Welcome to our discussion about parametric programming!

That worked great! you are the king of macro! thanks Mike

While I think the CNC would automatically round to the four places in a CNC command (or at least not generate any kind of alarm), here is a technique that will truncate to a four place decimal format.

You can do this more concisely, but I break it up for clarity:

• #100=#5022 * 10000 (1.2345678 becomes 12345.678)

• #101=FIX[#100] (12345.678 becomes 12345.)

• #501=#101/10000 (12345. becomes 1.2345)

Hope this helps.

I have another question, dont know if this is the rite spot but here goes, wrote a simple macro to keep track of a G53 Z position for a tail stock program on a cnc lathe, the problem is when it stores the number in a variable it goes way down in the decimal place like 1.2345678 and i want it to go to the 4th place 1.2345 like it shows on program check screen machine scale(G53). I tried to use the round and fix etc. but it would go to integer + or- I want it to be exact. this is what I'm using #501=#5022 and its a fanuc 21i TC thanks

As for the local variables, you're right, the CNC starts by showing the common variable (#100 series). If you press the page up or cursor up key, you'll scroll into the local variables.

Not sure about the "soft control screen". Sound like a feature you need to ask your machine builder about - same for the ability to turn off the foot pedal for chuck open/close. There may be an easier way than going into the ladder logic, but I'd recommend that you ask someone from the machine tool builder.