Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => Mach Screens => CVI MachStdMill (MSM) => Topic started by: Mike_F on July 22, 2010, 05:56:45 PM
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Hi,
I have been wanting to try the new screen sets and have finally got round to downloading the files. However, wanting to do everything correctly, I took heed of the warning to read the readme file first - problem is, I cannot get the file to open properly. I get the first four pages and the last four pages and nothing in between. Even the pages that are shown have some errors that Adobe throws up "There was a problem reading this document (14)" and "Insufficient data for an image".
I thought it may be that I had an old version of Adobe Reader so I downloaded and installed the latest version but I still have the same problem. Adobe Reader seems to work for everything else I need it for. Any clues?
I don't want to continue installing MSM without reading the file, only to incur the wrath of Dave :)
Mike
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Try downloading it again?
You might want to try Foxit Reader. It's free, and is much less a pita than Acrobat. I've been using it for years, and I can read the 17 page Readme file just fine.
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Mike,
Did you get the readme file ok?
If not, I can send it to you via email etc.
BTW - Fearing my wrath? That idea would have my better half chuckling ::)
Dave
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Hi Dave
At the CNC workshop I gave Dave a hard time about "skipping" the "read-me" file. However I have downloaded it and printed it out also via FoxReader and it came thru just fine. Now if I can just get the time to install it. Thanks for all the work Dave.
Karl
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Hi Karl!
I was wondering when you'd show up... after all I did leave a comment just for your amusement in a sticky thread above. :P
Good to hear from you and welcome aboard.
I hope you'll like using the MSM beta.
Dave
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Yes, I saw the mention on the first day it was up last weekend and I spent a good deal of time getting FoxEdit and Mazola to allow me to type out the "readme". The Foxedit version I had didn't allow me to save or print the file. But I finally got it then ran out of time. Tomorrow is again a full day, but hopefully, Saturday I'll get it installed and finally get to play with it. But now I see there's another "readme" file to download & "skip".
The forum so far seems to indicate a very low number of problems, so congratulations, on a fine piece of work. I'll have more comment, after I finally get the chance to play.
Karl
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Grumph, sputter, choke, Grrrrrrrrrrr :'(
Dave
But now I see there's another "readme" file to download & "skip".
Karl
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Hi Dave,
I have just tried downloading the readme file again and still no joy. Could you send it via email please? mike dot francies at sky dot com will get it to me.
Many thanks,
Mike
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Emailed
Dave
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Hey guys, I've noticed something funky with downloading files too. If you keep trying, eventually you will get through. Just retry until you get a successful download. At first I thought the server was down due to there being so much interest, and that may be the problem.
Dave has passed the news along to Scott, so maybe it'll get better.
Best,
Bob Warfield
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Thanks Dave, the emailed version works just fine - all I've got to do now is read it and understand it before installing the screen set. Thanks for all your efforts, Mach is really a great tool.
Mike
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BTW - I found a bug in the beta 2 readme file
I can already hear Karl now..... :(
The readme on the website didn't get the table of contents updated before I turned it into a PDF.
I've sent an updated pdf to Scott to replace the one on the web site.
The instruction info in the pdf will not change, just the TOC.
Mike: the one I emailed to you is already corrected.
Dave
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Another observation
Dave I am trying to install the new screen today. I downloaded the "readme file" and uploaded it to my iphone to take with me to the machine. It did not transfer to the Iphone. So I download all the other documents (.pdf) from the Artsoft web site. Guess what, all loaded into my I-Phone "Ebooks" reader with the exception of the MechStdMill_readme. What are you using to generate the .pdf? Maybe it is a non-standard .pdf generator. It reads fine on my PC reader (adobe & Fix reader), but not the iphone.
I am sorry this is not a solution to a problem, but it does give a little more input into what may be the problem.
I am going to get this installed !!!
If it weren't for the !!@!@!@@ readme file, I'd have this thing running by now.
Karl
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I use the real Adobe Acrobat package to create the PDF files.
I have this ancient device - I think they call it a printer.... It generates these light weight layers of pressed wood with ink on top - real handy stuff. ;D
Dave
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OK Dave
I'm installing and I am on page 13 of the "readme". I am confused by the 2 options. If I understand it properly if I use option 1, I must enter all my ports and pins data, motor tuning and etc, manually. Is this correct?
When it came in the estop was not configured and I assigned tehn to a wrong pin and the entire mach3 hung. I had to do a 3 fingered salute to regain the computer.
Next a rand Mach again this time I configured the estop correctly and the scrolling message area said to "hit the "reset" button. There is no longer a "reset" button on this screen. The message needs to be change to the "Mach ready" button.
Karl
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Karl,
[Karl] I'm installing and I am on page 13 of the "readme". I am confused by the 2 options. If I understand it properly if I use option 1, I must enter all my ports and pins data, motor tuning and etc, manually. Is this correct?
[DB]: correct. The desire to avoid having to enter ports& pins again is why many use option 2. Both options get you to the desired end result. unfortunately, there is not an easy way to automate this - it would require that I write a program to open a profile XML and go in and change settings in the XML. Since the XML contents are not supported or documented interfaces for mach, that would not be a good thing to do - so the user gets stuck doing some hand configuration on first install.
MSM mster profile + Ports & pins -> desired end result
and
user profile (already with ports & pins etc) + MSM options -> desired end result.
[Karl] Next a rand Mach again this time I configured the estop correctly and the scrolling message area said to "hit the "reset" button. There is no longer a "reset" button on this screen. The message needs to be change to the "Mach ready" button.
[DB]: sigh. That's my fault really. The "reset" message comes from inside mach - mach assumes the button is called "reset". For various reasons I used ready/not ready. I suppose that if enough people push on me I could change "ready" to "reset".
But I also had early feedback that "reset" was ambiguous language. For some things, when they running and you reset them, they stop. Other devices in the world act the opposite, you have to reset them to make then ready to run.
:(
Dave
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Dave
I agree the ready/not ready is preferable. We just need to get Brian to change the error messages or allow you to.
I am a little uneasy manually re-entering all my ports & pins info. I just hope I got them all. How much of "general config" also has to be entered manually? I think you might want to make this a little clearer in the "readme". Maybe I'd better read the rest of the "readme"
I had trouble with the MDI window. I could not get the machine to move. Then I realized the error message window was at the top of the screen and the MDI in the lower screen area and I missed the message. I think the message area needs to be more pronounced (blink or change colors?). I gave it a G1 command without a Feed rate. Seems to me this should not have been a error but maybe it is to Brian. In my other machines, it defaults to the last feed specified or a default value. I know, that's not your problem.
A further point of information. I just saved the "User's Manual" to the I phone and now the ReadMe file is also there. I can not explain it, do you suppose I'm getting old and I just missed it the first time? Naw, it's a computer "feature", I'm sure.
Karl
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I gave it a G1 command without a Feed rate. Seems to me this should not have been a error but maybe it is to Brian. In my other machines, it defaults to the last feed specified or a default value. I know, that's not your problem.
You shouldn't need a feedrate when doing a G1 move in MDI. It should work as you described, using the last commanded feedrate. I haven't tried the new version, but the old ones work fine without a feedrate. Are you sure the problem isn't something else? Or was the MDI functionality changed? I hope not, as it would be a PITA to have to enter a feedrate every time.
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HI,
The modal relationships between movement commands and feedrates is part of how GCode is defined.
MDI has not changed - It's a control Mach implements - what is does is not modifiable from a screen set.
G1 w/o FR works fine for me - behaves as it always has in prior version of Mach.
Dave