Default GCODE directory option

Feature Request Carbide Create
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I’m cross-posting this here and with the CC Software group, because I think it’s a bug, but it might be treated as a feature request.

I know there’s been a lot of discussion about remembering directories - and I’ve registered some bugs during the beta of v5…but there remains one situation that is remarkably annoying… @robgrz PLEASE change the way this works in a future release:

When saving gcode, CC defaults to the last directory used to save gcode AND puts the name of the last file used in the filename as well. This creates problems when you’re trying to create a new project and even risks overwriting your older project by accident.

There are two schools of thought for saving GCODE:

  • Those who want to keep their design and gcode files together in the same directory
  • Those who want to keep all of their gcode in a directory (e.g., a network folder, shared with the shop, etc.)

The current behavior supports the second…but for those who operate with the former approach, it’s cumbersome and even risky (I’ve accidentally lost an old gcode file because I wasn’t paying attention and overwrote it).

CC can EASILY support both - and I ask you to do that:

SUGGESTED SOLUTION:
In the Settings page, add an option: “Default GCODE Directory” field which will have:

  • :green_circle: Use Current Directory
  • :white_circle: Use Named Directory: _________________________ (Browse)

Current directory would be the last directory used to either load or save the design file. This would be used for those people who want to keep their c2d and nc together.

Named directory would be used for those who want to keep their .nc in a common directory. CC would always default to this directory when it brings up the save gcode dialog the first time in a session.

Lastly, CC would NEVER put the name of the old file in the filename field UNLESS it was within the same session as a previous save. If it defaults to anything, I would think that the project name would be a good choice…but I’m not advocating that…just leave it blank the first time you’re saving in a session.

@robgrz Do you think we could see this sometime soon?

Thanks,

  • Gary

EDIT: I would add one more behavior: If, when using the “Use Current Directory” option, someone were to start a new project and save the gcode without having opened or saved a design file in that usage session (so there would not yet be a “Current Directory”), then I would expect CC to use the last used directory from the previous session (as it does today).

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I’d like to see a 3rd option here, one which is the default (current) behaviour:

  • use previously used directory and name

This suits the way I do things — I only work on one machining project at a time — the files for it are moved to my desktop, I write out G-Code there, and iterate until things are okay, then I move everything into a folder and archive it in a folder hierarchy (after uploading to CutRocket or GitHub for the projects which merit that).

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@WillAdams Will,
I don’t think you’d need a third option.

That would happen automatically with the Use Current Directory option…since it would use the directory from which you load your project. If that happened to be your Desktop, then that’s where things would go.

You could also use the Use Named Directory option - and set it to your Desktop. That would also achieve the result for your scenario, as your Desktop would become your scratch area for all saves.

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My understanding of the phrase “Use Current Directory” is that it would put the G-Code in the same folder as the .c2d file is in currently (which is the default behaviour for most programs when exporting, so should be an option which is supported).

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What I mean (and let’s come up with a better phrase) is to use the last directory used to open or save a c2d… So…

Assuming “Use Current Directory”:
I open CC, create a brand new design and save it in a new directory (dirA)…then I go to save the gcode the default would be dirA

I open CC, open an existing design currently saved in dirB…then go to save the gcode…it would default to dirB

If I were using “Use Named Directory” and the named directory is dirN (or Desktop, in your example):

Open CC, create a new design. Regardless of where you save the design, when saving the GCODE, the default would be dirN.

Same would hold true even if you opened the design in another directory. Default would be dirN.

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I would like to see the save G-code button verify the project was saved, if not prompt to save it first. If it had been saved, or after the prompted save, use the project name as the seed for the NC file name.
an option to set a default directory would be great as the last directory may not be best.

The current behavior risks overwriting the previous G code if you’re not paying attention.

1 Like
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@LWSIV Hi Lester. I thought the same thing at first – except I think there are a number of use cases where you would really not want that behavior…for example, if you wanted to save GCODE for a portion of the toolpaths, you may want multiple .nc’s with different names…and you wouldn’t want to run the risk of accidentally overwriting the one with the c2d name.

Also, you might want to create a design explicitly for creating the gcode and not want to save the c2d at all (ever).

1 Like
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I would agree that being able to set the default location of the Carbide Create Files and Carbide Motion files would be useful. I have different subdirectories for each of these file types and navigate to them manually as needed. The location, once selected, should be remembered within a session.

When saving a file I prefer having the file name populated with the current file name. It lets me easily rename a file with a ‘- #’ extension. I use this convention as I am making changes in files whether it be Carbide Create, Open Office or any other application.

Bill

1 Like
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I agree Bill - but I assume you mean within a session? In other words, if you open the file, that sets the name value…but if you are saving for the first time in a session, there is no value, correct???

What’s happening now is that CC is remembering the name of the last .nc you saved…no matter how long ago it was - and no matter what c2d you’re working on.

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As a stop gap you could change the “settings” file found in the data directory of CC. You could create a script to sit on the desktop to write over the “settings” file before you open CC. This would put whatever you wanted with a customized text file and have the consistency you want. Just click on the script and let it change settings, open CC. The script would simply write to the data directory a canned settings file anytime you wanted.

To see the file open CC and use the Info menu to open About. From there open the data directory and under Carbide Create folder you find settings. The file is a simple text file you can view with NotePad.

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@GJM HI Gary, The project name would be the default seed ready to be appended with path or other variant info. As long as it is not an autosave it would work for me. The other option of course is not to provide a default name at all which would also be OK.

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Gary:

This auto filling with the last .nc file name used apparently is something that changed from CC 474 which I still use.

I am in the process of moving to 64 bit Windows 10 (painstaking as it is what with having to format my C: drive and reinstall dozens of programs) and have a spare system that I am creating the new OS on. I have been testing out CC 520 on my spare system and verified this ‘improvement’.

The other thing I noticed when saving an .nc file in CC 520 is it now lists three file types to choose from .nc, .txt, .tap Why ??

There is no drop down menu to choose which file type. If I click SAVE nothing happens. I have to manually enter the extension. After that it appears to remember the extension to be used.

I hadn’t seen a .tap extension since working with tape drives - paper & magnetic - which is longer ago than I care to remember :slight_smile:

Bill

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