The G-Code Assistant

Every shop re-writes the same operations. This lets you write them once.

Think about how many times a bolt-circle of holes gets programmed in a busy shop. Every job that needs one, someone re-types the macro, copies it from an old program and edits the numbers, or rebuilds it in CAM. Every time, it's a fresh chance to fat-finger a value, drop a line, or introduce the small mistake that scraps a part — and every programmer does it their own way, so there's no single, proven version the whole shop trusts.

Eureka 3X Pro's G-Code Assistant replaces that with a different model: build the operation once as a parametric template — with real logic built in — then reuse it as a simple fill-in-the-blanks form, and verify every instance on the twin the moment you create it.

This is the one place in Eureka 3X Pro that helps you write G-code, not just check it — and it's built so that everything you write gets checked automatically.

Step 1 — Define the parameters

You start by describing the operation's inputs: named, typed parameters, each with a plain-language description. For a circular drilling pattern that's center X and Y, the Z clearance, hole depth, circle radius, angle step, hole count, spindle speed, and feed — plus, if you want, a text parameter for a custom error message. This is the interface the operation will present to whoever uses it later.

Step 2 — Write the template body once

The template body is real Fanuc macro-B code, with your parameters injected wherever you wrap them in curly brackets — #503={CX}, G81 Z{Z_HOLE_DEPTH} F{FEED}. Because it's genuine macro programming, the template can contain logic, not just fixed lines: a loop that computes each hole position with COS/SIN, a decrementing counter, GOTO/N labels — and, importantly, input validation. In the example, a single guard line raises a control alarm with your custom message if the radius is left at zero:

IF [#500 EQ 0] #3000=1 ({MSG_USER_ERROR})

That's the difference between a snippet and a real template: the operation protects itself against being used wrong, once, for every future instance.

Step 3 — Reuse it as a fill-in form

Once the template exists, using it is trivial: drag it into the editor and Eureka prompts for the values by their friendly descriptions — CENTER X, HOLE DEPTH, CIRCLE RADIUS, HOLES COUNT, SPINDLE SPEED, and so on. The person creating the instance fills in numbers against plain-language labels; they never touch macro syntax, #-variables, or the loop logic underneath. The complexity was solved once, by whoever built the template — everyone after just fills in the blanks.

Step 4 — It generates the code, and simulates it

Eureka inserts the expanded, commented G-code into the editor, and because you're already in Eureka 3X Pro, you simulate it immediately — watching the actual bolt-circle of holes appear on the twin, with the real work offset, tool, feed, and speed. The operation you just built from a form is verified on the spot, before it goes anywhere near a machine.

Why this is more than a snippet library

It carries logic and guards, not just text. The template loops, computes, and validates its own inputs. A snippet can't refuse to run with a missing radius; this template can.

It separates the expert from the user. One skilled programmer builds and proves the operation; everyone else uses it safely through a form. The shop's know-how is captured once and reused correctly, instead of living in one person's head and being re-typed job after job.

Every instance is verified, not assumed. A reusable template has a hidden risk: a bad assumption propagates into every job that uses it. Because the Assistant lives inside Eureka 3X Pro, you simulate each instance as you create it — so a template error is caught on the twin, not discovered across a dozen scrapped jobs.

Who it's for

The hand-coder and macro programmer — the shop-floor and Fanuc-macro crowd who write and edit G-code directly. The Assistant gives them a faster, safer way to reuse their own parametric operations, and it pairs naturally with Eureka 3X Pro's G-code debugging tools for building and troubleshooting that code.

The shop standardizing its routines — anywhere you want one proven version of a common operation that every programmer uses the same way, instead of a dozen personal variants of the same bolt-circle. The template becomes the shop standard; the verification keeps it honest.

Try it on your most-repeated operation. Build one — a bolt-circle, a standard pocket, a probing routine — as a template, create an instance from the form, and simulate it.

Eureka 3X Pro — 30-day free trial, no credit card required.

FAQ

What is the G-Code Assistant?
A tool for building parametric operation templates — you define named parameters, write the operation body once as macro code with those parameters injected, then reuse it by filling in a simple form. Eureka generates the G-code and simulates it.

Is it just saved snippets of code?
No. The template body is real macro programming — it can loop, compute positions, and validate its own inputs (for example, raise an alarm if a required value is missing). A saved snippet is fixed text; a template is a small program you drive with parameters.

Do the people using a template need to know macro programming?
No — that's the point. One person builds and proves the template; everyone else fills in plain-language values (center, depth, radius, hole count) and never touches the macro syntax underneath.

How does this stay safe if a template has a mistake?
Because you verify each instance on the controller-accurate twin as you create it. A reusable template's risk is that an error propagates into every job — simulating each instance catches that on the twin before it reaches a machine.

Does the generated code run on my control?
The templates are built in the control's macro language (the example is Fanuc macro-B), and you simulate the generated program on a twin of your machine before running it — so you verify the actual output for your control.