Starting QUEST

This section explains how to start QUEST from the desktop as well as from the Windows command prompt.

Starting QUEST from the Desktop

QUEST may be started either from the Start menu or from the ICAM Portal.

To start QUEST from the Start menu, first locate the “ICAM V26 x64” Start menu, then select “Quest V26”. To start QUEST from the portal, select the Products pane and click on the “ICAM Quest Developer” tile or icon.

You can drag-and-drop dedicated post-processors and exported post-processors onto a running portal application or the portal desktop icon. QUEST will load the post-processors into the default database (if one exists). You may also drag-and-drop macro interface kit source code, in which case QUEST will compile it for use with the GENER macro-before and macro-after options.

Starting QUEST from a Command Prompt

QUEST can be started from a Windows command prompt by first setting the current working directory to the Icam Post V26 installation directory (i.e., C:\Program Files\ICAM\V26) and then typing the following command:

$\textbf{quest } \Big[\,\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}\, \big[\,\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name…}\,\big]\,\Big] \; \mathit{qualifiers}$

You can optionally specify one or more files on the QUEST command line, to have QUEST perform special actions in a “batch” mode of operation. QUEST looks at the content of each file specified and then performs the appropriate action. The full QUEST interface is not activated when QUEST is run in a batch mode. The files that QUEST recognizes for batch operation are:

Macro kit files (mac file type) are compiled to their obj binary equivalent.

Dedicated post-processors (dp) are loaded into the default or specified database.

Exported post-processors (dmp) are loaded into the default or specified database.

If files are not specified on the QUEST command line, the full QUEST interface will be started, which you can use to maintain and create post-processors.

qualifiers

The command line qualifiers are keyword value pairs separated by an = (equal sign). The qualifier keywords must be preceded with a / (forward slash). The following is an alphabetical list of optional command qualifiers and their usage:

$\textbf{/dbf}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

Specifies the database file name. By default, the database is named campost.dbf and resides in the work subdirectory of the icam_appdata directory (see “Configuration Storage and Application Data”). The icam_dbf environment variable can also be used to define the database.

$\textbf{/def}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

Specifies which definition file to use. By default, the definition file is named ICAM.DEF and resides in the icam_appdata directory. If a directory path is not specified with the file name, then QUEST will search for the file as described here.

$\textbf{/ef}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

This qualifier specifies the name of a log file echoing the error messages generated during the execution of QUEST.

$\textbf{/kit}\big[\mathtt{=}\mathit{name}\,\big]$

Specifies the name of a CAM interface kit to use (see the “CAD/CAM System Interfaces” annex for interface kit details). QUEST only uses the interface kit to determine the Major and Minor words that are defined by that interface. The interface kit being used can be easily changed in QUEST by selecting a kit name from the drop-down list shown in the status bar.

This qualifier will override the interface_kit symbol if specified in the ICAM.DEF file. Specify it without a name to run without an interface kit, regardless of the interface_kit symbol setting.

$\textbf{/post}\mathtt{=}\mathit{post}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

Specifies the name of the post-processor that should be loaded into memory when QUEST starts. By default, QUEST creates a new empty “NONAME,1” post-processor at the start of processing. This qualifier is not permitted when running QUEST in a batch mode of operation.

$\textbf{/words}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

If specified, QUEST will use the words list supplied. The words list defines Major and Minor words and their associated codes. This list can be created and modified from the QUEST Tools»Words Manager menu-bar selection. By default, QUEST uses the words file defined by the interface kit, or if none, then from a file named dwords.dat in the icam_appdata directory.

This qualifier will override the words symbol if specified in the ICAM.DEF file.

Pre-Compiling Macros for GENER

QUEST can be used in a batch mode of operation to compile user-defined macros, which are then used by the GENER macro-before and macro-after feature. These are macros that are applied to all post-processors whenever GENER runs, using the mbdef (macro-before) and madef (macro-after) definition file symbols. This capability can make commonly used macros available to all post-processors at run-time (i.e., when GENER runs), rather than individually including the macros into each post-processor.

The use of compiled macros is optional. At the cost of an insignificant overhead in processing time, GENER can also accept macro source for the macro-before and macro-after feature. In this case GENER will compile the macros at the start of processing.

Each user-defined macro in the macro source (.mac) input file must be terminated by an ENDMAC command. All macros in the file are compiled together and output to a corresponding binary compiled object (.obj) output file. The binary object file is cross-platform compatible, meaning that an object file created on one computer type can be used on any other ICAM supported computer type. The binary object file however is not cross-version compatible, meaning that an object file compiled with QUEST V26 can not be used with any other version of Icam Post.

Macros can be compiled simply by dragging and by dropping a file containing the macro text onto a running portal application or the portal desktop icon. The compiled obj file and a macro compiler listing will both be created with the same file name and in the same directory as the macro source file.

The macro compiler can also be executed from a Windows command prompt by first setting the current working directory to the Icam Post V26 installation directory (i.e., C:\Program Files\ICAM\V26) and then typing either of the following commands:

$\textbf{quest } \, \mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}\ \, \big[\,\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name…}\,\big] \; \mathit{qualifiers}$

$\textbf{quest } \textbf{/compile}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name} \; \big[\, \textbf{/object}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name} \,\big] \; \mathit{qualifiers}$

The command line qualifiers are keyword value pairs separated by an = (equal sign). The qualifier keywords must be preceded with a / (forward slash). The compile and object qualifiers are an older optional way of telling QUEST to compile macros for GENER interface kits. Do not mix the old and new methods on a single command line:

$\textbf{/compile}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

Specifies the name of the macro source input file. If a file type is omitted, QUEST will assume a file type of mac.

$\textbf{/object}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

Specifies the name of the compiled macro output file. By default, the compiled output is written to a file having the same name as the macro source file with a file type of obj.

See “QUEST Qualifiers” for an alphabetical list of optional QUEST compiler qualifiers and their usage.

The results of the compilation will be written to the screen. A full compilation listing will also be written to a file having the same name as the macro source file, with a file type of lis.

Importing Post-Processors

QUEST can be used in a batch mode of operation to import dedicated post-processors (dp file type) and exported post-processors (dmp file type) into the default or specified database. Post-processors can be imported simply by dragging and by dropping the post-processor file (dp or dmp) onto a running portal application or the portal desktop icon.

The import operation can also be executed from a Windows command prompt by first setting the current working directory to the Icam Post V26 installation directory (i.e., C:\Program Files\ICAM\V26) and then typing either of the following commands:

$\textbf{quest } \, \mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}\ \, \big[\,\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name…}\,\big] \; \mathit{qualifiers}$

$\textbf{quest } \textbf{/dp}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name} \;\, \mathit{qualifiers}$

The command line qualifiers are keyword value pairs separated by an = (equal sign). The qualifier keywords must be preceded with a / (forward slash). The dp qualifier is an older optional way of telling QUEST to import a post-processor. Do not mix the old and new methods on a single command line:

$\textbf{/dp}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

Specifies the name of the post-processor file. If a file type is omitted, QUEST will assume a file type of dp.

See “QUEST Qualifiers” for an alphabetical list of optional QUEST qualifiers and their usage.

Creating a Database Listing

QUEST can create a database listing, which you can use for your own purposes. The database listing contains the names of generated post-processors and their associated titles, listed one per line. The database listing also contains the names of any control emulators and Virtual Machine models present in the database. From a Windows command prompt first set the current working directory to the Icam Post V26 installation directory (i.e., C:\Program Files\ICAM\V26) and then type the following command:

$\textbf{quest } \textbf{/list}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name} \; \big[\,\mathit{match\_pattern}\,\big] \; \mathit{qualifiers}$

$\textbf{/list}\mathtt{=}\mathit{file}\textnormal{-}\mathit{name}$

The list qualifier must be specified to obtain a database listing. The optional file name specifies the name of the database listing output file. QUEST will add a file type of lis if missing from the file name. By default, the database listing is written to a scrolling window.

The match_pattern is a regular expression, in the same style as is used with the $FMATCH macro command, which can optionally be used to list only those post-processors whose database descriptors match the specified criteria. For example, a match pattern of “M3” would list only generated post-processors and control emulators for 3-axis milling machines.

See “QUEST Qualifiers” for an alphabetical list of optional QUEST qualifiers and their usage.