Improving entity-specific macros

When creating an entity-specific macro, you can use the following parameters to improve the macro. The parameters enable PowerMill to:

• identify the first and last selected entity; and
• display the total number of selected entities and the entity PowerMill is currently processing.

The parameters to identify the first and last select entity enable PowerMill to execute specific lines of code before and after it processes the first and last entity in a loop. These prevent PowerMill from executing the entire macro for every selected entity.

Parameters:

• powermill.Status.MultipleSelection.First

  This enables PowerMill to identify the first selected entity.

• powermill.Status.MultipleSelection.Last

  This enables PowerMill to identify the last selected entity.

• powermill.Status.MultipleSelection.Count

  This enables PowerMill to display the entity it is processing, for example, 'Checking toolpath 6 for collisions'.

• powermill.Status.MultipleSelection.Total == 0

  This enables PowerMill to display the total number of selected entities.

For information on how to create a user-menu macro that includes these parameters, see Creating an entity-specific macro.