Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: halkintool on April 22, 2009, 07:40:39 PM

Title: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: halkintool on April 22, 2009, 07:40:39 PM
How would I set up a hotkey to zero the x and y axis values?

I want to be able to zero the DRO for X axis, by pressing "x" and the same for "y". How would I do this?
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: HimyKabibble on April 22, 2009, 07:45:00 PM
How would I set up a hotkey to zero the x and y axis values?

I want to be able to zero the DRO for X axis, by pressing "x" and the same for "y". How would I do this?

Download screen4, the screen designer tool.  It will allow you to assign hotkeys for any on-screen buttons.

Regards,
Ray L.
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 08, 2010, 05:38:23 AM
Not able to do this.
I mean, when I try to change the value for the Zero X in the lathe screen, say assign dec. 88 (X) as for the mill screen, it does not work.
In the standard LATHE SCREEN set, you are not able to use any hotkey to zero the DRO (both X and Z).
Is there a walkaround?

Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 08, 2010, 05:49:27 AM
Even though I personally dislike the use of HotKeys I have just tried it for you and it works fine here. Opened lathe screenset in Screen4, double clicked X zero button, chose HotKey box, pressed X key on keyboard and saved. Opened Turn jogged so there was a value in the  DRO then pressed the X on the keyboard and the X DRO zeroed.
Only time you will not see the DRO zero is if you are viewing Machine Coords.
Hood
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: M250cnc on June 08, 2010, 05:57:07 AM
Yes one of the reasons that Hood has a dislike for hotkeys is that you have to have the buttons enabled on every page you want to be able to Zero them

Phil
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 08, 2010, 07:40:43 AM
Hotkeys are the foundation for using an external joypad controller. If a function has a shortcut/hotkey can be mapped on the controller otherwise that function can only be activated with the mouse.
Before using the joypad, I've never used one of the hotkey present on the MACH3 screen. This is why I now have trouble trying to map some keys to the controller buttons.
So I tried to use the X or Z keyboard letter to zero the DRO.
Nothing happen.
I then used Screen4 to modifiy the GUI setting.
I follow the procedure by Hood and when I double click on the X or Z button a message is displayed "Text file for function calls missing. Please reinstall". Click on OK and the dialog for the X or Z button appears.....
When I save the settings and exit and start Mach3Turn I jog with the cursor to change the DRO but X and Z do not zero the DRO....
To zero the DRO I must use the mouse!
No way to do it.
Any hint?

Thanks

Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 08, 2010, 08:01:14 AM
As said I dislike hotkeys, Phill has pointed out one reason, another is you have to be extremely carefull that you dont assign a hotkey to more than one button function.

As to your problem, can you attach a screenshot of the message as I have never  seen that.

I have attached a lset with the X Zero button changed to X Hotkey, see if that works, you will need to save it to the main Mach3 folder and then in Mach use the View menu then load screens to load that screenset.
Hood
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: M250cnc on June 08, 2010, 09:14:53 AM
As said I dislike hotkeys, Phill has pointed out one reason, another is you have to be extremely carefull that you dont assign a hotkey to more than one button function.

Hood

An advantage of MachScreen over Screen4 is that MachScreen throws an error if you map two buttons to one hotkey.
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 08, 2010, 09:32:50 AM
So, I don't know how you did it but it works!!
I tried to modify "amarillis.lset" with Screen4 the Z zero but I was not able to do it.
Here you can find attached the screenshot with the error message.
Moreover when I load with Screen4 "amarillis.lset" and I doubleclick on the X button I cannot see any changes from the standard 1024.lset
No hotkey seems to be connected to the X zero button!

Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 08, 2010, 09:51:55 AM
Where have you got Screen4 installed to? If not in the default C:\Mach3 folder then that may be the reason.
If that is where you have it then maybe a re-download of screen4 will help.
Hood
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 08, 2010, 09:55:42 AM
As said I dislike hotkeys, Phill has pointed out one reason, another is you have to be extremely carefull that you dont assign a hotkey to more than one button function.

Hood




An advantage of MachScreen over Screen4 is that MachScreen throws an error if you map two buttons to one hotkey.

Just another god reason to not use Hotkeys then, eh Phil ?  (http://forums.pcper.com/images/smilies/extras/yllol.gif)
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 08, 2010, 10:22:34 AM
I'm sorry, but no way to solve it. I did a new Screen4 installation in the way you suggest me but the error message is still there.
I'll try on another PC at this point.
I kindly ask you Hood, if you can post the modified screen set to zero the Z DRO too.

Thanks in advance.
Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 08, 2010, 11:22:46 AM
Have changed the hotkeys on all pages of the screen so they should work fine.
Hood
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 08, 2010, 05:25:22 PM
Hood, thank again.
I installed Screen4 on a new PC, the one I use to drive my CNC machines, and everything works great now. I'm able to change the hotkey codes and to assign hoykeys to my new joypad.
I cannot understand why on my office PC, that is bigger and faster and super...., the whole environment doesn't work correctly.
Anyway, glad I found you.

Ciao
Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 08, 2010, 05:29:24 PM
Have a look on the office PC and see if there is a file called Screen4.xml in the Mach3 folder, if there is check its not set as read only. Not sure if that would be the problem or not but worth checking.

Hood
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 09, 2010, 03:47:17 AM
OK, I'll check it.
Another strange thing happened today.
I upgraded to Mach3 version 3 demo from version 1.84 demo.
Almost everything is working fine. No more problem with Screen4 and so on, just I don't understand why when I reverse the motor direction with backlash enabled (does not matter the percent of backlash speed) the motor reverse the direction slowly and then run at usual speed.
When the backlash is disabled (but I have some to take into account!!!) the motor speed is always the same unless specified in the interface. This strange behaviour take place if I jog the motor with the keyboard arrows, with GCode command and with the joypad too.
The slow movement in the opposite direction is not just the one used to eliminate backlash (few 10th of mm) but is more than few mm (4 or 5 mm)!!

OK, may be this is not the correct section to post this question but I will be happy if you can help me.
Thanks

Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 09, 2010, 04:20:01 AM
I have never used Backlash Comp so probably not the best to help, but have a look on General Config page, middle top and see what you have for Shuttle Accel settings, should probably be 0.05 or something like that.

Oh and never thought about asking your version of Mach for your screen4 issue but with the older versions you would need to use ScreenDesigner, it was the original screen programme. Screen4 will only work properly with later revisions.
Hood
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: M250cnc on June 09, 2010, 04:28:00 AM
As said I dislike hotkeys, Phill has pointed out one reason, another is you have to be extremely carefull that you dont assign a hotkey to more than one button function.

Hood


An advantage of MachScreen over Screen4 is that MachScreen throws an error if you map two buttons to one hotkey.

Just another god reason to not use Hotkeys then, eh Phil ?  (http://forums.pcper.com/images/smilies/extras/yllol.gif)

Hard not to agree, except Mach is supplied with HotKeys  :P
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 09, 2010, 04:30:31 AM
Hard not to agree, except Mach is supplied with HotKeys  :P

Yes, Mach caters for all sorts of people, especially the I/O deficient. ;D

Hood 
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: amarillis on June 09, 2010, 10:31:25 AM
Thanks Hood. Problem almost resolved. It was the Shuttle Accel settings. I just have to find the correct setting.
Anyway I don't know why this happened cause I saved my config files from the old version and supposed they worked correctly also in the new (last)one...
Good to know it.

Alberto
Title: Re: Hotkeys for buttons on screen...
Post by: Hood on June 09, 2010, 10:43:00 AM
Backlash I think got a rework to make it better so I think your old settings would no longer be valid in the newer version.
Do a search here as I am sure Rich knows the best way to set it up.
Hood