I’m installing a Rapidchange ATC.
I downloaded 3 .MACRO files,
but Gsender’s import function insists on .JSON files.
Anybody smarter than me?
Silly question, of you myriad geniuses, could somebody help me out?
THanks.
Doing a quick web search did not yield any results on the format for a .MACRO file. Excel was mentioned but I’m guessing that’s not what we want for G-code.
If you post the files maybe someone, possibly me, can make something to translate them. Put them in a zip file if you can because I know .zip is an acceptable file extension for this forum.
I do a little programming so maybe I can work something out.
EDIT: Doing some digging and maybe it is the Excel macro format. If I had to guess you need the P200.macro, P231.macro, and TC.macro translated to JSON. I found those on GitHub. Not sure if I can do it but this info is relevant for any who try, I think.
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That was just the smart guy I was looking for. Yes, those are the 3 files I have.
I’m sure the RapidChange guys are hackers talking to hackers, but the customer base is noobs like me guesstimating our way by feel. So I’ll post the .ZIP. No pressure, it’s Sunday and they’re the guys that are supposed to make this easy for me. I also found a Youtube video by Sparkstech, for anyone else in the weeds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY_6vGJG5wI&t=173s
3macros.zip (1.3 KB)
And Michael, if you do nothing else, because just answering was a gift, could you point to where “how and why to create a JSON” is for me to learn? Thanks!
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Here are a couple of tutorials about the JSON file format.
And I believe this is the source of truth for all things JSON. JSON.org
The file format is not that complex. I think the hardest part will be identifying how various constructs map from the macro files to how gSender represents them in JSON e.g. What does an “if elseif endif” in the macro format look like in gSender JSON format.
I had a talk with chatGPT about the macro files now I need to export some macros from gSender to see what that looks like. I might have to learn some more about gSender macros which is a good thing. I just upgraded to the SuperLongBoard so anything I learn will most likely be useful to me.
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Watching that video and it looks like you use the .macro files as is on the SD card on the SLB. I think that video is going to be more helpful than me.
If I’m wrong on that let me know but I think your going to be all set with that video.
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The RapidChange .macro files contains advanced gcode to be run by the controller from the SD card. So these are not gSender specific and should be copied to the SD card from a PC. The .macro extension was chosen to distinguish them from “normal” gcode.
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Thanks Terjeio, I’m following these clues like a trail of bread crumbs. From reading the RCATC website, I didn’t think my SLBEXT would need the SD card, and that the macros would load on the PC. But I do not know if that is true, and if so, how to do it.
Further info for any other freshmen like me scrambling to figure it out. That video is long but informative. Also I did get a micro sd card (smallest I could find was 32GB) and it seems, so far, that the SLBEXT will read the .MACRO file. I can’t get back to the shop until Friday…
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Glad your making progress. I didn’t watch the whole video because I don’t have that fancy kit. I stopped when I realized he knew 10,000 times as much as I do about those things and figured you had found your own path to a solution.
Good luck, it seems like some nice kit to have!
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