Basic information

Application

In the file management, the control displays drives, folders, and files. You can, for example, create or delete folders or files and can also connect drives.

The file management function encompasses the Files operating mode and the workspace as well as the Open File windows.

Description of function

Icons, buttons and shortcuts

The file management provides the following icons, buttons and shortcuts:

Icon, button or shortcut

Meaning

Activate custom filter

Creating or changing a user-defined filter

Only in the Files operating mode

Back

Open or close History

The control opens a selection menu with up to 20 previous paths since switch-on.

ALT + O

Edit

The control displays a navigation path as editable text.

ENT

Finish editing

The control saves the changes to the path and calls the new path.

Refresh

Favorite

If you add a favorite, then the control displays this icon next to the file or the folder.

Eject

Eject USB device

With end of file, the control indicates that the complete file is visible in the preview area.

The control only displays a part of the file in the preview area.

New folder

Create new folder

New file

Create new file

 
Tip

You create a new table in the Tables operating mode.

The Tables operating mode

File functions

The control opens the context menu.

Context menu

Only in the Files operating mode

Mark

CTRL + SPACE

The control marks the file and opens the action bar.

Only in the Files operating mode

CTRL + Z

Undo

CTRL + Y

Redo

Show as document

The control opens the file in the Document workspace.

The Document workspace

Only in the Files operating mode

Open

The control opens the file in the appropriate operating mode or application.

Select in Program Run

The control opens the file in the Program Run operating mode and selects the first NC block.

Only in the Files operating mode

Update TAB / PGM

Converting the format and content of files from the iTNC 530

Modify faulty files

Adapting files

Only in the Files operating mode

Mount network share

Network drives on the control

Only in the Files operating mode

If you swipe a file or folder to the right in the file management, the control displays the following file functions:

Icon

Meaning

Rename

Copy

Cut

If you cut a file or a folder, then the control dims the icon of the file or the folder.

Delete

Activate write-protection

If write-protection is active, then the control displays this icon next to the file or the folder.

Deactivate write-protection

Add favorite

Remove favorite

You can also select some of these file functions from the context menu.

Context menu

Areas of file management

The Files operating mode

1

Navigation path

In the navigation path the control shows the position of the current folder in the folder structure. Use the individual elements of the navigation path to move to a higher folder level. You can edit the path or open a previous path from the History.

2

3

Information area

Information area

4

Preview area

In the preview area the control shows a preview of the selected file; for example, an excerpt from an NC program.

5

Content column

In the content column the control shows all folders and files for selection using the navigation column.

The control displays the following status for a file, if applicable:

  • M: the file is active in the Program Run operating mode
  • S: the file is active in the Simulation workspace
  • E: the file is active in the Editor operating mode

6

Navigation column

Navigation column

Full-text search in the title bar

Use the full-text search to look for any strings in the names or contents of files. Use the selection menu to choose whether the control searches the names or contents of the files.

Before a search, you first need to choose the path in which the control is to conduct the search. Based on the chosen path, the control only searches within the subordinate structure. In order to refine a search, you can search again within an existing search result.

You can use the * character as a placeholder. This placeholder can stand for any characters or even an entire word. You can also use the placeholder to search for specific file types (e.g., *.pdf).

Sorting in the title bar

You can sort folders and files in ascending or descending order according to the following criteria:

  • Name
  • Type
  • Size
  • Change date

If you sort by name or type, the control lists the files alphabetically.

Settings in the title bar

In the Settings window the control offers the following toggle switches:

  • Show hidden files
  • When the toggle switch is active the control shows hidden files. Names of hidden files start with a dot.

  • Show dependent files
  • When the toggle switch is active the control shows dependent files. Dependent files end with *.dep or *.t.csv.

Information area

In the information area the control shows the path of the file or folder.

Path

Depending on which element is selected, the control displays the following additional information:

  • Size
  • Change date
  • Creator
  • Type

You can select the following functions in the information area:

  • Activate and deactivate write-protection
  • Add or remove favorites

Navigation column

The navigation column offers the following possibilities for navigation:

  • Search Result
  • The control displays the results of the full-text search. If there was no search, or if nothing was found, then this area is empty.

  • Favorite
  • The control displays all folders and files that you have marked as favorites.

  • Last files
  • The control displays the 15 most recently opened files.

  • Recycle bin
  • The control moves deleted folders and files to the recycle bin. You can use the context menu to restore these files or empty the recycle bin.

  • Context menu

  • Drives (e.g., TNC:)
  • The control displays internal and external drives (e.g., a USB device).

  • The control displays the occupied and total memory space under each drive.

Permitted characters

You can use the following characters for the names of drives, folders, and files:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 _ -

Only use characters that are shown here; otherwise problems might occur (for example, during data transmission).

The following characters have specific functions, and must therefore not be used in a name:

Character

Function

.

Separates the file name from the file type

\

/

Separates between drive, folder, and file in the path

:

Separates the drive names

Name

When you create a file, you first define its name. The file name is followed by the file name extension, consisting of a period and the file type.

Path

The maximum permitted path length is 255 characters. The path length consists of the drive characters, the folder name, and the file name, including the file name extension.

Absolute path

An absolute path specifies the exact position of a file. The path begins with the drive and then goes through the folder structure in sequence all the way to the file (e.g., TNC:\nc_prog\$mdi.h). If the file being called has been moved, then a new absolute path must be entered.

Relative path

A relative path specifies the position of a file in relation to the file that is calling it. The path goes through the folder structure in sequence all the way to the file, starting from the file that is calling it (e.g., demo\reset.H). If a file has been moved, then a new relative path must be entered.

File types

You can use uppercase or lowercase letters to define the file type.

HEIDENHAIN-specific file types

The control can open the following HEIDENHAIN-specific file types:

File type

Application

H

NC program written in HEIDENHAIN Klartext

Contents of an NC program

I

NC program with ISO commands

HC

Contour definition in the smarT.NC format of the iTNC 530

HU

Main program in the smarT.NC format of the iTNC 530

D

Table with workpiece datums

Datum table *.d

DEP

Automatically generated table with data that depend on the NC program (e.g., the tool usage file)

Tool usage file

P

Table for pallet-oriented machining

The Job list workspace

PNT

Table with machining positions (e.g., for the machining of irregular point patterns)

Point table *.pnt

PR

Table with workpiece presets

Preset table *.pr

TAB

Freely definable table (e.g., for protocol files or as WMAT and TMAT tables for automatic calculation of cutting data)

Freely definable tables *.tab

Cutting data calculator

TCH

Table with the assignment of the tool magazine

Pocket table tool_p.tch

T

Table with tools for all technologies

Tool table tool.t

TP

Table with touch probes (#17 / #1-05-1)

Touch probe table tchprobe.tp (#17 / #1-05-1)

TNCDRW

Contour description as a 2D drawing

The Contour graphics workspace

M3D

Format for tool carriers or collision objects (#40 / #5-03-1), for example

Options for fixture files

TNCBCK

File for data backup and restoration

Backup and restore

EXP

Configuration file for saving and importing configurations of the control interface

Configuring the control's user interface

The control opens these file types with an internal application or with a HEROS tool.

Opening files with additional software

Standardized file types

The control can open the following standardized file types:

File type

Application

CSV

Text file for saving or exchanging simple structured data

Importing and exporting tool data

XLSX (XLS)

File type for various spreadsheet programs (e.g., Microsoft Excel)

STL

3D model created with triangular facets (e.g., fixtures)

Exporting a simulated workpiece as STL file

DXF

2D CAD files

IGS/IGES

STP/STEP

CHM

Help files in compiled or compressed format

CFG

Configuration files of the control

Options for fixture files

Machine parameters

CFT

3D data of a parameterizable tool-carrier template

Tool carrier management

CFX

3D data of a geometrically determined tool carrier

Tool carrier management

HTM/HTML

Text file with structured content of a website that can be opened in a browser (e.g., the integrated product aid)

User's Manual as integrated product aid: TNCguide

XML

Text file with hierarchically-structured data

PDF

Document format that visually reproduces the original file identically, regardless of the source application

BAK

Data-backup file

Data backup

INI

Initialization file (e.g., can contain program settings)

A

Format file (e.g., for defining the screen output format in connection with FN 16)

TXT

Text file (e.g., for saving the results of measurement cycles in connection with FN 16)

SVG

Picture format for vector graphics

BMP

GIF

JPG/JPEG

PNG

Picture formats for pixel graphics

By default, the control uses the PNG format for screenshots

HEROS menu

OGG

Container file format for the OGA, OGV, and OGX media types

ZIP

Container file format that collects multiple compressed files.

The control opens some of these file types with the HEROS tools.

Opening files with additional software

Creating or changing a user-defined filter

To create or edit a user-defined filter in file management:

  1. Select the Files operating mode, if required
  2. Open the standard filters selection menu
  3. Select User-defined
  4. The control displays an input field next to the selection menu.
  5. Enter the desired file types in the input field (e.g., *.h, *.txt)

  1. Confirm your input and activate the filter
  2. The control displays all files of the specified file types and takes over the text to the selection menu.
 
Tip

The user-defined filter will remain active only until you shut down the control.

Filters in the title bar

Notes

  • The control has 21 GB of disk space. The maximum size of any file is limited to 2 GB.
  • When you open an NC program, the control requires free disk space that is three times the file size of the NC program.
  • When you create a new table in the file manager, the table does not contain information on the required columns yet. When you open the table for the first time, the Incomplete table layout window will open in the Tables operating mode.
  • In the Incomplete table layout window, a selection menu allows you to select a table template. The control shows which table columns are added or removed, if applicable.

  • The Tables operating mode

  • The names of tables and table columns must start with a letter and must not contain an arithmetic operator (e.g., +). These characters can cause problems when inputting or reading data in conjunction with SQL commands.
  • Table access with SQL statements

  • If the cursor is within the content column, you can start inputting through the keyboard. The control opens a separate input field and automatically searches for the entered string. If it finds a file or folder with that string, then the control moves the cursor to it.
  • If you exit an NC program by pressing the END BLK key, the control opens the Add tab. The cursor is on the NC program that was just closed.
  • If you press the END BLK key again, the control opens the NC program again with the cursor on the last selected line. With large files, this behavior can cause a delay.

  • If you press the ENT key, the control always opens an NC program with the cursor on line 0.

  • The control creates dependency files with the *.dep extension for the tool-usage file (e.g., in order to perform a tool usage test).
  • Tool usage test

  • In the machine parameter createBackup (no. 105401) the machine manufacturer defines whether the control creates a backup file when saving an NC program. Please note that these backup files will take up disk space.
  • Even if the inch unit of measure is active in the control or NC program, the control will interpret dimensions of 3D files in mm.

Hints about copied files

  • If you copy a file and then paste it to the same folder, the control adds the suffix _1 to the file name. The control increments the number sequentially for each consecutive copy.
  • If you paste a file to another folder and that folder contains a file with the same name, the control opens the Insert file window. The control displays the path of the two files and provides the following options:
    • Replace existing file
    • Skip copied file
    • Add suffix to file name
  • You can also apply the selected option to all such cases.