Machsupport Forum
Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: lumber60 on March 17, 2019, 02:04:50 PM
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I first encountered a CNC router in January of last year and have been fascinated ever since. I had never herd of Gcode, Grbl, Mach anything, post processor etc and i jumped right in. I built my own machine!
I jumped on the internet and started searching. Now i have to find a way to connect software and machine. I came across Newfangled Solutions and mach 3. After downloading the free version and some setup my machine made some moves.
Mach forum is great, and everyone is willing to help.
After all my research i said to myself that there has to be a better way, a simplified process. All the pages and pages of do this do that then go here and still not have anything Gcode to work with the machine.
I found a program by accident with a simple learning curve that will give you a free trial for 32 and 64 bit windows systems and not have to spend a lot afterwards.
Check it out
https://deftware.itch.io/pixelcnc
Ken
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That looks really cool!!
Thanks for pointing that out.
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Thanks for the reply.
lumber60
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I first encountered a CNC router in January of last year and have been fascinated ever since. I had never herd of Gcode, Grbl, Mach anything, post processor etc and i jumped right in. I built my own machine!
I jumped on the internet and started searching. Now i have to find a way to connect software and machine. I came across Newfangled Solutions and mach 3. After downloading the free version and some setup my machine made some moves.
Mach forum is great, and everyone is willing to help.
After all my research i said to myself that there has to be a better way, a simplified process. All the pages and pages of do this do that then go here and still not have anything Gcode to work with the machine.
I found a program by accident with a simple learning curve that will give you a free trial for 32 and 64 bit windows systems and not have to spend a lot afterwards.
Check it out
https://deftware.itch.io/pixelcnc
Ken
I know Pixelcnc but that is NOT the only way to learn CNC unless all you want to do is carving art or making signs.
You cannot make precision engineering machinery parts or jigs for your Wood Router for large furniture with pixelcnc for example.
ALSO
1.Learn how to write G-code manually.
2. Spend GBP1O to get and learn HEEKSCNC
If you just like to do engraving & artwork FREEWARE from Scotch Works:-
like
F-engrave
Dmap2Gcode
G-Code Ripper
used in combination will be superior to using pixelcnc
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I HAVE STATED IN NO WAY THAT THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO LEARN CNC OR MAKE LARGE FURNITURE!!
IF I WANTED TO MAKE PRECISION ENGINEERING PARTS OR FURNITURE I PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT CNC ROUTER PROGRAMS FOR CARVING OR SIGN MAKING " MAKE SENSE?''
I WOULDN'T SHOP FOR TIRES TO PUT ON MY HORSE!!!!
P.S.
I DO WRITE GCODE !!!! GET IT , GO IT, GOOD!
YOU STARTED SOMEWHERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
lumber60
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Sorry - no offense intended.
This forum has many guest public readers so comments are often meant to help the wider audience.
On PIXELCNC
1. Will NOT run on PCs without OpenGL 2.1 graphics card and Physical RAM of 2GB RAM. Even my Windows 7 and my Windows 10 laptops won’t work because they do not support OpenGL 2.1 but only Open GL 1.1 and OpenGL 2.0 respectively.
2. Trial version limited to 65,536 pixels 256x256 or 512x128 pixel
Lower than even VGA resolution which is 640x480.
3. Not good enough to engrave (V-CARVE or B-Carve) beautiful Text from Fonts.
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Not to worry,
If anyone goes to the PIXEL CNC download page the system requirements are there as well.
Fusion 360 for example has system requirements as well as many others do. I think most of us will check that before trying or buying.
Be it MACH 3 or 4 free trial version they have minimum requirements to. So it is a good idea to know your computer properties and it sounds like you do.
Most systems purchased today should support OPENGL.
I am currently running PIXEL CNC on 2 laptops and 1 pc and all 3 are 10 plus years 0ld and support OPENGL and window 7.
1 laptop with 32 bit windows, another laptop with 64 bit windows, and the PC with 64 bit windows is exclusive to my CNC table.
I use all 3 to create Gcode for my projects.
I also use inkscape to generate projects and import them to PIXEL CNC, works great! Mach 4 runs the code perfectly.
OK, I have rambled enough.
lumber60
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Do you know if there's a list of demo limitations somewhere?
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Go to link
page down to FREE TRIAL and the info will be just below
https://deftware.itch.io/pixelcnc
if you need more info let me know
lumber60
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Update, I wasn't sure about one of my operating systems and this is what I found.
My 64 bit laptop is running windows 10 pro according to properties as well as PIXEL CNC 64bit version and doing a good job of it.
lumber60
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2. Trial version limited to 65,536 pixels 256x256 or 512x128 pixel
Lower than even VGA resolution which is 640x480.
Looking through release notes, this limitation was removed in v1.30a
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That is correct and FYI another updated version is to be released in the next week or so.
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Big companies like Autodesk abandoned to use of OpenGL in favor of Microsoft DirectX and DirectX3D YEARS AGO and so their software will always run on WINDOWS PC.
Programs that are written using OPENGL (for UNIX/LINUX) would require people to upgrade their graphics card which they cannot do in laptops.
Even new Graphics cards now do not have 32bits drivers anymore. So a Mach3 user cannot use programs written using OPENGL.
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1) If you want to run modern software on 15 year old PC's, good luck.
2) Most Processors from the last 10 years have built in graphics that support OpenGL. You don't even need a graphics card to run PixelCNC on most PC's.
3) Mach3 runs fine on 64 bit Operating Systems, as long as you use a motion controller. Tens of thousands of people are doing it.
4) Open GL is still used in a lot of high end CAD and CAM software.
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1) If you want to run modern software on 15 year old PC's, good luck.
2) Most Processors from the last 10 years have built in graphics that support OpenGL. You don't even need a graphics card to run PixelCNC on most PC's.
3) Mach3 runs fine on 64 bit Operating Systems, as long as you use a motion controller. Tens of thousands of people are doing it.
4) Open GL is still used in a lot of high end CAD and CAM software.
I know what you are saying.
I am a Chartered IT consultant and I still build and sell computers for PlasmaCAM.
The issue of late versions of OpenGL you will you need Vendor's drivers.
Since most vendors including Intel, Nvidia, AMD no longer supply 32bits drivers, a user of modern PC loaded with 32bits Windows 7 for MACH3 to use the parallel port may only have Microsoft provided drivers which will supports directX12 but NOT OpenGL 3.X or 4.X..
Why advertise for pixelCNC when there are many other similar programs that will work for a typical MACH3 user?
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All i ever said was newbies should checkout PIXEL CNC because it has a great learning curve for us! If you want to make it into something go ahead.
You don't impress me at all by stating what, who,or where your a member of. That just Tells me you have no time or patience for people trying to learn without drowning in the title that you are shoving at them to put you on your cloud.
Beginners want patience, guidance, and simplicity!
Suggestion,
Click on the link and contact them in there blog and have this debate, with patience and open mind you might learn something
https://deftware.itch.io/pixelcnc
PixelCNC supports it and any argument about it using OpenGL meaning that only new computers will work with it is misled and misinformed.
P.S.
I hope your contradictions help your wider audience
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Again, developers don't write software to run on old PC's an Operating Systems.
It should run on any PC sold in the last 5 years, and probably even older.
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My laptop I am typing on can run
V-CARVE pro 9.5 (latest)
Autodesk Inventor 2015 (what I had NOT LATEST)
Autodesk Autocad 2015 Mechanical (what I had NOT LATEST)
HeeksCNC 1.4 (latest)
FlatCAM latest (latest)
F-engrave latest (latest)
dmap2gcode-0.11 (latest)
GCODE-Spliter (latest)
eagle 7.7 (what I had NOT LATEST)
VISIO 2000 Pro (20 year old)
Since Lazycam can only import DXF version R12, I have ENOUGH software to RUN MACH3.
What is my OpenGL Version? ONLY OPENGL 1.3 according to GLview5.2
Don't get me wrong. I have an I7 Desktop with 16GB RAM running my virtual Pipe organ loading 12GB of 9600bps/24bits samples. I have brand new 64bits Windows 10 PC that can run new CAD Software when I save up money to buy them.
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FYI:
I forgot to mention that
I made NC Corrector 4 the gCode editor and live simulator and DXF exporter (from GCode) the default Gcode Editor in MACH3
(sad that it only works 100% if unit is in mm)
Much better than notepad or notepad++ etc usually used in MACH3/4
DOES NOT REQUIRE OPENGL 2.1 too.
FREEWARE (cost $0)