Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: 88-incher on November 29, 2008, 08:30:36 AM

Title: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: 88-incher on November 29, 2008, 08:30:36 AM
Hello there,

I've had a good look through the forum, but can't find the answer to this question....

Is it possible to start windows (xp) and boot straight into Mach? Also can the title bar be hidden? We want to retro fit a machine with Mach but don't want the users of the machine to mess around with windows. In an ideal world, the machine would be turned on and the first screen to be displayed would be the Mach screen.... Does that make sense?

All the best,

James
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: Hood on November 29, 2008, 09:01:35 AM
You can certainly boot straight into Mach no problem, all you need to do is drag the desktop shorcut you use down to the start button then All Programs then up to the StartUp folder and drop it in there. Next time you start Windows Mach will start right away.
Hiding title bar may be possible but think that will need something like windows blinds to alter that.
Hood
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: 88-incher on November 29, 2008, 11:56:32 AM
Hello Hood,

Thanks for your swift reply....

Yes I already have Mach in the start up folder, the problem is people can still 'mess' with the windows setup. I can't believe that no one has wanted to do this before? I seems such a shame to have this great bit of software that really can't be let loose on the idiots down on the shop floor because of them 'tinkering' with the fundamental setup of the PC.

I've try windows blinds but it really isn't quite the answer, as you can still get to bits of windows.

James
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: Hood on November 29, 2008, 12:01:31 PM
Maybe setting up Admin and normal accounts could do it? Never messed with them much but might be possibe to have your normal users accounts with very limited permissions?

Hood
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: 88-incher on November 30, 2008, 05:36:07 PM
Hmm, that's an idea.

Not somehting that I've played with before but I'll have an investigate.

Thanks for the input.

James
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: zealous on November 30, 2008, 06:11:24 PM
Do a VBS or CMD on start up that will remove all access to the taskbar and start menu, modify windows boot and shut down screen (this can all be allot of work) then  "Hide desktop". BTW If Windows comes out with an update you can lose your Boots screen and you will have to recopy over the files.

 "Hide desktop"

1. Right-click on your desktop.

2. Select Arrange Icons By.

3. You will see a Show Desktop Icons with a check on it; click that.

4. To return the appearance of your desktop items, repeat steps one through three.


Its a pain :( but if you do image copy of the drive for production then its worth it :)
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: zealous on November 30, 2008, 06:20:35 PM
another thing you might want to disable the ability to "Right click" on the desktop as well...


Open up the "run" command (if it is disabled use 'Windows Key' + R)
Type in "regedit" but without the quotations. Then push enter.
Navigate to:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer]
Look for the value name "NoViewContextMenu" (if no such value exists, then just go ahead and create it)
Make sure the type is REG_DWORD
Type in a 0 to disable right clicking and a 1 to enable right clicking.
Restart your computer after the modification.

Make sure you create a backup of your registry and create a system restore point.
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: Sam on November 30, 2008, 10:51:45 PM
Thank you, Jason.
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: Hood on December 01, 2008, 03:29:17 AM
Good info J

Hood
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: 88-incher on December 01, 2008, 02:06:45 PM
That's great.

Thanks for the info.....

James
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: 88-incher on December 01, 2008, 02:34:11 PM
I've just found this..... http://kanebt.wordpress.com/kanebt-taskbar-start-menu-remover/ (http://kanebt.wordpress.com/kanebt-taskbar-start-menu-remover/)

It might save a bit of head scratching, used with the no right had click hack as previously mentioned and a custom windows start screen I think I'll be almost there.

Thanks again for the help, and I hope that others may find this thread usefull.

James
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: zealous on December 02, 2008, 12:29:57 AM
Thanks for the nice comments :) anything for my fellow CNC friends!

Here is the code...this will do what you want.

You can turn on/off the "taskbar" and "Desktop icons", if you turn off the "Desktop Icons" it will disable the "right click on desktop" as well.
The only other thing I can think of is to "disable short cut keys". You could disable short cut keys and leave 1 combo open so you have acess to regain control.

You can run this code on" boot up" as a "VBS" or/and in Mach on a button or/and from a Macro even, just change the: ShowTask = True and ShowIcons= True:

Code: [Select]
Private Declare Function FindWindow Lib "user32" Alias "FindWindowA" (ByVal lpClassName As String, ByVal lpWindowName As String) As Long
Private Declare Function GetWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal wCmd As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function ShowWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal nCmdShow As Long) As Long
Private Declare Function EnableWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long, ByVal fEnable As Long) As Long
Private Const GW_CHILD = 5
Private Const SW_HIDE = 0
Private Const SW_SHOW = 5
Dim lngHandle As Long
Dim lngStartButton As Long
lngHandle = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", "") 
Dim hWnd_DesktopIcons As Long
hWnd_DesktopIcons = GetWindow( FindWindow("Progman", "Program Manager"), GW_CHILD)
lngHandle = FindWindow("Shell_TrayWnd", "")
   
   
'////Show Taskbar////////
   ShowTask = True
'////Show/hide Icons////
   ShowIcons= True
   
    If  ShowTask Then
        ShowWindow lngHandle, 5
    Else
        ShowWindow lngHandle, 0
    End If
       
    If ShowIcons Then
        ShowWindow hWnd_DesktopIcons, SW_SHOW
    Else
        ShowWindow hWnd_DesktopIcons, SW_HIDE
    End If

Jason Blake
Title: Re: Booting straight into Mach
Post by: swarfboy on December 03, 2008, 03:48:38 AM
If your goal is to make a dedicated mach controller you might want to look at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembedded/en-us/products/westandard/default.mspx
This is an embedded version of windows designed for OEMs.
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: 88-incher on December 05, 2008, 04:57:06 PM
Hmmm, Now that's interesting. I had no idea it even existed.

Thanks
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: B.E.N. on November 20, 2009, 11:50:48 AM
Hello again,

OK, I have read most of these posts. Hood talks about putting MAch into the start up folder, I have to assume that is the same as using Windows explorer and copying MACH to startup folder? I am also trying to load the DROS with the numbers my G code is using as home. I do not have home switches. Right now I have a 17 step procedure (attached) to get the machine running after everything has been shut down. It is a given steps 1,2, and 3 have to be performed manually but 4 thru 17 I would think could be automatic. Is it just a matter of the persistant DRO setting? G code is attached as well. The DRO's read X = 0.150 and Z = 0.650 for home position. For the parts I am making I use the same X and Z home and write the G code from there to make different parts.

I will make sure I have the persistant DRO checked and load Mach to the startup folder.  Is there something else I should be aware of?

Thanks


Procedure for lathe start-up

1.   Turn on computer and monitor.  Takes a few minutes.
2. Make sure power disconnect by door is ON.
3.   Alt Ctrl Del Logon computer.
4.   Click on “Mach3 Loader” Icon on computer.
5.   Select “Simpson Electric ORG” click OK. Wait.
6.   Select the “Program Run Tab” upper left, should be there.
7.   Click the “RESET” in lower left corn.
8.   Click the vertical bar “Ref All Home”. Top Center.
9.   Click on the square for “Zero X” and “Zero Z”.
10. Click the vertical bar “Ref All Home”. Again.
11. Select load G code or select “recent file” lower left.
12. In selection box select Green Red or Blue depending on part.
13. Select “Offline” near center of screen.
14. Click the “Start” twice at the left center. Program will run but NOT    machine.
  15. Select “Offline again”.
  16. Click on “Spindle CW F5” on right side middle.
17. Machine is ready to run. The machine can be started by pushing the Green start or by clicking on the Start on the screen.

;N10 Home X at 0 on ring Z at 0 on ring width
N20 G20 G18 G70 G90 M48 m09 G94
n110 m00
;n111 g04 p15
n120 m03
N121 G00 x0.1500 z0.6500
N133 G00 z0.0300
N134 G00 x0.0100
n135 g01 x0.0020 z0.0000 f0.6
n136 g01 x0.0000 z0.0000
N137 g01 x-0.0002 z-0.0108
N140 G01 x-0.0015 z-0.0150
N141 g01 x-0.0025 z-0.0180 f0.3
N151 G01 X-0.0030
N162 G01 z-0.0250
N163 g04 p0.8
N164 g01 x-0.0040
N168 g01 z-0.0280
N170 g01 z-0.0295
N171 g01 z-0.0300
N172 g04 p0.8
N173 g01 z-0.0315
N174 g01 z-0.0335
N175 g01 z-0.0375
N176 g01 z-0.0385
N179 g04 p0.2
N180 g01 z-0.0390
N190 g04 p1.0
N970 g00 x0.1500 z0.6500
n990 m47


Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: Grand Master B on November 20, 2009, 03:07:01 PM
This guy has a kick a$$ program made that will not only do what you want but it will make mach run even faster.

http://www.gbcdepot.com/m3s/ (http://www.gbcdepot.com/m3s/)

good luck
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: keithmech on November 22, 2009, 09:01:10 PM
Hey Grand master.Have you installed the Mach3shell program?
Has any one tested this and has info to share?
Title: Re: Booting streight into Mach
Post by: Grand Master B on November 23, 2009, 07:27:47 AM
If you are using the computer for anything other than mach (ie: cad) then it may be a bit more of a pain as you have to go in and out of the shell, but if the computer is dedicated to CNC then it cant be beat.
with it a slow machine becomes fast as all the windows programs are restricted to a minimum. You can still run an explorer window from the CNC shell so windows programs are still available.

I like to dedicate the PC to only mach/CNC as a real CNC would be, less chance of the user screwing something up.