In the latest version I have added a gcode window to the preview screen, so now you can see both the code and the path. When I want to watch it run through the code, like when Im testing the order of cuts, I just scroll down the code window, that highlights the tool path with the current line. It seems to me that does the equivalent of the preview.

The preview button on the main screen is a not a VB function its coded into Mach. I cannot get that from a wizard.

Glad to hear you like CopyCat.

You should not need the Jog page, CopyCat allows the jog functions to work- at least all the keyboard jogs. I dont have an MPG hooked up, but it ought to work, as should the Shuttle Pro. Ill go check it out with my ShuttlePro.

INPUT VALUES:
What would be nice is to have two MPG's set up one for the X & Y and just scroll around to move the axis's.
Couldn't get the jog shuttle to come up, thus the manual movement. Would be nice if the values came from
Mach's DRO's.

You are missing something here- the whole point of CopyCat is to get the direct input from the DROs. You jog around with the keyboard until you are at a point, then click the button for the kind of move you want- rapid or feed. CopyCat reads the DROs and builds the code.

Note the important difference between this and Brians Jcode plugin. That one records every move you make with a jog. CopyCat only records the points you select, so if you have to jog back and forth until you hit an exact point it will only record that point, not all the moves until you got there.

Oh no, I did sell the steam boat but I did NOT buy the fire engine. This was about reducing the toy collection, not adding to it. I didn't even buy any new tools this year.

The Dusenberg model in the photo above is a fully functional model- that means a working engine, transmission, etc. It has to be seen to believe.

It was a great weekend, I hope everyone there enjoyed it as much as  I did.  We had a good group of guys in the seminar, the visitors seemed to enjoy watching the demo machines run.

Thanks to Dave Cole, Scott Schaffer and Tom Hubin for adding their experience in the seminars, and to everyone that attended.

We were not able to get the manual printed for a reasonable price. Id still like to see it happen, but It doesnt look good. You might try a place like Staples or Kinkos, I have had multi hundred page docs printed and bound.

Yep, just come into the main entrance, they should have a list of everyone registered. They will open at 9:00.

I arrived mid-day, unloaded my boat, but could not unload the cnc lathe. We did get Brians crates of the truck, but cannot unpack until Friday AM. We will likely be a little slow getting started tomorrow, but should be fine the rest of the days.

No, the thread milling wizard does not use cutter comp. As I recall it may have in an early version, but between bugs in the wizard and the problems with the old comp It was removed.

In my view cutter comp should not be used in simple conversational wizards. If you want to make a tool size adjustment its takes only a few clicks to re-run the wizard and generate new code. All the previous values will be saved by the wizard, so the only change you need to make is the tool dia.

Im sure others have a different opinion.

If I had written the wizards from the start they would not have used it, but since Brian wrote them, and most use cutter comp, Im not going to remove it from any of them,

Many of the wizards have always generated code using G41/42. As I noted in another topic I have found at least one that fails with the new comp code., and Ive almost got it fixed. I am testing all the rest to see if they have a problem with the new comp code.

I think all the wizards use the P word form, but they also use the tool number if you select a tool number.

You can simply add a screen to the standard screen set. Make a button on the main screen to go to your page- DoButton('page number')

Mach will save all the DROs and LEds into the xml of the base screen set. You dont need to use SaveWizard()

The only problem with this is you are sharing the DRO numbers with the base screen set- you will have to look through the screen set to be sure you dont duplicate any of them. You are also sharing the number set with any macropump that runs. If you stick to the higher end of the numbers- say 1200- 1256 you might be OK.

Brian has just made a major change to the cutter comp, and it looks like this has broken at least one wizard- the circular groove.

One of the new rules is that comp must always start and end on a straight move, never a g02 or g03. Im going through all the wizards now to test for other cases and will be fixing them and releasing a new version as soon as I can, but I expect it may be a while. some of this comp code is strange!

I agree that using the multi-step ability of the wizards is the best way to handle this. Im not likley to make basic changes to the wizards now when there is an easy way to do the job