Some Random Questions

[Tool-n-Around]

I've been using CB a lot and enjoying great results. There are a few quirky things that may have more to do with my operating system (Windows 10) than CB, but thought I'd ask anyway.

1. CB isn't updating the date and time when I modify and save a file. The actual file changes do successfully save but is not stored with the new date and time. This is so whether displayed in the file opening dialogue box or Windows Explorer. Closing CB and restarting doesn't cure the problem and neither does rebooting and starting fresh. This is the most problematic for me because I frequently change which MOPs are enabled and then open them in another CB instance running my CNC Router. I usually check the time to insure it's the updated file I am selecting so I don't damage a complex part by running the wrong version of the file. Without the time, it can be difficult to tell if the MOPs are similar.

2. What is the purpose of the "B" files? I search the documentation but must not have been looking in the right place. I originally thought they were backup files as previously saved version. But, they do not display in the open file dialogue box as a CB file, and if "All Files" they open in CB as what appears to be some kind of MOP under Machine Part folder. However, they don't appear to contain or display any data. Some of my files are quite large, so have three copies of several hundred MByte is objectionable. Is there a way to reduce or eliminate the number of these files CB creates.

3. After a layer has been hidden, if I select "show all", the command executes, the layer folder icon changes from grey to the normal color, but the layer name remains grey as if hidden. If I select the layer individually and select "show", the layer name is then restored to black from grey. Is this normal?

Best,
Kelly

[lloydsp]

Tool-n,
Do you have the 'save settings on Exit' feature clicked on?  I don't think that affects the time/date stamp.  Mine is running on Win10, and my file date is updated reliably -- so I guess it's something about your system.

The 'b' files ARE incremental backups.  Change their file names to something unique (so as not to conflict with your current drawing), and change the filename extension to ".cb" (just remove the ".bx" post-pend), and they will load like any other cb file.

Lloyd

[Tool-n-Around]

Do you have the 'save settings on Exit' feature clicked on?  I don't think that affects the time/date stamp.  Mine is running on Win10, and my file date is updated reliably -- so I guess it's something about your system.

Yes, "save settings on Exit' is selected.

The 'b' files ARE incremental backups.  Change their file names to something unique (so as not to conflict with your current drawing), and change the filename extension to ".cb" (just remove the ".bx" post-pend), and they will load like any other cb file.

Thanks for that. I dont think I need to save the last three versions. I can just keep deleting them, but if there is a way to change that setting, to say just the last version, it would be convenient. As it is now, a 100MB file claims 400MB of space.......so I delete.

Thanks Lloyd.

Best,
Kelly

[EddyCurrent]

In Windows Explorer there are many attributes you can choose to display, e.g. "Date Created" and "Date Modified", I use Date Modified.

[dh42]

Hello

You can define the number of backups in the options > File Backups (this act for all modified files, .cb files, tool libraries, post pro, etc )

https://cambamcnc.com/doc/1.0/configuration.html#DrawingTemplate

3. After a layer has been hidden, if I select "show all", the command executes, the layer folder icon changes from grey to the normal color, but the layer name remains grey as if hidden. If I select the layer individually and select "show", the layer name is then restored to black from grey. Is this normal?

it is a known bug

++
David

[Tool-n-Around]

Hello, You can define the number of backups in the options > File Backups (this act for all modified files, .cb files, tool libraries, post pro, etc )

https://cambamcnc.com/doc/1.0/configuration.html#DrawingTemplate

Ahhh....got it. Thank you for that.

3..........it is a known bug

It's a very minor issue......easy to live with. I was just curious.

In Windows Explorer there are many attributes you can choose to display, e.g. "Date Created" and "Date Modified", I use Date Modified.

Thanks for that Eddy. After your post, I tried toggling between those two settings but it didn't affect the whether files saved from CB updated date and time. I did try a number of other applications and the date and time does display update properly. Sometimes, if I have the Windows Explorer window open to a given file location before I save, I need to refresh for it to display the updated date/time, but files saved from CB do not update if refreshed.

It's got me scratching my head a bit because it hasn't always been this way and the problem seems to come and go. This time it seems to be sticking around 

Best,
Kelly

[EddyCurrent]

It might have something to do with the Explorer window not refreshing.

1. Save a file in CamBam
2. Open the Explorer window to the saved file's location
3. Press F5 on the keyboard

That will refresh the window contents. If the time and date are updated then it's something to do with automatic refresh.
You can search for answers to that on the internet.

[Tool-n-Around]

It might have something to do with the Explorer window not refreshing.

1. Save a file in CamBam
2. Open the Explorer window to the saved file's location
3. Press F5 on the keyboard

That will refresh the window contents. If the time and date are updated then it's something to do with automatic refresh.
You can search for answers to that on the internet.

I performed that sequence making a change and saving the 4-1-2025 dated file shown in the attached and when F5 or refresh is selected, the date remains unchanged as the created date when viewing from the CB Save/Open Window. However, when I view from Windows Explorer, having right clicked on the date header and selected date modified, Windows Explorer now displays both the date/time created and modified.

I created and saved the new "Test File" with the 4-4-2025 date just to make sure it wasn't something unique to the 4-1-2025 dated file. It behaves the same.

It appears that CB now only displays the created date in the open/save dialogue box. I am certain in the not-too-distant past it displayed the modified date because I observed and used the feature frequently as I changed MOPs and saved the GCode file, the Gcode file always displayed with the most recently modified date/time.

When I right click on the date header in the CB Open/Save dialogue box, it gives me no option to select date created vs modified like available in Windows Explorer......and maybe it's just my recalling incorrectly, but I don't recall Windows Explorer ever displaying both date created and modified as shown; just whichever option you had selected.

I have not consciously changed any of my settings, but I'm beginning to suspect there has been some kind of Windows update that's causing this.

Best,
Kelly

[dh42]

Hello

When I right click on the date header in the CB Open/Save dialogue box, it gives me no option to select date created vs modified like available in Windows Explorer......and maybe it's just my recalling incorrectly, but I don't recall Windows Explorer ever displaying both date created and modified as shown; just whichever option you had selected.

Maybe specific to W10/11 ?

On W7 I get the choice in the header.

++
David

[Tool-n-Around]

....Maybe specific to W10/11 ?....On W7 I get the choice in the header.

Yes, same for me in Windows Explorer. I'm probably not using the correct terms, but what I am saying, the window  (I was saying dialogue box) that opens when I select the open or save command from CamBam shows files with the created date/time, not the last modified and saved date/time, and I have no option to select otherwise in that date header in that window like exists from Windows Explorer.

Previously, I would change enabled MOPs in a file, generate toolpaths, then GCode and overwrite the previous GCode file with the updates. I would then open that GCode file in another instance of CB that was running my machine (from GRBL Machine), and it would display the most recently modified date/time. Now it will only display the original created date for the file by that name. So this means I cant tell if I'm opening the updated file before it opens, and if the tool paths displayed between mods are complex or display in a visually similar manner, I still can't tell even after the Gcode file opens in my viewer.

Make sense?

Best,
Kelly

[alex_holden]

Could you open the .nc file in a text editor and look at the date/time in the header (second line)? That's what I do when I want to check I've sent the latest version to my CNC machine.

[Tool-n-Around]

Could you open the .nc file in a text editor and look at the date/time in the header (second line)? That's what I do when I want to check I've sent the latest version to my CNC machine.

Yes. There are several ways for me to check but it takes multiple steps, including just viewing the file in Windows explorer with date modified toggled on. My routine has been to have two instances of CB open. One to change and part selection and enabling MOPs for tool changes etc, then generate the toolpaths and overwrite/save the GCode file. The second instance is to interface with my machine controller and display the file while it executes. Until recently, when I would open the Gode/.nc file from that second instance, the file would always display as the most recently modified date/time, but now it only displays as the originally created date/time. This only seems to be occurring with CB, not other apps. -I'm just trying to figure out what changed.

Appreciate everyone's help. Having tried everything I can think of, I may just have to live with it.

Best,
Kelly