Pronest LT, interior lead in/outs??

[sweven]

I am currently running a shopsabre sidesick 10 with Pronest LT (2021 version) and have been using Sheetcam for nesting up until recently (new machine) and am still learning all the features of Pronest LT but have encountered a problem i cant figure out.

When editing my lead in/lead outs i can move them and change them from linear to arch and such but I haven't been able to figure out how to change the lead in/out from exterior to interior, making it impossible to make any signs that look good. In the lead in/out setting i can change the position of the lead (right, left, top bottom, ect) but not if they are interior or exterior, the only way have I have been able to get any lead ins to become interior was by going through advanced edit and flipping the lead there but even then that will only work for certain arch leads only and hasn't been useful as a actual tool. Is there any way I am missing to create interior lead ins/outs in Pronest LT?

(From looking online on other forms I can see that previous Pronest versions (7?) have allowed you to have user defined lead ins/outs that you draw in the CAD program you use (I use solidworks) but they mentioned they saw that in the advanced CAD import settings, but with the current pronest version i am using there is not an option for user defined lead in/out settings in the place they mentioned so im wondering if that's a feature that pronest has gotten rid of?)

[acourtjester]

It would seem silly for them to get rid of the selection for the leanin/outs. As you know from SheetCam it is automatic when you select the offset. You may just need to dig deeper as they may have just changed the name or function where you select them. Please report back as I'm sure this will come up again, with other members using Pronest.

[weldguy]

I would think that interior or exterior lead would be predetermined by the software based on interior or exterior cut. Is it possible your trying to add interior leads to a single object that has no exterior profile around it? Can you post the file you see this issue with?

[sweven]

I have attached the file I tried to use to make a sign, so having interior lead ins/outs are is a requirement. (Uploaded from personal laptop so there is a education use only warning, this is not an issue when using solid works at my work since I am using my personal account from my college to upload the file) I also uploaded the images of all of the settings that should have the option for user defined lead in/outs but don't have the option listed anymore as well as the tutorial in hyperthems knowledge base that shows the place the option is missing from. I have contacted Hypertherm through their "ask a question" section in the hypertherm knowledge base but they have yet to respond

(Under the file named "lead options when uploading a part..." you can see that i have changed one of the leads from linear to arc, once it is an arc the advanced edit tab had an option to flip leads, but this option only work for arch shaped leads and is the only way i have been able to find in Pronest LT to make your leads interior, but this is an extremely inconvenient option that then creates a conflict in the lead ins/outs, but still is the only way ive managed to get the leads to become interior.)

[sweven]

I would think that interior or exterior lead would be predetermined by the software based on interior or exterior cut. Is it possible your trying to add interior leads to a single object that has no exterior profile around it? Can you post the file you see this issue with?

Files have been uploaded in comment section

[adbuch]

If I am understanding you correctly, you want to cut the letters from a solid plate and as such want to place your lead-ins inside each segment of the letters?
David

[weldguy]

Ok I took a look at your dxf file, just individual letters on the screen. To cut that you want lead ins on the outside of the letters, is your Pronest putting them on the inside when you load that file?

[sweven]

If I am understanding you correctly, you want to cut the letters from a solid plate and as such want to place your lead-ins inside each segment of the letters?
David

lead ins.jpg

yes i have a piece of metal being used to make a fireplace

[sweven]

Ok I took a look at your dxf file, just individual letters on the screen. To cut that you want lead ins on the outside of the letters, is your Pronest putting them on the inside when you load that file?

This is going to be used to make a design for a firepit on a piece of precut metal, so I wanted the leads to be on the inside of the part so they aren't visible on the metal that's going to be bent and create the firepit. Pronest LT automatically applies the leads and does not have a way that I have found to choose is you want interior or exterior leads on your part like Sheetcam does (the program i just switch from)

[adbuch]

The Hypertherm ProNest LT documentation indicates that you should be able to " Edit lead-in/out position and properties within the nest". I would recommend contacting Hypertherm technical support. Perhaps the program is corrupted and you need to reinstall it to your computer. Meanwhile you can always fall back on SheetCam for your current project.

David

[adbuch]

I downloaded the free 7 day trial for ProNest LT 2021 just so I could check it out. It's certainly not a program I would ever consider paying to subscribe to (or purchase outright). But I thought I would take a look just to try to clear up any questions the OP has.


I opened your file with ProNest LT. The first thing is that ProNest gave an error message.

I edited your original dxf by linking the open paths and opened the file with ProNest LT. All lead-ins appear inside the letters on the portions that will fall out when cut. The shape and length of the lead-ins and lead-outs shown is the ProNest LT default setting.

Here is the cut preview.

I edited the original dxf file by drawing a rectangle around the letters. This is how it would appear if you are cutting the letters into the sheet metal for your fire pit. The individual lead-ins and lead-outs can be individually edited by right-clicking and selecting the "Advanced Edit" button.

Then select the individual lead-in or lead-out to reposition or change length.

Cut simulation of final part.

And finally send output to post processor to create G-Code for your particular machine.

[adbuch]

ProNest Quick Start Guide.jpg (19.08 KiB) Viewed 5461 times

ProNest Quick Start Guide.jpg (19.08 KiB) Viewed 5461 times

ProNest 2021 LT Quick Start Guide.pdf

(452.84 KiB) Downloaded 92 times

ProNest 2021 LT Quick Start Guide.pdf

(452.84 KiB) Downloaded 92 times

[adbuch]

Here is a video showing how to change the lead-in locations for ProNest 2019. I am only familiar with ProNest LT 2021, but I would assume that most of the information is pretty much the same.
David

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMntgi3Dp5w

[adbuch]

When you open ProNest LT 2021, click on the "table of contents" button to find specific information. There are some great explanations of how to use and modify leads.
David

[adbuch]

To summarize, it looks to me like ProNest Lt 2021 automatically detects if the cut is interior or exterior and places the lead-ins and lead-outs accordingly. This is exactly the same way that Design Edge works. I would expect that sheetcam works the same way as well (hopefully).

So there should be no need to manually move the lead-ins from inside to outside (or visa versa). If you have to do this, then either you are doing something wrong, the file you are loading has problems, or your copy of ProNest is corrupt and needs to be reinstalled.

David

[plasmanewbie]

Wow man, talk about going the extra mile David. This is like a ProNest promo, you should get commissions!

[adbuch]

Wow man, talk about going the extra mile David. This is like a ProNest promo, you should get commissions!

Yes indeed! That is 3 hours of my life I will never get back again. I had never used ProNest, so I downloaded the free 7 day trial so I could learn how to use it in an attempt to help the OP with his problems. I am really not all that impressed with it - it can get the job done, but these days there are much more efficient methods to accomplish the same things. I'm guessing that ProNest has been around a long time, with some minor updates along the way.

I do like the fact that it automatically places curved entry/exit leads on interior cuts, and that these are easily editable. Other than that, I would probably pay $25 to $35 for the program as a stand-alone - just to play around with it. But for a subscription cost of over $35 per month, absolutely no way.

For me - Design Edge basically does every thing I need, and all in one package. CAD/CAM/run table/auto nesting, etc. But it is always interesting to see what some of the other software packages have to offer, just for comparison.

David

[adbuch]

I haven't heard back from the OP. If he has more questions - this would be the time to ask. I will be closing down my free trial in the next several days - certainly don't what them to start charging my credit card for the monthly fee. So Sweven - if you have more questions about using ProNest LT, you will need to get back to me in the next several days.
David

[sweven]

I haven't heard back from the OP. If he has more questions - this would be the time to ask. I will be closing down my free trial in the next several days - certainly don't what them to start charging my credit card for the monthly fee. So Sweven - if you have more questions about using ProNest LT, you will need to get back to me in the next several days.
David

Thank you for the detailed help! I originally avoided putting a rectangle around the words because I am using a shopsabre machine that does not allow me to pick what spot in the code to run from, and the single step forward option the ShopSabre cnc program has is not very effective in my use so far. I'll just have to play around with the leads settings a bit, hypertherm has gotten in contact with my job about the issue so hopefully they can answer any more question I have about this, thanks again for going the extra mile

[adbuch]

If you place a rectangle around the words, then ProNest LT will automatically place the cuts for the letters inside the letters, and the outer perimeter cut for the rectangle on the outside of the rectangle. It will automatically create the cut list such that the interior letters are cut first before the outer perimeter is cut. So I really don't understand what your problem is. You say the ShopSabre does not allow you to pick what spot the code will run from. Please explain to me why you would need to do this. You should be able to simply run the program file from start to finish to create your part.
David

[Dawgonhawg]

I would like to know how much it is for the ProNest? Your input will be appreciated.

[adbuch]

I would like to know how much it is for the ProNest? Your input will be appreciated.

https://www.hypertherm.com/en-US/produc ... ion-plans/

https://arclightcnc.com/product/hyperth ... pronest-lt

[sweven]

If you place a rectangle around the words, then ProNest LT will automatically place the cuts for the letters inside the letters, and the outer perimeter cut for the rectangle on the outside of the rectangle. It will automatically create the cut list such that the interior letters are cut first before the outer perimeter is cut. So I really don't understand what your problem is. You say the ShopSabre does not allow you to pick what spot the code will run from. Please explain to me why you would need to do this. You should be able to simply run the program file from start to finish to create your part.
David

I use precut sheets of metal to make signs, so being able to skip the rectangle cut out section of the code is needed, at least the way I had been doing it in the past using sheetcam. In the past i would simply skip these first couple lines of code cutting out the rectangle and only cut out the letter section of the sign, but with shopsabres system you cannot scroll across the code and there are no functions to run from a specific spot in the code, so having the rectangle around the letters becomes slightly probematic when i only need the letters to be cut. (I am 100% self taught so sometimes I tend to take weird shortcuts)

I heard back from hypertherm and they confirmed the only way to create inside lead ins/outs is going to advanced edit, making the leads arcs, then flipping the leads (pronest only allows you to flip arc leads), and said to look out for the next update for more features.

[adbuch]

If you place a rectangle around the words, then ProNest LT will automatically place the cuts for the letters inside the letters, and the outer perimeter cut for the rectangle on the outside of the rectangle. It will automatically create the cut list such that the interior letters are cut first before the outer perimeter is cut. So I really don't understand what your problem is. You say the ShopSabre does not allow you to pick what spot the code will run from. Please explain to me why you would need to do this. You should be able to simply run the program file from start to finish to create your part.
David

I use precut sheets of metal to make signs, so being able to skip the rectangle cut out section of the code is needed, at least the way I had been doing it in the past using sheetcam. In the past i would simply skip these first couple lines of code cutting out the rectangle and only cut out the letter section of the sign, but with shopsabres system you cannot scroll across the code and there are no functions to run from a specific spot in the code, so having the rectangle around the letters becomes slightly probematic when i only need the letters to be cut. (I am 100% self taught so sometimes I tend to take weird shortcuts)

I heard back from hypertherm and they confirmed the only way to create inside lead ins/outs is going to advanced edit, making the leads arcs, then flipping the leads (pronest only allows you to flip arc leads), and said to look out for the next update for more features.

You don't need to skip over any code. Since the interior cuts are made first before the outside perimeter, then simply stop the machine (pause, reset) after the interior cuts have completed. But this would only work if you are cutting a single sheet at a time. But I do feel your pain of having to be stuck with such an archaic system as pronest. Sure glad I use the Plasmacam Design Edge cad/cam - which allows lead-ins to placed as interior or exterior cuts with ease.

David

[cncplasmaworkz]

tried pro nest. not really a fan especially for being a monthly sub. i paid once used it to nest a couple cuts for bumpers with 30-40 cuts cancelled my sub swapped back to sheet-cam.