Rules for using the PTX format
Refer to the 'Interface guide' for full details of this format
Where a PTX import format is used make sure to check the following rules to ensure the format is being used accurately. The PTX file can include parts, boards and patterns and so applies to several types of import.
Parts and Boards import
- both parts and boards are imported (they cannot be imported separately)
- if the pattern exchange file does not contain any board information then no BRD files are produced. The minimum requirement of lines in a PTX file is PARTS_REQ and MATERIALS.
- importing parts list(s) from a PTX file uses the first available optimising and saw parameters for the part list rather than the PTX filename.
Pattern import
Material parameters
When a Pattern Exchange file is imported, the program extracts material parameters from the MATERIALS line of the file and creates a material parameter archive for the run containing these settings (.MPA file). Each material in the Pattern Exchange has an entry in the material parameter archive. If the run is subsequently reoptimised or recalculated, these settings take precedence over the relevant saw and optimising parameters. The material parameters available are:-
Max book height (boards)
Rip trim - front
Rip trim - rear
Crosscut trim - front
Crosscut trim - rear
Head retrim
Recut level allowed
Number of heads (see note below)
Allow board rotation
The 'Number of heads' is set according to 'allow heads' as follows:-
PTX Allow heads MPA Max heads
0 0
1 5 (max)
A blank in the PTX means no value should be assumed (material override off).A zero or non zero value in the PTX means that the value should be observed (material override on).
- When importing parts (and boards) from pattern exchange data if the file to be imported contains board data and a material parameter file name is specified in the MATERIALS record, the parameter name is imported to the parameter field of all imported boards of that material.
MATERIALS,1,1,WHITE15, “White laminated chipboard 15mm”, 15.0, 4,
4.8, 4.8, 10.0, 0.0, 10.0, 0.0, 5.0, 10.0, 10.0, 4, 1, 1, 0, WLAM15
- Pattern exchange - For the pattern exchange format ASCII files have a .PTX extension and Access database files have an .MDB extension. For square parts if the grain flag is set to 0 (no grain) or 1 (grain along the length of the board) the parts are placed in the patterns with the same orientation as the board. If the grain flag is set to 2 (grain along width of board) square parts are placed in patterns with the opposite orientation to the board.
- if importing from a PTX format the import stops if the format is not correct for a run (runs imported before that run are imported Ok).
Importing data with commas
Use the following rules for data containing commas.
- Fields containing commas must be delimited with double quotes (e.g. "a field, with a comma")
- Fields containing a double quote must be delimited with double quotes and the ‘embedded’ double quote must be doubled (e.g. "a field with a "" mark")
- On import, commas are converted to full stops (this is the same behaviour as importing pattern exchange data from MDB. Any full stops in the job name, optimising parameter and/saw parameter name are subsequently converted to underscores
On export (saw transfer) to ASCII pattern exchange, text fields containing double quotes are delimited by double quotes and embedded double quotes are doubled. The program does not currently allow commas in fields so the export process has not been changed to accommodate fields containing commas.
- It is also Ok to delimit all fields with double quotes so the import of ASCII pattern exchange data in the following format is allowed
JOBS, "1","X3-10000","10000-001-TEST PROJE","07/01/2015",,"","0",,
