Machsupport Forum
Third party software and hardware support forums. => Newfangled Mill Wizard => Topic started by: TDAY on April 12, 2013, 07:10:08 PM
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Trying to purchase a license, but when i open the About window in the Mill Wizard, the PC ID area is blank.
Any idea why?
Windows XP Pro
IBM ThinkCenter
Posted on yahoo also.
Thanks,
Troy
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IF you need the PC ID use the copy the id to clipboard. Then open up NOTEPAD and paste it in. Then you have the id to use to get the license.
OR copy to clipboard then PASTE it into the license application on the website. Saves having to retype the ID .
Just a thought, (;-) TP
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I tried the copy to clip board and paste to notepad, but nothing shows.
Troy
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It works here so I don't know what else to tell you . Ron is at a show this week and will not be back till next week.
What version of windows are you running ? Have you tried starting the Wizard in ADMIN mode ?
(;-) TP
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Windows XP Pro. Yes iam in admin.
Itried the install on my desktop, that is XP home and had no problems.
Guess ill wait till the show is over.
Thanks,
Troy
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I am at Cabin Fever show, where we just finished aa day of CNCn seminar, and intro to Mach4. Everyone seems to like Mach4
I have no idea why the license code field would be blank. Ill talk to Brian about it tomorrow and see if he has anidea.
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Ok, :)
Thanks,
Troy
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This happened to me on my Dell XP pro .... no PC ID# license field. In my case I traced it to the NetGear network wireless adapter in the USB port causing the problem. If the NetGear network wireless is disabled it blocks the pc MAC address. I think it has something to do with NetGear's networks ecurity function. Mill Wizard uses the MAC address to get the pc ID# for the license. If I enabled the wireless adapter Mill Wizard license works fine. Check to see if your pc's MAC function is enabled.
The other bug with Mill Wizard is if you select any of the tools from the Select a New Tool Table, the tool path display doesn't work. It will generate the Gcode... just can't see the tool path. Also If there isn't a tool path display... you will also find Mill Wizard sets the feed rate to zero in the Gcode. To fix it you have to manually enter new values (actually any value will work) in the feed rate and plunge boxes.
Mill Wizard is buggy to say the least and needs to be fixed.
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The other bug with Mill Wizard is if you select any of the tools from the Select a New Tool Table, the tool path display doesn't work. It will generate the Gcode... just can't see the tool path. Also If there isn't a tool path display... you will also find Mill Wizard sets the feed rate to zero in the Gcode. To fix it you have to manually enter new values (actually any value will work) in the feed rate and plunge boxes.
If the toolpath doesnt display there is a a bug in the gcode. Selecting the toolpath from the table works well with the tables I have tested. Have you made some custom tool table? I would like to see it to figure out what is wrong. I experienced a toolpath failing to display yesterday, in front of a seminar at the Cabin Fever show, obviously not a good time to do any serious debug.
The feedrate to zero indicates the tool selection went wrong, the error check should prevent that.
Im on the road now, the end of Cabin Fever today, then on to Detroit for NAMES next weekend. I can read the source to look for errors, but cannot compile new code on my laptop. I will try to figure this one out and be ready for a fix when I get home.
There have been few bug reports so far, and they have been fixed, this one will too.
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Hmmmm..... I tried a USB NetGear over a year ago. I think the software and drivers are still on PC.
Will check and see what happens.
Thanks,
Troy
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Are the people that paid for the product going to get a free upgrade? My licensed copy is two weeks old.
No... it isn't a custom tool table. When Mill Wizard starts the default is "No Selection" and tool #4 (1/4" mill) shows up menu. As long as you don't monkey with the settings in the "Select a New Tool" box the tool path display works. If a new tool is selected (any tool) from the drop down menu the tool path display doesn't work, and a zero feed rate shows up in the gcode. If the gcode is loaded in into Mach 3... it will show up as a feed rate error.
As far as using the MAC address for the pc ID# license scheme goes... its a clunky and problematic way to prevent coping which users are finding out trying to install the product.
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TDAY:
Make sure to completely remove the Netgear software and driver and do a pc restart.
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Got it all removed did restart and still blank PC ID.
On another note I had a crash the first time i went to Config>Tool Table and added a Tool, when i hit the Save button Mill Wizard crashed. Once i loaded the default Tool Table then there was no crash. No problems, as that is why its still in BETA. The software is a really good start in the right direction. :)
Thanks,
Troy
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It is clear a blocked mac address will prevent the license code from generating a key. It is not the only factor read, but a critical one.
I will be adding a warning box to pop up if the address is blank.
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TDAY: Does the machine have antivirus software running? It could be a registry error too... many times deleting software doesn't remove it from the registry.
I experienced a program crash for the first time yesterday. Not sure what happend but it seems to be related to changing the plunge rate in the tool select menu. I did notice that if you select a new tool from the drop down menu, the plunge rate changed to 0.006 and the tool path dosen't work. If change the plunge rate to a whole number (say 10 for example) the tool path display works.
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You might want to re-install Netgear and make sure it's enabled to see it that's your problem. I leave mine on and it doesn't affect Mach 3's operation. My Dell xp pro is only used for the cnc machine.... not web surfing so I really don't care. I have mill wizard on the same machine for convienance.
I normally run Aspire 4.0 but do that on a Windows 7 pro machine. Mill Wizard is a great concept for quick parts where you don't want to spend two hours fool around with cad/cam software. Now if Ron can just get it to work....
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Hi all,
just an info.
Some days ago I tried to install the license.
No luck first. ??? Then after an hour or so I had the idea to enable LAN ::) ( normally deactivated due to it is not an internet PC )
That did the trick. :D
LAN activated = license :o
LAN deactivated =no license ;D
Alex
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Oops,
the last two smilies I accidentally swapped. ::)
Alex
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I did notice that if you select a new tool from the drop down menu, the plunge rate changed to 0.006 and the tool path dosen't work. If change the plunge rate to a whole number (say 10 for example) the tool path display works.
This hit me doing a demo at Cabin fever. You are correct that a small value in plunge will be turned to a zero in the gcode 'pretty up' routines, and that will cause toolpath to fail.
I am looking for why the plunge value turns up so low. I recall fixing a problem in the plunge calculation using the material table overrride value. I suspect something there is causing this. Brian will (eventually) add an error message to the toolpath display when any gcode is bad.
I wont be able to compile a new version until Im home from NAMES on April 23, but I hope I have figured it out by then.
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TDAY: Does the machine have antivirus software running? It could be a registry error too... many times deleting software doesn't remove it from the registry.
I experienced a program crash for the first time yesterday. Not sure what happend but it seems to be related to changing the plunge rate in the tool select menu. I did notice that if you select a new tool from the drop down menu, the plunge rate changed to 0.006 and the tool path dosen't work. If change the plunge rate to a whole number (say 10 for example) the tool path display works.
It used to have AVG, but i uninstalled it a couple years ago. This PC (Mill Machine PC in question) does not get any web or networking, i only tried the Netgear to see if my wireless router could reach machine,which it could not.
I ran Free Windows Registry Repair and CCleaner after the uninstall. But i will try and reinstall netgear and see what happens.
Thanks again,
Troy
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Hi all,
just an info.
Some days ago I tried to install the license.
No luck first. ??? Then after an hour or so I had the idea to enable LAN ::) ( normally deactivated due to it is not an internet PC )
That did the trick. :D
LAN activated = license :o
LAN deactivated =no license ;D
Alex
Hi Alex,
I tried enabling the LAN(even tho i dont have it connected) before i tried reinstalling netgear, and what do ya know? I can now see the PC ID :)
Does your license still work with LAN connection disabled?
Thanks much Alex,
Troy
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Never mind, answered my own question. :)
Ron,
Is there something that can be changed so the LAN connection does not have to be enabled for license?
Thanks,
Troy
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I did some checking and found out NetGear enables the LAN connection. Without the LAN enabled it blocks the pc MAC address. So as cncalex discovered the LAN has to be on for Mill Wizard license to work.
There is definitely a problem with the license scheme being tied to the pc network MAC address. I would be willing to bet most pc's used for cnc machines aren't being used for networking. So i don't think Ron has heard the last of this problem. Software doesn't do any good if you need to spend days figure out how to load it.
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There was lots of discussion about the license issue at the Cabin Fever seminars. No one likes it, Brian included. But when you have vendors on Ebay selling CDs that include the mach software and a license key you have to do something. The mac address is about the only thing in a PC that relates to a serial number. Note the license software looks at more than the mac address, but mac is critical.
Note you do not need to have the network connected and working, it simply needs a net interface that has a mac address.
I am afraid this will not change and we will have to get used to it. I will be adding a test and a message box on the About screen that will give a warning when the PC id comes up blank. That is al I can do.
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Hi Ron,
I understand the pirate issue. Its always amazed me people would kick about $50 software, that is worth more than $50, same goes for Mach3.(Not taking a shot at anyone here, only understating what was stated about the software license).
Anyhow maybe another idea will pop up. I like the saying " Get it working then make it look good",that seems to fit with just about anything. :)
Thanks again Ron,
Troy
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Ron the problem will be that we have for years preached TURN OFF the NETWORKING and ALL unnecessary functions as they can interfere with Mach3. NOW it has to be turned back on???
(;-) TP
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Hi Troy
Does your license still work with LAN connection disabled?
No. Only when enabled.
Regards
Alex
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I'm not complaining about the $50 cost... actually the program is pretty nice for $50. The only sure way to minimize illegal copying is use a usb dongle but even that can be beat. As long a China and Russia has teams of programmers reverse engineering software illegal copying will continue. I'm not a software hacker but it only took me 20 minutes to figure out the LAN disabled... is the reason the mac address was blocked.... is why mill wizard license wouldn't load.
NFS sends a license number when you purchase the product. Have it setup so the license number is disabled, deleted, erased after one install. Garmin used this scheme with its laptop GPS software.
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I probably should post this under another heading let me know if you want it changed. I am having trouble installing my Newfangled mill license. When I install the license I get this remark " About dialog must be re-opened to check license". The license number is in the slot so it appears NewFangled has it. Not sure what to do next. appreciate some advice. Thanks Jack
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After it is installed you really dont have to do anything but start using the program. However, the about box doesnt change the line that says 'unlicensed demo copy' If you close the box, then re-open it you will see that has changed to licensed copy, just as confirm that the license worked.
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Thanks Ron, I will go to the shop after a short dentist visit and give it a try. Thanks Jack