From Scratch: A Guide to Writing DateMacros for Laser Markers

This tutorial is for users with no prior knowledge of laser marking machines. It covers the basics of macros, code writing, and techniques for debugging.The company's laser marking systems are easy to operate and offer a wide range of marking functions, including text, numbers, bar codes, and graphics.

Why are date macros necessary?

Not only was it time-consuming to manually enter the production date each day, it was also prone to errors.In particular, in industries like food packaging and electronics, where date precision is important, the use of macros to automatically mark dates can cut repetitive operations by 80 %.Many old hands think that the threshold for learning programming is high, but in fact if you just master a few key syntaxes you can do it in half an hour!

Preparing for the job.

Confirm that the equipment supports the macro function.

First, look through the user's manual for your laser engraver, and see if there are any sections on "macro editing" or "scripting.The mainstream brands like Golden Orange and EzCad2 all basically support it, but older equipment might need to upgrade the software version.

Install required software.

After installing the CD drive, check to see if the AbiWord word processor works.If it's your first time using it, it's best to create a new folder on your computer to store the test files so you don't accidentally delete any system scripts.

Hands-on programming

Open the Macro Command Editor.

For example, in EZCAD2, if you hold down the Ctrl key and double-click on the software icon, a hidden macro command window will appear.The first thing to do is to call up the date.

Enter the basic code.

Try copying and pasting the following code:

(Chang Shu-fen / photos courtesy of the National Palace Museum / tr.

$date = GetDate ("yyyy-MM-dd")

Mark.AddText ($date).

Please translate the following into English.

After clicking on "run," the machine should directly print out the date.If you see a bunch of gibberish, chances are you've got the wrong font; try SimSun or Arial.

Adding a dynamic time stamp.

If you want to add hours, minutes, and seconds to the time stamp, change the code to:

Please use a natural, conversational style of English.

GetTime("HH:mm:ss")

Mark.AddText($date + " " + $time).

(Chang Shu-mei / tr.

Don't forget to include a space between the date and the time.

A guide to debugging pitfalls.

Customizable date formats.

For example, if you replace the hyphens with slashes or dots, as in "yy / MM / dd," the date will be displayed as "24/07/15.If you want to use English month names, try the "MMMM" parameter, but first switch the system language to English.

Solving the problem of position drift.

If a date falls outside the area of the map, the following line can be added to the code:

The following is a translation of an article by Chen Chih-chung, which appeared in the October 2000 issue of China Times Monthly.

Mark.SetPos (20, 30)

The following are excerpts from the interview.

The 20 and 30 units are millimeters, and you can adjust them as needed depending on the size of the workpiece.

Techniques of preservation and utilization.

After completing the test, save the file as a .mac file. We recommend naming the file with a date and the model of the Mac.The next time you need to use it, you can just drag it into the interface without even having to look at the code.

Real-world applications.

When a production line is printing the expiration date on a box, it can use the serial number function to produce a label like "2024-07-15+0001.The medical device industry can trace production batches, and can integrate date codes and internal company codes into the same bar code.

If the equipment is updated in the middle of the night, remember to check that the time zone has been set to Eastern Standard Time.Once when I was helping a client adjust his system, the time zone was set to London by default, so the date was always eight hours behind.

If you follow these steps, your laser should be able to mark the date on its own.If you run into a problem, it's a good idea to take a screen shot and post it on the technical support group for the equipment vendor. The old pros there are always happy to take a look.