This project calls for a program which will take initials as inputs and automatically write the g-code necessary to run a NC mill. The program was written in C++. In it I used cases to call each letter. From each case a subroutine is called which writes the g-code to a file, Cv-demoa. This file is located in a demo version of Camview. Camview is a CNC machine simulator. It takes the code in a file and graphically shows the path of the cutter tool. It distinguishes between when the tool is cutting and when it is just moving. When the tool is cutting, the simulation is shown with a solid line. When it is moving without cutting, a dashed line is used. This allows the user to visually check their program for errors before it is used in a production setting. This helps reduce scrap costs and possibly broken machinery.

In the C++ program, the g-code for each letter is given. When a user runs the program, their initials are inputted. From this information, the program scans the cases for the correct letter. Once the correct letter is found, the g-code for that letter is written to the file named above. This is done for both initials. The program also allows the line numbering to automatically index by ten for each line. This helps make the program run. If the line number did not index in this way, the program would not run correctly.

By doing this project, I have obsoleted one of the required laboratories for future 474 classes. The lab called for the students to program the NC mill to engrave their initials in a block of wood. This program does the programming for them. This project also helped me with my programming experience. It has been a number of years since I had to program in C++ and this has acted as a needed refresher course.