Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: bryannab on February 13, 2018, 10:07:54 AM
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Whether you're an established Mach3 user or you're just starting out and all of your machine instructions are for Mach3, it can be daunting to make the switch to Mach4. Some of the buttons are gone or in a different spot than you're used to and even the configuration menus aren't quite the same. Whatever your level of experience is, there is going to be a learning curve when you start using Mach4. The worksheet attached is meant to ease the transition by helping you collect and organize your settings. Fill it out with with the settings you use in Mach3 and you will be able to use it as a reference when you make your profile in Mach4. It is meant to be used alongside the setup guide for your motion controller--as that will dictate which settings are configured in their plugin and which are configured in Mach4--and with the Mach4 configuration manual. It is written with the language and terminology used in Mach4 so you will know what you are looking for when you start applying your settings.
The worksheet should open in both Excel and Open Office. The first page is an introduction and the Worksheet tab on the bottom is where you'll actually fill out your settings. Please PM me or submit a ticket at support.machsupport.com with any questions or for more information.
Happy CNCing!
-Bryanna
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HI Bryanna,
What is truly needed is a way to pull as much of this data from a Mach3 XML file and auto populate your spreadsheet, then you will be onto something.
Even better would be a Mach4 conversion Wizard that runs in inside of Mach4 and puts as many of the settings in place as possible and then prompts you for the rest of the information.
Mike
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Hello everyone,
i am an inexperienced enthusiast and novice, no formal training in cnc, however very interested, i would appreciate assistance in choosing mach3 and learning how to navigate the software. i am also not very computer literate.
thanks, nick.
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Hello Nick,
For more information on Mach3, I recommend creating a post in the General Mach Discussion topic. You will be able to ask questions and have more users see your post that way.
You can also send me a message with any questions or submit a ticket at our helpdesk: http://support.machsupport.com/
All the best,
Bryanna
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Hello everyone,
i am a complete novice with regards to cnc, i need assistance and advice as i journey down this road.
i am however very interested to gathering skills to become proficient.
i am also not very computer literate,
thanks, nick.
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Hi there, (https://bilen.joomla.com/) im a novice aswell. Hopefully, (http://artikelbank.bloggproffs.se/) I can get som guidance by this forum.
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Hello all. I hope I'm posting in the right place. I'm a professional beginner. I've tinkered with Mach3 in the past on a 4 axis DoAll mill that I converted. Recently my computer imploded. My replacement machine will have Windows 7. Now I'm thinking this might be a good time to upgrad to Mach4. I was just wondering what kind of hurdles I might encounter in such a transition. Both hardware and setup/configuration wise. The old Mach3 configuration used the printer port. I know Mach4 supports USB but can I keep my PP breakout board and have (a less painful) Plug-n-Play, business as usual? I haven't done much with Gcode since the wizards in Mach3 usually do my jobs. Since Mach4 is a ground up rebuild does it have an array of wizards as well? This is a hobby machine. I've helped a few folks out but nothing commercial.
Thanks for whatever advise you might care to share.
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Hi,
you can run Mach4 on a parallel port, the Darwin parallel port driver has a $25 licence fee. To be honest
Mach4 is ideally matched to external motion controllers, to use a parallel port with it is not really sensible.
Additionally a parallel port can ONLY be run with a 32 bit OS Windows7 or earl;ier.
The Gcode you have used before will still work but Mach4 doesn't have much in the way of wizards built in,
you can get them but you'll have to pay a licence fee.
Craig
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Thanks Craig. What does the USB use instead of the PP breakout board?
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Hi,
an external motion controller like a UC300 or PMDX-424 or an Ethernet SmoothStepper are connected
to the PC by either USB or ethernet.
The external controller takes numeric data (position/velocity/time PVT) from Mach4 and converts it into pulse
streams for the motor drivers. They are way WAY clever! Provided you don't buy rubbish, a cheap one goes for
$120 and really good ones $600 plus.
Craig
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+1 on don't buy rubbish. Saving $50 buys you a whole lot of trouble!!!!
Mike
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ill say this I have mach 4 with a plasma screen from vitalsystem controller the controller is fine it works grate but mach 4 is 1 big pain in my ass setting it up no information after a month goffing around I finaly got it to work
for one thers no post processor for mach 4 you have to use mach 3 one I wanted to add an engraver you need to be a rocket scientist programmer to make it work
I don't think it user friendly just to add a button you need to be a wiz I sigest you play with it before buying it
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Hi,
a post processor is part of the software suite that makes up a CAM program. NFS do not provide post processors for other companies CAM programs
and never have.
In order for NFS to survive they have made software which is sufficiently flexible and robust so that OEM's can use it for their products. OEMs are prepared
to invest the time and energy to transform the basic Mach4 package into a tailored commercial product. If you wish to transform Mach4 into a flexilbe and
capable solution for your plasma/engraver you too will have to invest the time and energy just as OEMs do, and yes, you will have to be good at it, 'whizz'
might be a bit over the top.
Craig
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then why not sell it as an oem package only so the rest of us don't have to deal with things we don't understand be cause of lack of information not every one is a programmer
and most oem are now going Linux some of the fast mills out there are now Linux
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Hi,
it is sold as an OEM package and is doing very well, it would appear that many OEMs prefer it to LinuxCNC. If you want to get in on the action you can in the
form of Mach4Hobby.
If you don't like programming or refuse to do it then Mach4 is not for you. If on the other hand you are prepared to learn Lua etc then you can have a really professional
and extremely capable system, your choice.
Craig
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the only oem i see out there doing mach 4 stuff is mach motion every one i know wants to use ther plasma table not sit there spending milions of hrs programing or learing old lua
when time can be better spent learning cad cam look what happened to command cnc what mach did to him he now has Linux look at haas tormax Linux i don't know were your getting your info from
im not hear to put down mach 4. im just saying things should be made easyer to use not have to learn lua code the problem is programers are building this not users
i spent mu hole life working large state wide wan networks for communications equipment have no desire to learn programing that's what programmers do they think in bitts and bites
my problem it should not take me weeks to try an make en engraver work off my torch like i said more weeks to set things up i could build 100 windows computers and set them up faster
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I’m happy to report my vital system hilcon controller and arch pro plasma screen can now change tools. With the m6 command thanks to Cbyrdtopper who did the code I will say I learned a lot
Of how things work in Mach 4 now when activating a code in sheet cam my x y z now responds to the tool offset triggers an output and has a button for over ride
And works fine now I have the ability to have 99 tools don’t need that many in plasma lol
I will add it took a lot of time and help I don't give up easy I am happy with mach 4 I do like windows I like the fact hardware for windows is well supported un like Linux
people see I have a Mach 4 plasma setup running the first thing I get o that's gona be slow it has problems so far I have had nun with Mach 4 except the setup pains of not knowing where to look
for information not many setup videos they are better the books sometimes we just don't understand the book but when we see it done it becomes easier and faster
Many cnc builds go UN finished because they just can’t make it work. don't give up and believe me I wanted to use the whole thing for target practice
Now I’m thinking of my next project a mill up grade running mach4 I never used Mach 3 so don’t know the problems or even how to use it I figured the future is Mach 4 why go back
I will ask is there a plasma cut file that a Linux machine can’t run right and Mach 4 can this would make the non-mach believers stop bashing the program some believe Mach 4 is just not good that’s not a fair statement I really don’t see how micro seconds and real time in a computer can effect cnc operation
Because windows does not run in real time never did. maybe someone can explain I never get an answer
You can only cut so fast weather it a mill or lathe why we need speed
All I can say is my Mach 4 has been good playing with it for the last year its fine
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How is Mach 4?
Can it do everything Mach 3 could?
Is Mach 4 complete?
Is Mach 4 stable?
Thanks
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How is Mach 4?
Can it do everything Mach 3 could?
Is Mach 4 complete?
Is Mach 4 stable?
Thanks
I think your post is what they call "a loaded dice" :)
Tweakie.
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I like mach 4 I got it to do every thing I need to do. my plasma table does a tool change to run en engraver. I have v2 mach 4 loaded with a hilcon controller.
I would suggest you use a newer computer then an xp machine. run windows 7 pro or windows 10 and make sure your controller supports mach 4 with its firmware.
there are others I talked to running mills and doing retro fits. they run fine
nothing is perfect you can make things work if you try.
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Whether you're an established Mach3 user or you're just starting out and all of your machine instructions are for Mach3, it can be daunting to make the switch to Mach4. Some of the buttons are gone or in a different spot than you're used to and even the configuration menus aren't quite the same. Whatever your level of experience is, there is going to be a learning curve when you start using Mach4. The worksheet attached is meant to ease the transition by helping you collect and organize your settings. Fill it out with with the settings you use in Mach3 and you will be able to use it as a reference when you make your profile in Mach4. It is meant to be used alongside the setup guide for your motion controller--as that will dictate which settings are configured in their plugin and which are configured in Mach4--and with the Mach4 configuration manual. It is written with the language and terminology used in Mach4 so you will know what you are looking for when you start applying your settings.
The worksheet should open in both Excel and Open Office. The first page is an introduction and the Worksheet tab on the bottom is where you'll actually fill out your settings. Please PM me or submit a ticket at support.machsupport.com with any questions or for more information.
Happy CNCing!
-Bryanna
For me the switch isn't about screens and options/buttons moving, it is about functionality. After many years waiting for Mach4 I downloaded the demo and to be honest can't get any feel for the program at all. The demo is far too restrictive to risk spending money on it. After about a minute of looking through a feature I get a message saying demo timed out. Just looking at the Mach4 screen doesn't inspire confidence either e.g. how long has it been in development? 3 - 4 years? Yet as soon as you start it up you are shown this lovely screen (lathe). Last pic is fullscreen
(https://www.pcpairgunparts.co.uk/images/mach4_001.png)
(https://www.pcpairgunparts.co.uk/images/mach4_002.png)
3 - 4 years and the main interface still looks like Linux script kiddy wrote it?
It also doesn't help that Warp9 are still way behind with their plugin for it - yet the rest of the CNC World have moved on and have made massive strides: UCCNC, Masso, PlanetCNC, with LinuxCNC still being as reliable as ever. The problem with Linux however is the people who program it seem to have absolutely no idea at all of how to create an interface that looks good and works.
Honestly looking at Mach4 I think the Masso is the way to go, however it is young yet and far too restrictive in it's options. They seem to have concentrated on hardware and are now playing catchup with the software.
I dunno, I wanted to upgrade fro Mach3 to Mach4 and found that after all this time that I cannot see a single advantage of doing so - but many disadvantages.
Rimmel :-[
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How is Mach 4?
Can it do everything Mach 3 could?
Is Mach 4 complete?
Is Mach 4 stable?
Thanks
No
No
and NO.
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Hi Rimmel,
I think your criticism is unfair.
You pointed out a screen where a small fraction of a control was truncated by virtue of the screen size. Screens written by NFS are usually pretty good, they fit most screens and/or scale to most screens but not all.
Because a screen set does not fit perfectly with your PC screen without you having to do a few screen editing tweaks you are claiming incompetence by NFS? Of the other CNC software you have mentioned how many
have as able screen editing and GUI functions as Mach4? The screen editing and GUI functions represent a very much larger chunk of code than Machs core and very much harder to achieve and are a major step up
over its competeition.
Additionally, does it matter that much....I mean this is software for controlling a mill, router, lathe or whatever, is an imperfection in the screen set going to change how the machine works? What really important here?
A number of machining functions/features have to be enacted by the motion controller not Mach, backlash compensation, lathe threading and THC are some examples. They must be done in realtime
which absolutely precludes them being enacted within Mach, Mach is not realtime. At this time the external motion controllers have some but not all features implemented. You mention the ESS, you may
have been following the Warp9 forum but Backlash compensation is in Beta testing now and the majority of the code for lathe threading is already written. Warp9 have decided to 'up the ante' by having mulitpulse
spindle feedback and this has caused a delay to the release of lathe threading. The PMDX-422 on the other hand does support lathe threading but not backlash compensation.
The salient point here is that you can't blame Mach4 for something that Mach4 cannot now, or ever, do. You may recall when external motion controllers were being developed for Mach3 a similar situation applied
where one maker would have features A and B but not C and D and another maker would have features A, C and D but not B. Eventually all manufacturers arrived at the happy point where all the 'hardware
only' features are supported across all brands. That has not yet occurred amongst Mach4 capable external motion controllers and NFS is not able to do anything about it.
If the difference in capabilities of the 'hardware only' features are excluded then Mach3 and Mach4 are indentical, they are both near ANSI compliant Gcode interpreters. Indeed Mach4 Industrial has MacroB
ability and so might be argued that Mach4 is more capable than Mach3. As I have Mach4Hobby without MacroB I don't make that claim but certainly ANYTHING I could do in Mach3 I can do in Mach4
EXCLUDING only those 'hardware only' features.
The main reason for me to migrate from Mach3 (three years use with two parallel ports) to Mach4 (18 moths with ESS and two BoBs) was because VB, or more accurately CE, the cutdown version of VB that
ships with Mach3 as its scripting language was and is riddled with inconsistentencies. Look up a recent thread in Mach3 about 'Scripter Complie Errors". Lua has proven to be absolutely consistent, not easy to
use to start with to be sure, but superbly consistent when it does. I have likewise found Mach4 to be much more stable. There are oddities certainly but few bugs.
Craig
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I will reply inline:
Hi Rimmel,
I think your criticism is unfair.
Differing opinions are always welcome.
You pointed out a screen where a small fraction of a control was truncated by virtue of the screen size. Screens written by NFS are usually pretty good, they fit most screens and/or scale to most screens but not all.
Because a screen set does not fit perfectly with your PC screen without you having to do a few screen editing tweaks you are claiming incompetence by NFS? Of the other CNC software you have mentioned how many
have as able screen editing and GUI functions as Mach4? The screen editing and GUI functions represent a very much larger chunk of code than Machs core and very much harder to achieve and are a major step up
over its competeition.
But NFS are SELLING this software and as such you would think that the first screen that greeted anyone would be in good visual order ESPECIALLY when you have been working on it for 3 - 4 years. So I must disagree and say that first impressions are paramount. Also I am a professional computer programmer (since 1997) and to say the GUI carries more code than the actual core Mach4 operations is frankly absurd, epsecially considering GUI driven development suites that are available today (point and click and 90% of the GUI code is written for you). My actual initial reaction to starting mach4 up was "Oh jesus... really?". Then click more or less any button and get the message that you can't do this in the demo... my reaction was "well why release a demo if you can't actualy do anything with it?"
More to the point, PlanetCNC, UCCNC, Masso and a few others have managed to do just that in a fraction of the time - from scratch.
Additionally, does it matter that much....I mean this is software for controlling a mill, router, lathe or whatever, is an imperfection in the screen set going to change how the machine works? What really important here?
Again, confidence in the product e.g. if you cannot fix simple glitches in the GUI in 3 - 4 years it does not give someone the confidence to spend $200 - £1,400, especially when the DEMO is restricted in such a manner you cannot realistic do ANYTHING with it.
A number of machining functions/features have to be enacted by the motion controller not Mach, backlash compensation, lathe threading and THC are some examples. They must be done in realtime
which absolutely precludes them being enacted within Mach, Mach is not realtime. At this time the external motion controllers have some but not all features implemented. You mention the ESS, you may
have been following the Warp9 forum but Backlash compensation is in Beta testing now and the majority of the code for lathe threading is already written. Warp9 have decided to 'up the ante' by having mulitpulse
spindle feedback and this has caused a delay to the release of lathe threading. The PMDX-422 on the other hand does support lathe threading but not backlash compensation.
Granted - but why has it taken so long? The Mach3 Warp9 software has been table and not changed for a while, so it's not as if they are working on that. Many feel the information dribbling out of NFS is a factor.
As I have Mach4Hobby without MacroB I don't make that claim but certainly ANYTHING I could do in Mach3 I can do in Mach4
EXCLUDING only those 'hardware only' features.
OK that's good - however how do I test this for myself? well apart from spending $200 for the privilage...
The main reason for me to migrate from Mach3 (three years use with two parallel ports) to Mach4 (18 moths with ESS and two BoBs) was because VB, or more accurately CE, the cutdown version of VB that
ships with Mach3 as its scripting language was and is riddled with inconsistentencies. Look up a recent thread in Mach3 about 'Scripter Complie Errors". Lua has proven to be absolutely consistent, not easy to
use to start with to be sure, but superbly consistent when it does. I have likewise found Mach4 to be much more stable. There are oddities certainly but few bugs.
Again, I would love to find that out, but recoil at spending $200 to do so.
You suggest my criticism is unfair and if the software was free or sub $50 then I would whole heartedly agree, but when you load the demo and the initial screen looks like a childs finger painting with near zero functionality I would sincerely argue with you.
At this point I am sticking with Mach3 and giving Masso a year to mature, I think their system is the future, dedicated hardware and software at a reasonable price - when you consider you need a decent motion controller, the licence and PC to make Mach4 work.
Regards
Rimmel
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Hi,
the screen from which you took your screen shot is the Lathe screen and is relatively new, certainly not 3-4 years. The wx4 and wx6 screen sets have been around for that length of time and don't
to my knowledge suffer any imperfections.
This from smurph:
But that GUI has miles of code in it. Do you ever wonder why other CNC controls don't have anything like it? Because it is HARD TO DO!! The core and all of the plugins combined have less lines of code.
From the guy who wrote it. Can in fact any of the other programs manipulate and edit screens in the manner that Mach4 can?
Then click more or less any button and get the message that you can't do this in the demo... my reaction was "well why release a demo if you can't actualy do anything with it?"
Demo is fully operational for up to six minutes at a time or alternately unlimited time with the Sim(ulator) Plugin.
Granted - but why has it taken so long? The Mach3 Warp9 software has been table and not changed for a while, so it's not as if they are working on that. Many feel the information dribbling out of NFS is a factor.
I suspect because Warp9 is effectively one man...Andy, and his principle responsibility is support for existing customers. Development comes a distant second. Sales volumes dictate what can be achieved. At $180
a board...not much. You may have noticed that Vital Systems are considerably further ahead with the 'hardware only' features including THC and lathe threading but their boards start at $600. Allows more scope
for development when you have budget. NFS are as keen as anyone to see motion controllers developed to the fullest and earliest possible moment but they are not responsible for hardware development. That is the
downside of having outsourced hardware. The advantage is that there are competing hardware products for us to chose from. At the current time six manufacturers of reputable boards.
Do the other CNC controls have multiple hardware vendors?
OK that's good - however how do I test this for myself? well apart from spending $200 for the privilage...
You can't, and I'm not sure I would recommend it to you. If you are of the opinion that a minor screen fault calls into question the softwares ability to control a machine
then I suspect you would find additional complaints which would result in you being an unhappy customer. I questioned the wisdom of me migrating to Mach4 in the first few months but I have stuck with it
and have derived immense satisfaction from it. I now also begin to perceive how big a quantum leap forward Mach4 is over Mach3, it is not evident to you but it is to me.
Differing opinions are always welcome.
Craig
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I disagree with 90% of what you posted - especially the GUI programming, that is the easy part. If they are making screen creators etc instead of producing working screens then they are definitely concentrating in the wrong area.
The other providers like UCCNC provide a pefectly good set of screens with worring about screen editors. Also 99% of people use the standard screens as default.
Regards
Rimmel
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Hi Rimmel,
I disagree with you and I would guess that at least 40% of users modify their screen in one way or another.
This is also one the biggest reasons that I won't use LCNC.
The other nice thing about Mach3 and Mach4 is the ability to customize and personalize it to your machines or your style.
The PMC in Mach 4 has given me the ability to do things that were tedious to do in Brains and something that I was going to struggle to do in LUA.
Mike.
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Hi,
If they are making screen creators etc instead of producing working screens then they are definitely concentrating in the wrong area.
Selling Mach4Hobby at $200 for a perpetual licence would be business suicide. NFS require sales to OEMs of their Industrial version to remain in business.
OEMs require the ability to customize their control with their own screensets and so on. Consequently building in the screen editing features is more important
than finished screens....NFS's most important customers wont be using the standard screen sets anyway.
As hobbyists NFS have made Mach4Hobby available at a very good price with licencing conditions in keeping with Mach3. Make no mistake Mach4 is not the same as
Mach3 nor is it intended to be. Mach4 is written for OEM customers and for business survival has to remain that way.
Craig
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Wow - with that business model no wonder they have lost so much ground to other products with Mach4.
I would have thought every customer was important...
Totally gobsmacked
Rimmel
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I agree with Rimmel.
I would have thought every customer was important...
Indeed, I think they are and from experience I know every Customer is important. I can't speak for Artsoft / NFS but I am sure they think the same way. After all, Customers make 'pay-days' possible.
Tweakie.
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Hello all,
I want to address two things briefly, so please forgive my interruption to your discussion. First, I have recreated the original post as a locked sticky topic so that users who *want* to switch to Mach4 have the worksheet readily available. I respect that not all Mach3 users fall into that category and did not want to silence any discourse on that pros and cons of switching so I have left this topic open and unlocked. I try not to get involved in these discussions normally because I am not here for marketing purposes and I don't imagine anyone would take my opinions on these matters at face value as I am an employee of this company.
That brings me to the second thing I wanted to address that was brought up in this thread. Hobby customers are important to both me personally and to this company as a whole. While the investments made via the Industrial channel are what fuel new developments, they are not kept solely to Industrial customers. As new features are created, we try to include them in Hobby releases when applicable--and for no additional cost. As I mentioned before, I usually don't respond to posts with a negative hue to them but I do read them. I always want to know what customers have to say so that we can make improvements and adjustments.
TLDR; a duplicate of the original post has been created but this thread will remain intact and Hobby customers are important to Newfangled Solutions and to me.
-Bryanna
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Hi , all
I recently purchased TAIG 3000 ,15 years old, without computer and software.
What will you advise to install Mach3 or Mach4?
What an addition utilities can I need?
Thanks
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If it was me...
Mach 4
Gecko G540 https://www.geckodrive.com/support.html
ESS https://www.warp9td.com/
Vectric CAD / CAM software http://www.vectric.com/
Various other stuff, the list goes on and on :)
Check out the above linked websites, there is lots of useful information there.
Tweakie.
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Fast forward 18 months——, any new thoughts on switching from Mach3 to Mach4?
I too thought the home screen on the demo was confusing.
Thanks,
Chuck
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Fast forward 18 months——, any new thoughts on switching from Mach3 to Mach4?
A very good question Chuck ;)
When transitioning from Mach3 to Mach4 we would be aware that they are two very different products (apples and oranges come to mind) but we would constantly be making comparisons between the two for ease of use, results produced, etc.
With this in mind I have found one major consideration…
The required motion controller should be chosen carefully and dependant on what your machine is to be used for.
One particular motion controller may be better at Plasma, another at Turn, another at Laser, etc. and in my case, having a multi-purpose machine, I now have five different motion controllers – each excel at a particular task.
Tweakie.
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Thanks for the input Tweakie.
I have purchased Mach4 but have not installed it yet. The machine I would install it on does 4 axis milling and laser cutting. It has an ESS.
As you may remember I was having xml corruption issues with Mach3 and chose to switch over to Mach4. Fortunately Mach3 has been stable lately.
Before installing Mach4 I decided to see what other were saying about switching over.
I ran across this somewhat negative Mach4 post but it was 18 months old.
Was hoping to get some positive info on the update process, like “an update wizard “, I know, wishful thinking.
Cheers,
Chuck
Ps
On one of your posting a while back you said something to the effect “laser cutting and laser raster engraving should be dedication difference machines”
I have decided to go that route and not use Mach4 for laser cutting and raster imagines on the same machine.
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On one of your posting a while back you said something to the effect “laser cutting and laser raster engraving should be dedication difference machines”
Hi Chuck,
I don't recall posting that (after all I use the same machine for both purposes) but the machine set-up for each process may be a lot different and having a dedicated machine for each task would be nice.
Tweakie.
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Tweakie,
Good point “ after all I use the same machine for both purposes”
Sorry, I must have misread the post.
With the setup I now have, fixed position laser(no mirrors) and moving 2000 # table, I would be jerking around a lot of mass to do raster work like you are doing.
I was thinking of a K40 but now thinking of building one from scratch similar to yours.
Cheers
Chuck
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If it was me... Tweakie.
SOrry to hop on the back of this and going sideways.. but.. presumably there is a "transfer settings" style transition from mach3 to mach4, requiring no further setup, and also presumably if you are using a "standard" monitor 1080p the default screens will fit? Thanks mate, kind of on the fence on hopping over because with 5th axis XYZAB simultaneous is SLOW AF and im hoping the advance on mach4 will allow for faster motion.
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Hi Chris,
but.. presumably there is a "transfer settings" style transition from mach3 to mach4, requiring no further setup, and also presumably if you are using a "standard" monitor 1080p the default screens will fit?
No, not really. There is a spreadsheet that will help the transition but Mach4 IS A DIFFERENT program and much of what know about Mach3 will have to
be unlearnt so you can get yourself going with Mach4.
Mach3 screens DO NOT work in Mach4. If you download Mach4 you will see the standard screens it ships with. Are those adequate?
Editing screens and/or composing new screens is very much easier in Mach4 than Mach3, having said that composing a new screen from scratch is time
consuming, if have have a real need then fine but otherwise editing or tweaking a standard screen set is the way to go. Mach4 screens display equally
well in many resolutions as befits a more modern program.
I'm not at all sure that the toolpath display in Mach4 is up to five axis stuff, there is some details on four axis display. Whether the toolpath display is
useful or believable should have no bearing whatever on the speed of the motion however.
My experience is that Mach4 toolpath following/zooming/rotation does not cause Mach to pause or otherwise 'bobble' as used to be the case with Mach3.
Craig
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Hi Chris,
There is no real easy transition from Mach3 to Mach4. Setting-up is basically starting out from scratch.
Because Mach4 is a new product from the ground up the only thing that is usable from Mach3 is your .xml machine settings, Port and Pin, Velocity, Acceleration, etc., etc.
The really important part of using Mach4 is that you would need to choose a motion controller which supports all the functions you intend to use - some are better at Turn, some at Plasma, some at Laser, etc. and the Chinese controllers should be avoided at all cost.
Tweakie.
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Chinese controllers should be avoided at all cost.
really? those cheap controllers are basically all supplied with mach3 demo's currently, id say a VERY large part of the mach userbase arrived it from them. Bad move if that is true, will keep a large part of the market locked into Mach3.
There is no real easy transition from Mach3 to Mach4.
Thanks, I see no compelling reason to move then, you know the adage, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it..." ;)
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Hi,
NFS have no say in whom or how hardware is made for Mach3 or to a certain extent Mach4.
In order to make a Mach4 plugin, be it for a motion controller or pendant or PLC etc, a person/organisation/company
would do well to sign a N(on) D(isclosure) A(greement) with NFS and then they get all the inside information
to make a good job. NFS is very keen to see other manufacturers making hardware and plugins for Mach4 and offer
considerable support to those who do.
At the current time the only manfacturers who have invested considerable time and effort to make a working Mach4
plugin are European ans US based. All have long experience in the Mach3 market and all have a great reputation
for support, none could really be considered cheap.
There is but one Chinese manufacturer who has made a Mach4 plugin but its that buggy that no-one uses it.
The company concerned don't seem to care either, if they've got your money you are out of luck.
As you know development of Mach3 ceased six years ago....so Mach3 is what it is....there will be no updates or increased functionality.
On the other hand Mach4 development proceeds apace.
Presumably if you are happy enough with the functionality of Mach3 then you aren't interested in mcSurface plugin, script based THC,Trace module,
Mach4 Ethercat and so on, and these are only the last few months.
Craig
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"if it ain't broke, don't fix it..."
That has always worked well for me Chris ;)
Tweakie.
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mcSurface plugin, ... ,Trace module,
Please tell me these are things related to digitizing?
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Hi,
no, those features are not related to digitising.
Mach4 does have up to four probe inputs which could be used to advantage in a digitizing routine but Mach4 does not have
a digitizing Wizard that is familiar to Mach3 users. There is certainly nothing to prevent you from writing your own module to
do so, but I'm guessing you don't want to write programs.
There may be a solution for you though.
mcSurface Wizard is feature that allows Mach to autonomously probe a given XY area and record the Z axis data at each of the
sample points. Thus the file looks a bit like a 'bed of nails'. The mcSurface file is intended to be applied to the z axis thereafter
with the intent that it correct a 'wavy or otherwise uneven machine base'. You wouldn't want to use that particular function
but it does provide a 'bed of nails file', would that be adequate?
Craig
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Hi,
no, those features are not related to digitising.
Mach4 does have up to four probe inputs which could be used to advantage in a digitizing routine but Mach4 does not have
a digitizing Wizard that is familiar to Mach3 users. There is certainly nothing to prevent you from writing your own module to
do so, but I'm guessing you don't want to write programs.
There may be a solution for you though.
mcSurface Wizard is feature that allows Mach to autonomously probe a given XY area and record the Z axis data at each of the
sample points. Thus the file looks a bit like a 'bed of nails'. The mcSurface file is intended to be applied to the z axis thereafter
with the intent that it correct a 'wavy or otherwise uneven machine base'. You wouldn't want to use that particular function
but it does provide a 'bed of nails file', would that be adequate?
Craig
No, not really what I need. The thing that would make me buy *right now* is if it incorporated the DXF-generation capability of ProbeIt, so that it could be used for CMM / reverse-engineering stuff. I don’t really want to have to use Mach4 for machining and Mach3 for probing.
ProbeIt doesn’t do bed-of-nails- it will follow a perimeter. Lot faster and more detail-oriented than bed of nails, and DXF output makes things easy to get into CAD.