Example: Building an Expression
In this example, you are going to add the following expression to your custom cycle definition:
depth = start surface - end surface + BREAKOUT_DISTANCE
1. In the Customize Cycle dialog box, place your cursor in the Cycle Prompts list box, click the right mouse button, and select Add Expression from the pop-up menu. The Expression Builder dialog box opens.
2. Type depth in the Expression Name text box and press RETURN. The expression name updates in the read-only text box at the bottom.
3. Select the Reference option.
The First Reference and Second Reference list boxes appear under the Reference text box. The drop-down lists contain the default references,start surface and end surface , as well as all the user-defined references, such asfeed surface, that you have added to the cycle definition. Both list boxes display the initial value in the drop-down list, which is start surface.
4. Select end surface from the Second Reference drop-down list.
The expression in the read-only Reference text box updates. It is now:
start surface - end surface
5. Click
.
The expression string, which is displayed in the read-only text box at the bottom of the dialog box, updates. It is now:
depth = + start surface - end surface
6. Select the NC Param option.
7. Select BREAKOUT_DISTANCE from the drop-down list of parameter names.
8. Note that the Plus sign (
+) is selected as the arithmetic sign icon (
+,
–, or
*). Click
.
The system adds the selected arithmetic sign and the parameter name at the end of the expression string. The expression string is now:
depth = + start surface - end surface + BREAKOUT_DISTANCE
9. Click
at the bottom of the dialog box to return to the
Customize Cycle dialog box.
The system adds the depth expression to the Cycle Prompts list.