Proposed Job-setup Wizard

[Deon Gerber]

Hi Brian

I am working on a Job-setup wizard where you can just clamp your job on the mill table without clocking up with a dial gauge.

Instead of that I want to use a touch probe and touch of on two points(if it is a straight setup) or four points(if it is a square setup)   , then use the wizard to calculate the offset angle.

This is where I am stuck.......How do I tell Mach to adjust the machine orientation to that angle.(This is like a centroid control)

Hope you can help.

Thanks
Deon

[Graham Waterworth]

Hi,

on most controls you can only do rotation in program, something like this

G68 G17 R..... (G68 start rotation G17 in X,Y plane R angle to rotate by)
G00 X50. Y50.
etc..
all movements between will be rotated.

G69 (cancel rotation)

Graham.

[bcromwell]

That would be a wizard I would be very intrested in, I saw that feature in the centriod demo video and it was pretty impressive.

[Deon Gerber]

Hi Graham

Thanks for the quick reply.

OK now that makes it a bit easyer. Now I think all I have to do is to get it to append the currently loaded G code.....
The problem will be to append at the right lines.

Any ideas

Thanks

[Graham Waterworth]

Hi Dion,

Based on what I do on a Fanuc 18i control at work this is my experience,

the biggest problem you may have is that the code must be written in the correct format for the rotation to work, e.g. every line must have an X and Y position even if the position of one axis is the same.

Some controls also require you to cancel the rotation before each tool change, also certain functions can not be used e.g.

Changing from G54 to G55 etc. without first cancelling rotation.

I can not tell you how Mach uses this function as I don't yet have a mill, just a Lathe (rotation is not very useful on a Lathe)

You will have to ask Art how Mach3 implements this, if at all.

Regards

Graham.