Saving an MDI Program

Have you ever written an MDI program, ran it and then thought, “I wish I’d saved that!” Short programs that many people don’t consider worth saving crop up again and again. 

For example, a program to bore jaws out on a lathe, or one to drill and tap holes are the types of program that could have to be written frequently during component setups. Using VQC (Visual Quick Code) to create programs also gives the option of outputting the NC code to MDI. 

Once this is output and has been ran and then proven out you may decide to keep this for future reference. 

Once a file is in MDI and has been run and proved it is a simple process to save for use at a later date. First, find a program number in the directory on your machine that is not in use, e.g. O01234. N.B. Always ensure that the first character is a letter “O”. 

Once the file number is sorted, select the MDI screen with the program you wish to save. Ensure that the cursor is at the top of the MDI screen, Use the HOME button in the navigation pad in the centre of the control to do this. 

When the cursor is at the top of the program, enter a file number that you want to name and save the program, e.g. O01234. 

Next, on the EDIT line of keys press the ALTER key – the MDI screen will go blank. Go into the LIST PROGRAMS on your machine.

The file that was in MDI will now be in the Directory and has been saved like any other program in your memory.