Messages

1291

General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling Mach with Powerpoint? Is this possible?

« on: May 19, 2011, 05:23:17 AM »

...So will this locate PPT, open the slide show and run it, while executing the g-code?

Yes.

OK attached is a modified version. Save it to M800.m1s in c:\mach3\macros\YOUR PROFILE where YOUR PROFILE is shown at the bottom right of the Mach screen. Then either type M800 on the MDI screen or call M800 from a gcode program (you might want to set feedrate first either way). You'll need to edit the file and set the 5 constants at the top as required. Also you may want to make the first slide black.

Ian

1292

General Mach Discussion / Re: Controlling Mach with Powerpoint? Is this possible?

« on: May 18, 2011, 09:08:40 AM »

This any use to you as a basis? Save as a macro (say M800.m1s) and run from the MDI or wherever. Change the number of slides and the Z increment and of course the path to your slideshow to suit.

Code: [Select]

Option Explicit

Dim objPPT
Dim objPresentation
Dim s As Integer
Const numSlides As Integer = 10
Const ZIncrement As Double = 1

Set objPPT = CreateObject("PowerPoint.Application")

objPPT.Visible = True

Set objPresentation = objPPT.Presentations.Open("C:\some folder\some powerpoint.pps")

Code "G90" 'absolute distance mode
While IsMoving()
  sleep 10
Wend

Code "G0 Z0" 'start Z at wherever
While IsMoving()
  sleep 10
Wend

Code "G91" 'incremental distance mode
While IsMoving()
  sleep 10
Wend

For s=1 To numSlides
  Code "G1 Z" & ZIncrement 'lift Z a tad
  While IsMoving()
    sleep 10
  Wend
  objPresentation.SlideShowWindow.View.GotoSlide (s) 'show the next slide
  sleep 1000
Next

Code "G90"
objPresentation.Close
objPPT.Quit


Ian

1293

Brains Development / convert modbus CB to brain?

« on: May 12, 2011, 01:51:18 PM »

In the CB code below, reg0 and reg1 are both modbus 16 bit registers and it works just fine as a macropump. Can this code snippet be converted into a brain?

reg0 = getInput(0)
reg1 = getInput(1)

if reg0 <> reg1 then
  setModOutput(1, reg0)
end if

Thanks

Ian

1294

General Mach Discussion / Re: Asolutely dumbfounded guy!????

« on: May 09, 2011, 04:20:22 AM »

Whats puzzling is that if have the motor tuning dialog open I can get them to move smooth as butter at top speed (25,000 mhz). But then when I close that window and am jogging the motors they run really poorly.

Mach screen updates are suspended whilst the tuning dialog is open. I'm thinking this may allow the driver to perform better than it can when Mach is busy doing it's thing.

Ian

1295

General Mach Discussion / Re: Digital read out problem

« on: May 08, 2011, 07:01:47 AM »

Might be missing your point here, but "blackhawks" uses G21 and therefore is in mm so I'd expect your DROs to be scaled up by a factor of 25.4. If you want Vcarve to output in inches just select it on the job setup page.

Ian

1296

General Mach Discussion / Re: Tool plate/setter wiring.

« on: May 08, 2011, 06:46:16 AM »

or you could make yourself a breakout box between the controller and the PC. A couple of IDCs and a short piece of ribbon should do the trick.

Ian

1297

General Mach Discussion / Re: rounded off corners

« on: May 08, 2011, 05:25:21 AM »

What's incorrect about the Mach 3 CV notes?

I raised this about 4 years ago but can't seem to find where. See attached where I've edited the paragraph.

Ian

1298

General Mach Discussion / Re: rounded off corners

« on: May 07, 2011, 09:58:10 AM »

JFYI be aware that not all of the posts re: 89 degrees are neccessarily stil valid depending on what you're trying to achieve. Mach changed at some point in the way this angle is specified - it used to be "stop CV on angles <" and now is "stop CV on angles >". Some posts are with reference to the "old" way. Also, the section entitled "Stop CV on angles > _____Degrees" in the current "Mach3 CV notes" is incorrect.

Ian

1299

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Micro drip system

« on: May 05, 2011, 05:51:41 AM »

Hi Gianni

see attached brain - it assumes your spindle is on OUTPUT1 and your pump is on OUTPUT2 - edit to suit.

your z will go wherever your gcode tells it to. If you're using CAM - change the settings there.

Cheers

Ian

1300

General Mach Discussion / Re: THC300/Mach3 Touch off issue

« on: May 05, 2011, 04:33:57 AM »

I'm guessing you're using "home" touch off (as opposed to G31). Although what you've done obviously works, I'm guessing you have "home negetive" ticked as well which is kind of a double negetive way of doing things if you see what I mean. You could just have set set "home positive" i.e. home downwards.

Ian