Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => Mach4 General Discussion => Topic started by: Rimmel on April 30, 2022, 11:32:53 AM

Title: Mach4 manual input
Post by: Rimmel on April 30, 2022, 11:32:53 AM
Moving from mach3 to mach4 and a bit perplexed at the loss of the manual input text box.

I know there is an MDI window, but can this be set to run a single line on "enter" like mach3? With an up/down arrow recall of last commands?

I use this on a Dev machine as it is very handy for samples up and/or ceating programs on the fly.

With the MDI it seems very long winded as I have to type everthing in again and again, then go to a mouse from the keyboard to make it run.

thanks
Title: Re: Mach4 manual input
Post by: joeaverage on April 30, 2022, 11:17:58 PM
Hi,
you could probably program that feature if you wished but Mach4 natively treats an <Enter> as a new line in a multiline MDI file.

If you had a physical button that had the function <MDI Cycle Start>, that would allow you to type your MDI code and run it just by hitting the button, as opposed to <Enter>.

You could alternately use the Keyboard plugin and assign the <Enter> button on you keyboard to mean <MDI Cycle Start>, although then you'll almost certainly hit <Enter> ay some stage
and will accidentally trigger movement from your machine when you are not expecting it. I could not recommend that even if it does work.

Craig
Title: Re: Mach4 manual input
Post by: Cbyrdtopper on May 12, 2022, 04:37:10 PM
Like Craig said, you can add a button to do a Cycle Start.
The Cycle Start Function looks at whether it is currently on the G Code Tab or MDI tab and it will either run Cycle Start or MDI Start.