Plugins wishlist. ( Please add your own to this list )

[ynneb]

There are a few plugins that I would like to see happen, but wouldn't know how to implement.
If there are any budding young programmers out there looking for an idea, maybe this list of our ideas might help.

PLC/CNC Plug-in

It would be great to see a plug-in where it offered you the ability to preform PLC type work and also use Mach to then control motors, all off the same computer at the same time. One example of this could be a machine that loaded work onto a mill / router / etc did the appropriate cutting and then offloaded the finished work. I can imagine this sort of plug-in been very sought after from industry, and therefore been a good money earner for the writer.
EDIT this sort of plugin would expand Machs uses into the field of robotics. A logical point of expansion.

External interface Plug-in

Been a Flash user I can see many advantages of designing a GUI in flash and getting it to control Mach. Some of the advantages of using Flash as an interface are .
Movebale/dragable control modules in real time, so you can set the screen to what you need at the time, and not hoping to find a screen set that may or may not be suitable for your needs. Multiple LED states other than just on and off. Fly in and out windows upon user needs. Ther is a heap of other advantages too.

[fer_mayrl]

I just posted a thread on the general mach discussion forum, I´ll copy and paste what I wrote. Brian suggested that it could be done with a plugin

"I might be getting ahead of myself, but bear with me for a while.
Imagine you build a 3, 4, 5 or 6 axis robot (abb and fanuc like) i know the difficulty here lies in telling the robot what to do (generate the toolpath). Ok now imagine making another robot, with the same dimensions (or scaled down) and instead of fitting the robot with servos, you just put the encoders. Now here is what I am getting at:
Is it possible to move the motorless version of the robot and have the motored robot make the same moves? Better yet, can those moves on the motorless robot be recorded, and then played back by the motored robot?"

Regards
Fernando

[ynneb]

Fer, you want to make a learning robot that stores all the movements that you put into it. This is how many of todays robots already do things.
You dont even need a second robot, you could just use the encoders from the existing robots servos.

You have made a good request. I also think this should be made.

[fer_mayrl]

Benny,
Exactly, I just went to a local welding expo, and about 30% of the machines were welding robots. Most of them you had to teach, jog with a pendant to a certain point mark it as start of weld bead, and mark the end point to mark the end of bead. this is ok, but when welding non planar surfaces you have to supply a lot  of points. That is why I suggested to teach the robot by actualy moving it "weld by hand" once and then have the robot replicate what you did. I think this is an easier way to program robots.

And yes... I stated about using the motors encoders in another post on the same thread.

Keep up the good work
Fernando

[CncBr]

Fernando,   
Excuse my intrusion!   
But Mach can Control a robot of 6axis.   
You can make a vb script to adapt any other linguaguem of programming of ROBOT for codigoG   
THAT COULD BE MADE WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM IN MACH.

Thanks
junior

[fer_mayrl]

Not an intrusion at all.
I do not doubt that mach can control the robot, As a matter of fact, I know it can be done.
The problem lies with the kinematics of the robot, that is, the mathematic equations that define the position of the end effector (tool) at all times. That can be done on Mach at a certain extent, and its not easy to come up with those equations. The limitations of this in mach, is that the movements are based on end of move coordinates, the machine does not necessarily move in a desired trayectory to that point. Brian told me that will be worked on but should not expect it any sooner than a year.
What I was actually reffering to, is to capture the movements of the encoders on the robot, as you manually position the robot and make the  desired work (weld, paint, apply glue, etc) then have the software (mach) replicate those moves with the motors on the robot.
Hope that clarifies it better.
Regards
Fernando

[CncBr]

Fernando 
Write to functions that you need, I think can help you!


Best Regards
junior

[fer_mayrl]

Basically what i wrote at the end, Capture the movements and encoder counts while moving the robot by hand (i dont mean joging, literally by hand), then in some way replicate those movements using mach. That way you have the toolpath, only thing needed next are just to add feedrates to each part of the path.
Regards
Fernando

[CncBr]

Fernando,   
Very good idea,     
With the new structure of the mach, I think it is possible!   
But we needed some days to art to liberate the sdk of trajectory control.   
As soon as I know that art will be able to liberate I explain with larger pleasure!

Thanks
Junior

[CncBr]

Fernando,     
I think his idea, as they say here in my earth will give SAMBA   
His idea made to dream me:   
If Art liberates in whole SDK that I am waiting very anxious:   
I think that will give to do in real time.   
You knew that:   
1 - it could help people with physical deficiency   
2 - doctors could execute surgeries remotely   
3 - etc etc etc   
I am already with everything in the head to do that to happen.   
I help in that you need!

Thanks
Junior