Unusable code posted from CL

[ThWhite]

Im running in Creo 10.0.3.0 and am having an issue getting usable code to post. My manufacturing assembly is generating toolpaths and everything simulates correctly. I am able to generate and save a CL file, no problem.

When I go to 'Post a CL File', I choose the CL that was made, and select uncx01.p11 from the PP menu. We are using Haas VF4 mills and although this post is labeled for VF8 mills, we have had other engineers post code without issue in the past. The problem is nobody recalls what(if any) additional setup needed to be done.

After I choose my post, I get a command prompt window displaying "NCL record= 200 ENTER PROGRAM NUMBER"

I enter a short number like 0001 and I get the following log file:

Log File

NC-GPOST Mill, Version 6.8 P-20.0, Copyright(c) 2020
Build number=0279
Date=08-19-2025 Time=09:54:02
Input File=op010_FILE_mill.ncl.1

Option File=uncx01.p11
Filter File=uncx01.f11

*** Tape length 12.00 Cycle time 1.48 Warnings 0 ***
Date=08-19-2025 Time=09:54:06

If I navigate to the files that were generated, I see op010_FILE_mill.lst and op010_FILE_mill.mbx. The files I have seen that were made previously are all .tap files, and the .mbx shows that there should have been a op010_FILE_mill.tap generated(the message log in Creo also says a .tap file was made successfully) but it is nowhere to be found.

The op010_FILE_mill.lst file contains code, but it doesnt read like any Haas Gcode Ive ever seen. I have it attached to this post.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[BryantMorgan]

Are you working locally\server or using Windchill?

[ThWhite]

My assembly, parts, etc are all through our Windchill server. I am saving my CL files and trying to post to a local location(C:/Temp).

[KenFarley]

The .ncl file is what is output by Creo when you ask it to generate a CL file for an operation/sequence.

The .lst file is kind of a "narration" of what the selected post is doing with the .ncl file. It's using the selected post, and particularly its FIL code, to read through the file and process it according to what instructions are in the FIL file. You'll notice that the .lst file is basically a line of your .ncl file, then a line of G-code, the next line of .ncl, next line of G-code, etc. Every other line is code you should recognize. If I edit out everything but the G-code lines, you file looks like this:

%
G20
O0001
N0010 T23 M06
S01800 M03
M08
G00 X10.1875 Y6.0994
G43 Z3.6250 H23
Z4.3750
G01 Z2.6250 F74.480
X-7.4375
G03 X-7.7969 Y5.7400 I.0000 J-.3594
G01 Y3.8650
G03 X-7.4375 Y3.5056 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X-7.0625
G03 X-6.7031 Y3.8650 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y4.3832
G02 X-3.4844 Y4.3832 I1.6093 J-3.2572
G01 Y4.1150
G03 X-3.1250 Y3.7556 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X-2.7500
G03 X-2.3906 Y4.1150 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y4.3832
G02 X.8281 Y4.3832 I1.6093 J-3.2572
G01 Y4.1150
G03 X1.1875 Y3.7556 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X1.5625
G03 X1.9219 Y4.1150 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y4.3832
G02 X5.1406 Y4.3832 I1.6094 J-3.2572
G01 Y4.1150
G03 X5.5000 Y3.7556 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X5.8750
G03 X6.2344 Y4.1150 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y4.3832
G02 X9.4531 Y4.3832 I1.6094 J-3.2572
G01 Y3.8650
G03 X9.8125 Y3.5056 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X10.1875
G03 X10.5469 Y3.8650 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y5.7400
G03 X10.1875 Y6.0994 I-.3594 J.0000
G01 Z3.6250
G00 Y3.4744
Z4.3750
G01 Z2.6250
G03 X-7.7969 Y3.1150 I.0000 J-.3594
G01 Y1.2400
G03 X-7.4375 Y.8806 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X-7.0625
G03 X-6.7031 Y1.2400 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y1.7582
G02 X-3.4844 Y1.7582 I1.6093 J-3.2572
G01 Y1.4900
G03 X-3.1250 Y1.1306 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X-2.7500
G03 X-2.3906 Y1.4900 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y1.7582
G02 X.8281 Y1.7582 I1.6093 J-3.2572
G01 Y1.4900
G03 X1.1875 Y1.1306 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X1.5625
G03 X1.9219 Y1.4900 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y1.7582
G02 X5.1406 Y1.7582 I1.6094 J-3.2572
G01 Y1.4900
G03 X5.5000 Y1.1306 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X5.8750
G03 X6.2344 Y1.4900 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y1.7582
G02 X9.4531 Y1.7582 I1.6094 J-3.2572
G01 Y1.2400
G03 X9.8125 Y.8806 I.3594 J.0000
G01 X10.1875
G03 X10.5469 Y1.2400 I.0000 J.3594
G01 Y3.1150
G03 X10.1875 Y3.4744 I-.3594 J.0000
G01 Z3.6250
M09
M30
%

You are correct in saying that you should expect a .tap file. If you are seeing zero errors, it should be there.

Is there some sort of permissions problem on your machine? There is a limit on the file name size (directory specification plus file name) in the post-processing functions, but it looks like you were using a very short C:\temp\ directory specification, so it can't be that.

[ThWhite · Accepted solution]

I seem to have accidentally solved the issue!

When posting code, every file(CL, lst, mbx) saves into the local directory that I select. 

WHILE THE TAP FILE SAVES TO THE ROOT OF THE CURRENT WORKSPACE IN WINDCHILL

I was able to successfully export that file from my workspace into my local directory and confirm that it looks/runs fine. I also then replicated the result several times with a few other files.

I genuinely hope this saves someone the headache I have been incubating for the last week!

[KenFarley]

There are a few config.pro parameter settings that pertain to where manufacturing files will go. I set these years ago so I always go to the same place for all my NC file needs. These are my settings:

pro_mf_cl_dir                   c:\ptc\NCFiles
pro_mf_param_dir                c:\ptc\MfgParams
pro_mf_tape_dir                 c:\ptc\NCFiles
pro_mf_tprm_dir                 c:\ptc\MfgParams\Tools

Keeps my design directories cleaner, too, without all the intermediate files generated during G-Code creation.