Messages

41

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Save button - Save WCO, TLO,... like on exit

« on: October 09, 2019, 10:49:58 AM »

Hanging on Load Gcode sounds like the directory last used might not be available. Is that the case and if so, why? You aren't trying to load Gcode files from some network location are you?

Yeah, no script necessary to save the things you are talking about. Mach handles that in the core. The problem you are having is crashing. Mach can't save things when it crashes........ it's crashed. 

42

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Plasma M3 Macro

« on: October 09, 2019, 09:46:25 AM »

Assuming you are using Mach4s THC screen....... it sounds like you have a noisy input/bouncy switch. Some motion devices have input filtering that can be used but the best option would probably be adding some physical filtering on the probe input with a capacitor and possibly a resistor. Lots of post here on how to do that.

Not much to the M3 macro. It simply calls a function in the THC module which is compiled.

43

General Mach Discussion / Re: Automatic setup of steps per unit

« on: October 01, 2019, 11:59:14 AM »

The short answer is I tried to short cut. The problem with that is it blinds you from what's right in front of you.

Very true. The steps per wizard is a perfect example of something that shouldn't even exist IMO. Folks that know what they are doing don't need it and folks that need it don't know enough to use it. But if they do it gives them a false sense of security (they assume their problem has to be something else). The only correct way to set steps per in motor tuning is to do the math (plain and simple, no 2 ways about it). There are too many other variables that can make one think the steps per are spot on when they could be off significantly. To add insult to injury any error in the steps per is cumulative. So, if you set you steps per incorrectly because you relied on a measurement that was flawed due to skipped steps, backlash, flex, etc. However much it is off in the distance used is multiplied by the times that distance will go into a move.

The best most of us have that is even capable of measuring close enough to do a good job checking steps per is a dial indicator with 1-2 inches of travel. Take the best indicator in the world and take measurements and adjust until you get the steps per perfect and you can still be way off if some of the related variables are not accounted for. Lets just say its off .010 in one inch of travel because backlash while measuring wasn't avoided. At 8 feet it would be off almost a complete inch (.980). Steps per can get out of hand real quick and the only right way to do it is doing the math.

Tons of material available to teach folks how to properly tune motors. Tons on this forum, in our docs and other places online. Anyone attempting to tune motors need to spend the time to understand what it is they are doing and how things not thought of can give false readings. There really is no shortcut to do it right. Sorry you learned this the hard way but glad you learned.

44

General Mach Discussion / Re: New to Mach - need help with installation & set up

« on: September 27, 2019, 11:01:27 PM »

And this bit tells anyone that could help all they need to know.

This is where we need the help, settings, settings, and more settings. We need someone who can help with setting all the ports and pins and motor tuning.

Anyone configuring any control for any machine has to have a certain amount of knowledge of the machine. The settings in Mach are straightforward and pretty intuitive for anyone that knows the machine they are configuring Mach for. Lots of people here know Mach very well and can tell you where every setting is. What no one can tell you though is anything about your machine. That is your responsibility to know your machine. You (or whoever built it if you didn't) are the only one that would know. Unless of course it is all documented (prints, BOMs, specs, etc.). If it has good docs then you should be able to get all the info. you need from those docs.

This is similar to me and GM being the only ones that know the paint color code of my truck. The only reason I know is because it is documented and I know where the document is and can read what it says. But is that all I need to know to mix a quart of paint to match it? No, not at all. If I did not know how to use that color code to mix the paint, knowing only the color code wouldn't be much help. I mean what color does U928L sound like to you? Blue? Red? I guess instead of finding the color code and learning how to use it I could just buy a paint gun from the guy on the tool truck and make it his problem. He ought to know the color of my truck and how to mix the paint to match it. After all, I was driving the truck the day I bought the paint gun. I know he saw it and he sells paint guns. If he can't mix me a quart of paint to match my truck perfectly I'll just have to get another paint gun! I'm sure the new paint gun will be better anyway. This one must be the problem. No matter what color I pour in it none of them match my truck.

45

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: My Custom 5 axis Machine using (only possible with mach4 industrial)

« on: September 27, 2019, 09:23:45 AM »

Sweet! Can you post a short gcode here so others know what right looks like?

46

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: use of 4th axis

« on: September 24, 2019, 01:13:40 PM »

By giving it a + or - move in your Gcode.

Do an incremental move of 360 + or - depending on which way you want it to go to get there.

There are a few things you might want to play with/study up on to better understand how rotational axis work.

1) G90 and G91 (absolute/incremental) position modes

2) In Config/Control/General the rotary axis rollover can be enabled or disabled (close Mach and restart if you change it). This makes the work coordinates 360 and 0 equal (since it is physically the exact same position).

3) Moving in work coordinates (G54, G55, etc) and moving in machine coords (G53). 

47

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 cv tuning wizard slider inoperable

« on: September 12, 2019, 11:02:10 AM »

All I can say is I have tested it with almost decent Gcode (the last file you posted). The CvDistTolerance wizard does exactly what it is supposed to and the tool path reflects it. I have attached 3 screenshots. The first is with tolerance at 100.00. The second and third is with tolerance at 1.500. The smaller the tolerance the closer it runs to the exact path as the pictures clearly demonstrate it is doing.

There are a lot of things that will cause bumps in the lines that would otherwise be straight. The only thing I am sure is not the problem is Mach4 software.

48

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 cv tuning wizard slider inoperable

« on: September 11, 2019, 10:49:35 PM »

Code: [Select]

when i run the old"Cv tuning wizard" that mistake disapire and the hexagonal work perfect
only problem is that the speed on corner are very very slow ,because slider stack on left side  as this  topic subject
Ok, then download and use the CV tuning wizard I updated and posted earlier in this topic. But be careful what you wish for. The old wizard limiting your corners to "very very slow" is helping your tool path far more than populating the CV feed rate table with either wizard. In other words, you are benefitting from a bug in the wizard that slows your machine way down. Try running the CV distance tolerance wizard with a resolution of .010 and lower the feed rate of your Gcode to very very slow.

I think optimizing your CV feed rate table using the CvDistTolerance wizard brings to light problems with your machine. It's kind of like having a flat tire on a car and blaming the rough ride on the gas pedal because it is smooth as glass as long as it is sitting still but every time you give it gas it starts bouncing. Check your flex, backlash, motor tuning, etc.

49

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 cv tuning wizard slider inoperable

« on: September 11, 2019, 09:17:56 PM »

Those gouges in what would otherwise be straight lines has nothing to do with CV. My first guess is the resolution of the X and/or Y axis is very low. How many steps per for each of those motors?

I did not look at your Gcode file but from the screen shot I can see it is well below acceptable. Why so many lines of Gcode for such a simple shape?

50

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: "Touch" GUI does not obey Tool Table offset, but "Probe" GUI does?

« on: September 09, 2019, 10:33:41 AM »

No, no list. If it existed it would change consistently. luac, mcc and some mcs files are compiled. Any lua scripts (modules, macros, wizards, screen scripts, etc.) in your Mach4 root directory that are not compiled can be viewed as examples.