've never tried starting in the midst of the code between tool changes, so can it be done? Will tool length offsets be active? Will canned cycles be in effect?

For example, this is the code for a program I was running today, using a 90º spotting tool for c'drilling some holes prior to drilling. I wanted to skip the first hole as I had a short part that didn't have any place to drill that first hole (material house cut the last piece on the bar about 2" too short). So could I have told the control to start at N0460 and it would have known I was in a canned drilling cycle and functioned correctly from that point forward?

N0250 (operation: Outside Offset, CONTINUOUS, T13: 90 degree csk, 0.15 inch Deep)
N0260 (90 degree csk)
N0270 T2 M06 G43 H2
N0280 M07 (Mist coolant on)
N0290 S3000 M03
N0300 G00 X-0.189 Y-1.118
N0310 Z0.09
N0320 G01 Z-0.15 F20
N0330 G03 X-0.125 Y-1.054 I0 J0.064
N0340 G01 Y-0.156
N0350 G02 X0.156 Y0.125 I0.281 J0
N0360 G01 X9.394
N0370 G02 X9.675 Y-0.156 I0 J-0.281
N0380 G01 Y-1.054
N0390 G02 X9.394 Y-1.335 I-0.281 J0
N0400 G01 X0.156
N0410 G02 X-0.125 Y-1.054 I0 J0.281
N0420 G03 X-0.189 Y-0.99 I-0.064 J0
N0430 (operation: Drill, VISIBLE, T13: 90 degree csk, 0.17 inch Deep)
N0440 G00 Z0.1
N0450 G99 G81 X0.7500 Y-0.6050 Z-0.170 R0.1000 F5.0
N0460 X8.6750 Y-0.6050
N0490 G98 X10.7500 Y-0.6050 Z-1.500 R-1.3
N0500 G80
N0520 M09 (Coolant off)
N0530 M05
N0540 G32
N0550 X-2 Y-5

duplicate post, sorry

With older software versions, no, with newer versions, yes. The newer stuff has a 'Verify to Run' feature that was added several years ago.

You are correct that starting from a Block number won't read whatever happens before that block.

If this situation happens often, you can put a foreslash as the first character in the line. When you run a program with the Block Skip button lit, the control will ignore any line beginning with the slash.

Ahh... good suggestion, could add a slash and skip that particular block. That would work for this instance, but it's good to know whether I could start mid program or not. I restart on the beginning of a tool all the time, but just never tried it anywhere else.

Thanks!

I used to do a lot of engraving with relatively huge file sizes. I used to open the program in a text editor, cut and paste the part I wanted to run in between the opening phrases (set to home, Z up at usually the tool change position) as well as the closing bit(return to home, coolant and spindle off) and that worked for me while I needed it to.

That way I avoided dragging a tool through the part, as well as having it back at Home when done that segment.

I usually looked for the Z clearance dimension in the text to figure out where to split it.

Crude, but worked for me. I had a workstation computer next to the mill while it ran I programmed and made adjustments.

Dunno if that helps at all.

Cheers
Trev

Hi Trev,

I could see that on large files, will keep it in mind.