Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: BR549 on July 20, 2015, 08:21:53 PM
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What would you consider a stumbling block to UPGRADING to the current Version of Mach4 ?? Something?? Nothing??
Just a thought, (;-) TP
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I'm assuming you mean upgrading from Mach3?
1) No idea of plugin status for devices, ie, what works or not. I was looking at using a CS Labs motion controller, but their Mach4 Plugin is from 12-17-2014. They said in January that their would be updates every few months, but there hasn't been one in about 8 months now.
Give me some idea that when I spend $700, that it's going to work.
2) No CV mode controls.
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Same as Gerry
CNCdrive has no plugin yet for mach4 (they are working on it) and in my mind switching to something that is still in development on both the program AND plugin from two different vendors is just setting yourself up for frustration. It's the same problem I have now with Mach3 and the UC-100/300 motion controls. Is the problem with Mach or the plugin. We all know mach3 is riddled with random bugs so it's hard to hold Balazs feet to the fire to fix a plugin that may or may not be bad.
The same business that developed Mach3 is the same business developing Mach4. nuff said:)
Derek
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>>The same business that developed Mach3 is the same business developing Mach4. nuff said:)
Sez it all really. Mach4 is not a finished product and I do not want to help bug fix software I paid for.
I am so fed up with seeing "Scripter compile error" and the spindle not turning on so the tool crashes into the work.
I tried all the suggested fixes and it still happens intermittantly.
It also happened the first time on my mill the other day when using the built in probing routines.
So I've had enough and keeping busy moving to Linuxcnc
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I've improved my odds by starting mach, shutting down mach and starting it again. I seem to crash a lot less this way.
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Not to put too fine a point on it but I just finished changing out a tap and scrapping a part because the spindle failed to execute a M4 at the end of the tapping cycle. It just lifted until the tension compression holder hit bottom and snapped. Fortunately it was an 8/32 so it broke without any other damage. If it was the 5/16 it would have been ugly. Now it has been performing this code for the last week 1680 times and never missed a beat. It screwed up the week before though.
Derek
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The same business that developed Mach3 is the same business developing Mach4. nuff said:)
Just read the new release notes.
They started adding support for 3D printing.
The program is unusable (or is it not desirable?) for controlling routers and mills, and they're adding more features to support other types of machines.
How about getting it actually working so people can and will want to use it, before you start adding more and more features?
You're right, it does look like Mach3 all over again.
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Well I'm moving over to UCCNC as I have 4 of his controllers. All the elements are in place for it to do everything I need it's just a matter of getting new macros written and some custom screen work. So far it seems to be pretty good but I have a long way to go before totally trust it. At least it's being developed by the company that makes the controller and I think that's an important thing.
Derek
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Thanks a great deal to Terry Parker, I've got a lot more into CB scripting and screen making.
Now that I seen Mach3 will be taken away from us at some point (not for sale), I thought it's time to have a look at Mach4. Straight away I noticed there's no scripting manuals equivalent to what we have for Mach3.
I didn't even look further after that but is there any screenmaking facilities like we have for Mach3 ?
In the manual, all I seen was a title for Modbus, nothing else. A project I'm working on now uses Modbus in Mach3. Someone asked in a forum post about Modbus, and was simply wanting some info on how it worked. The reply he got was something about not offering free support, so he responded saying he wasn't asking for support, only instructions on how it works.
Then of course, all I ever hear is Mach4 is only half made and still very buggy, yet is being charged for. I thought software in this stage is normally classed as Beta and is given out free for users to play with and give feedback. Once it's good enough for production, it gets charged for.
So far I see/hear:
Half developed.
Buggy
Lack of instructional information / tutorials.
Being charged for before ready for use.
Nothing much of incentive for me to "upgrade" at this point. Sadly I've already printed about 800 pages of Linuxcnc manuals, I feel like I have nowhere else to turn, and do not like the learning curve ahead of me.
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Mach4 has an integrated screen designer. You can create/modify your screens from within Mach4.
When you install Mach4, it does install some documentation on Lua calls.
There are also some documents posted here in the forum, a lot of them by PoppaBear.
Right now the forum is the best manual for customizing Mach4.
Note that the scripting manuals for Mach3 were written by users, not Artsoft.
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Thanks for that input Gerry.
Never knew that about the scripting manuals. I never fail to get confused why developers create a paid-for product yet don't write user manuals that explain fully how to use the products features. I'm glad passenger aircraft don't rely on pilots learning bits and pieces from each other on forums, or relying on another pilot to write a cockpit manual. Bit of an extreme example but you get where I'm flying from.
I'll no doubt keep an eye on Mach4 as time passes and see if it gets to the stage where I'd be happy to start with it.
Keith.
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give it a year bask function is fine 3 Axis with limits switches and probing, you have to have acc and velocity bang on as well, and there is a lot of info in this forum on lua but a lot of the time you have to make a start on the code before you get help, there is a probing screen set don't ask me how to set it up. I ask for instructions for setting it up got no reply
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I personally think the biggest issue with Mach4 is communication. No body seems to know the current status, or where the various plugins are at.
If you only ever post here on the forum, you only ever see the problems being discussed with very little if any input from any of the Mach guys. At least over the Yahoo group you get some input from Brian. Running my own business I understand you have to prioritise where time is spent, but I'm sure they could at least spare an hour or two a week to post on here and provide some idea of what's been going in the background.
Even just a thread only Mach guys can post in to act like an informal blog, and give a brief roundup of what's been happening over the past week.
As for the plugins, it would be good if details were a bit easier to find. USS/ESS I keep hearing about, but unless you dig into their forum, details don't really exist. As has been mentioned CS do have a plugin, but all the public details point to it being well out of date. The only person who seems to be keeping on top of things is Steve@PMDX giving updates when required.
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give it a year.........
I bought my license last August, so I already have. And that's what I said last year, but today, imo, it's not much closer now than it was then.
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very true ger I am hopping a year the problems I have had over the year with my big router I am down to the last problem what`s M3 being funny sometimes over on the ESS side thing have gotten better
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give it a year.........
I bought my license last August, so I already have. And that's what I said last year, but today, imo, it's not much closer now than it was then.
I am starting to think it will be a few years, if ever, before I will be using Mach4. :'(
Tweakie.
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If that's the case, then there might not be a Mach4 by then....
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if they get the planer done soon it will be more of a go