New Teach wizard

[Ron Ginger]

I have a new Teach wizard ready for test. This is based on the original Teach wizard but has a few additions.

This wizard would be used to copy a part and generate Gcode form it. You would place  a part on the machine and jog around its features in the sequence you want to cut the part. Code is added to the file only when you press one of the action buttons, so you can jog around until you are exactly on the spot them press a button to create either a rapid move, a feed move, and Arc or a circle.

There is now a button to add holes, and do do full circles. There is also a help file.

Download the attached zip file to the addons directory and unzip it. I have called it NewTeach so it wont overwrite the old Teach wizard.  Id like suggestions on a better name- somehow Teach doesn't quite move me- CopyCat? DupliCut?

Any feedback is welcome.

ron ginger

[Brian Barker]

Ron I did an little testing and I can't seem to make the Acr's work I know for a fact that what you are doing is not simple and I think you have a great start! You are adding functions to the CopyCat (Loved that name) that many are going to love! Keep up the great work.

Brian

[Ron Ginger]

I have found that you must have made a rapid or a feed move BEFORE the first point of an arc. I will fix that. Otherwise I can make both arcs and circles work fine. I will try a few more tests.

thanks for the feedback

[titchener]

Ron, I like your new teach wizard so far.

You have a fair amount of screen space to work with so I'd lobby to add more functionality to it.
How about a "Drill Hole" button that lets you run a drilling cycle. I'd change the current "Holes" button to "Mill Hole".
Also it would be nice to have Mist and Coolant On/Off buttons.

Also the Feed settings didn't seem to be getting applied correctly when I was alternating between moves in X,Y and moves in Z.

Paul T.

[Ron Ginger]

Thanks for the note.

Adding the coolant buttons is easy, Ill do that.

I see the error in applying Z moves without changing the feed. I will fix that.

I am going to change the current holes to do a spiral down cut, I will also try to add a simple drill button- but that opens the need for a couple more DROs to set peck and retract distances and  some buttons for cycle choice. Ill see if I can get it all on the screen and still be able to understand it.

Ill try to get these updates in the next couple days.

ron ginger

[Ron Ginger]

The new Teach wizard is now called CopyCat.

I have added the ability to make holes by either milling, plunge or peck drill. Ive also added several basic G code functions like Coolant, spindle, etc as well as a box to enter comments. That should make it nice to document what your program does.

There is a Help button that gives some fair detail on how this operates.

Consider this a test version, I will fix any bugs then add it to the Mach kit in a week or so.

[Ron Ginger]

I would like some feedback on the hole part of this wizard.

As it is now I require you to first make either a FEED or RAPID move to a location, then press either of the hole or drill buttons. Its possible for a user to make many jog movements until he gets to the right spot for the hole, so the Gcode needs to have a move form its last position.

 I could assume a RAPID move to the current location for every hole, that would save making the extra button click for the move.

Is it safe to assume EVERY hole should be preceeded by a RAPID move or should I leave it to the user to pick FEED or  RAPID?

A similar thing happens in the ARC/CICRCLE case. But here it seems clear an arc could start with either RAPID or FEED, so I force the user to pick one before starting a circle.

[ftissera]

Hello Ron,
CopyCat does not recognize my NF license! it works fine with NF

Thank you
Francis

[Ron Ginger]

Sorry, but I do not understand your problem- CopyCat looks for the license at the end of a run, and does not return the code to Mach unless there is a license. You can run it without a license, you just cant save the file.

can you tell me more about what you see?

[ftissera]

Ron,
sorry for my poor english 

I have a NewFangled license, copycat does not see it!

Please tell me if it is normal?

Thank You