Summary

This article explains how to restore a custom drill cycle that does not appear in the GibbsCAM drilling dialog. GibbsCAM loads each custom drill cycle from the global Program Data folder for the installed release, and the custom cycle folder name must match the cycle definition in the active Machine Definition Database (MDD).


Table of Contents


Before You Begin

  • Confirm which GibbsCAM version is being used.

  • Confirm the part uses the MDD that contains the custom drill cycle definition.

  • Back up any existing custom drill cycle folder before replacing its files.


Cause

A custom drill cycle may be missing when:

  • The active MDD does not define the custom drill cycle.

  • The macro folder was copied to the Program Data folder for a different GibbsCAM version.

  • The custom cycle folder name does not match the macro name defined in the MDD.

  • A required macro file is missing or has been renamed.


Resolution

Step 1 - Confirm the GibbsCAM Version and MDD

  1. Confirm the GibbsCAM version used to open the part.

  2. Confirm the part uses the MDD that defines the required custom drill cycle.

Step 2 - Open the Custom Drill Cycles Folder

  1. Close GibbsCAM.

  2. In File Explorer, open the global Program Data folder for the installed release: C:\ProgramData\Gibbs\GibbsCAM\<version>\Macros\CustomDrillCycles.

  3. Replace <version> with the folder for the GibbsCAM release being used. If ProgramData is hidden, paste the path directly into the File Explorer address bar.

Step 3 - Verify the Custom Cycle Folder Name

  1. Locate or create one folder for the custom drill cycle inside CustomDrillCycles.

  2. Set the folder name to exactly match the custom cycle macro name defined in the MDD.

  3. For example, if the MDD definition is Gibbs.GunDrilling.Generic, use the following folder structure:
    C:\ProgramData\Gibbs\GibbsCAM\<version>\Macros\CustomDrillCycles\
    Gibbs.GunDrilling.Generic\

Step 4 - Verify the Macro Files

  1. Confirm that the custom cycle folder contains the standard macro files with these exact filenames:

  • DefineData.txt

  • CycleData.mac

  • CycleData.dlg

  • ToolPath.mac

  1. Correct any missing or renamed files by copying them from the custom drill cycle package supplied for the MDD.

Step 5 - Verify the Custom Cycle in GibbsCAM

  1. Start the same GibbsCAM version.

  2. Open a part that uses the MDD containing the custom drill cycle definition.

  3. Open the applicable drilling process dialog and confirm that the custom drill cycle is available.


Expected Result

The custom drill cycle appears in the GibbsCAM drilling dialog and can be selected for the process.


Additional Information

Advanced configuration note: If UseMacroDialog is set to 0 in DefineData.txt, CycleData.mac and CycleData.dlg are not required. For standard configurations, retain all four files listed above.

For developer-level details, see the official GibbsCAM Custom Drill Cycles reference.



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Keywords

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