Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

[DaveCVI]

Hi,

You may have noticed mention of a new screen set being developed for Mach3 v4…  I've been working with Brian to develop a screen set to prototype and support Mach3 v4 functionality (on top of Mach3 v3).

I'm pleased to announce the screen set is called MachStdMill, and that Brian and I will be showing MachStdMill at the CNC workshop next week. Additionally, we've decided to pre-announce release of a v3 specific version of the screen set for use with Mach3 v3.

The v3 version of MachStdMill contains all off the package's functionality which is supported on Mach3 v3 (as of the recent 3.43.6 development release).

If all goes as planned, the MachStdMill screen set will be released for general beta testing the week following the CNC Workshop. The screen set effort started last year and has been in Alpha testing for the last few months, so we're confident that the Beta release of v3 MachStdMill is pretty stable.

In addition to supporting the functionality of the venerable 1024 screen set, MachStdMill provides support for significant additional functionality.

The following are some of the enhancements included in the MachStdMill package:
    Updated User Interface (UI)
        New visual appearance.
            (See screen shots)
        Graphic controls consistency.
        Work flow driven functionality grouping.

    Integrated probing support for work coordinate offsets setting.

    Tool handling extensions
        RH (repeatable length tool) holders & NRH (non-repeatable length tool) holders
        Support for mixed usage of RH & NRH holders

    WCO (work coordinate offset) and TT (Tool table) handling extensions.
        WCO and TT can be saved to named disk files and reloaded.
        Reports of WCO & TT contents.
        MachStdMill WCO and TT tables will transfer to Mach3 v4.

    Enhanced support for optional hardware
        Monitors: both 10x7 (1024x768) & 12x9 (1280x1024) monitor resolutions are supported.
        Touch Plates: both “mobile” and TCP (tool change position) touch plates supported.
        Integrated support for 3D probes.

    Master tool mode
        MachStdMill now supports the use of a master tool TLO model.
        Master Too Mode includes support (with a TCP TP) for auto measurement of TLOs during a tool change.

    Full doc package included
        A full set of Mach3 manuals are installed with the package and are accessible from the reference page of the screen set.

        The MachStdMill package includes a new “Using Mach3” manual which covers MachStdMill use with Mach3 v3.

    User extensible
        Source package to be available.
        Including graphics source files – so you can easily modify the screen set.

    Screen set package is licensed free of charge.
        License terms are “BSD like”.

   
Attached are a couple of screen shots to give an idea of the visual appearance of MachStdMill.

If you will be at the CNC workshop next week, please catch me and say hello.

Dave

[penmaker1]

Nice screen set!  I hope it remains this clean and does not get a cluttered as the current 1024.set is.

[DaveCVI]

No worries there - the visual appearance has been stable for a couple of months during the alpha testing process. We don't foresee any significant changes along those lines happening at this point.

Dave
 

Nice screen set!  I hope it remains this clean and does not get a cluttered as the current 1024.set is.

[zafarsalam]

Nice job Dave. This one is certainly very easy on the eye and looks professional. I am looking forward to V4 to try it's new functions.

Zafar

[budman68]

Dave, absolutely beautiful set as mentioned above but a quick question if you don't mind? Why are the all DRO's clipped at the bottom? Is this because of the way you have Windows set up on your PC? Reason I ask is because I have my fonts set up larger than normal because of my monitor resolution and that's how it shows on Mach 3 for me as well (with the bottoms clipped).

Thanks for all your hard work!
Dave

[Dan13]

Nice and clear, unlike the current screen set. Good job, Dave and everybody who's been involved!

Daniel

[DaveCVI]

Whoops - They will not look that way on a normal machine.

It's an artifact of the test machine I took the screen shots from - and how it has windows options set up. I run my development machine with the windows fonts in display properties/settings/advanced set to "large" (120DPI, or 125% of normal). As my eyes get older, I find that more comfortable.

I forgot to set the fonts back to normal size before grabbing the screen shots this morning...

With normal font resolution, the bottoms of the chars are not clipped.

Dave

 i.e.

Dave, absolutely beautiful set as mentioned above but a quick question if you don't mind? Why are the all DRO's clipped at the bottom? Is this because of the way you have Windows set up on your PC? Reason I ask is because I have my fonts set up larger than normal because of my monitor resolution and that's how it shows on Mach 3 for me as well (with the bottoms clipped).

Thanks for all your hard work!
Dave

[budman68]

Yep, just as I thought, thanks for that Dave!  

Too Bad that can't be modified 

Dave

[DaveCVI]

Here is a run page screen shot - same machine, same software, just using the normal 96 DPI fonts.
Dave

Whoops - They will not look that way on a normal machine.

It's an artifact of the test machine I took the screen shots from - and how it has windows options set up. I run my development machine with the windows fonts in display properties/settings/advanced set to "large" (120DPI, or 125% of normal). As my eyes get older, I find that more comfortable.

I forgot to set the fonts back to normal size before grabbing the screen shots this morning...

With normal font resolution, the bottoms of the chars are not clipped.

Dave

 i.e.

Dave, absolutely beautiful set as mentioned above but a quick question if you don't mind? Why are the all DRO's clipped at the bottom? Is this because of the way you have Windows set up on your PC? Reason I ask is because I have my fonts set up larger than normal because of my monitor resolution and that's how it shows on Mach 3 for me as well (with the bottoms clipped).

Thanks for all your hard work!
Dave

[polaraligned]

Looks fantastic Dave!!!