Messages

1

General Mach Discussion / Re: Why can't I add a button to the Mach3 screen using Screen4?

« on: July 22, 2014, 11:33:36 PM »

Ok thank you Hood. I appreciate your timely and considerate reply. Best wishes to you. Benji.

2

General Mach Discussion / Why can't I add a button to the Mach3 screen using Screen4?

« on: July 22, 2014, 02:06:09 PM »

Hello everyone. I don't know why but I am having trouble adding a scriptable button to Mach3's Run Program screen. I open Screen4, File, Open, 1024.set, and it opens up. The DRO's are counting up in the plus direction. I can see the Button control under the Controls Workspace area. When I click on the BUTTON, it lights it up orange. When I move the cursor into the Mach3 screen area, it is still an arrow. When I click on the area I would like to place my new button, the cursor turns into a plus with arrows on each end as if to move whatever I clicked on. No button gets placed. When I try to drag and drop, it gives me a slashed circle meaning "nope". Does anyone have any ideas? Does Mach3's "Program Run" screen already have the maximum amount of buttons allowed? Any help would be greatly appreciated. It should not be this hard. Oh well, thank you all for reading this and I wish you all well.  Benji.

3

FAQs / Brand new and need major help

« on: May 02, 2014, 10:24:17 PM »

Hello all. I just got this 3040Z-DQ ballscrew engraving machine today. I have Mach3 installed and configured. That's as far as I can get. I tried opening one of the sample GCode files called roadrunner.tap. I didn't know what to do beyond loading the file. Then I downloaded a GCode (.tap) file and started trying to follow the text file directions. The axises barely moved at all. Then I tried converting from mm to inches from instructions I recieved from googling around. Now I got things all messed up over here. I had axises moving in reverse and everything. What I mess I made. Not sure what to do. Installing and following manufacturer's instructions did not work from the beginning and that is what has sent me into this mess. I really didn't think it would be this hard. Well, any advice or instructions would be greatly appreciated and I hope to hear from someone soon. In the meantime, I will continue to dink around with this thing and see if I can straighten out something. Probably not. Thank you for reading this.
Best regards
Ben

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: May 02, 2014, 08:37:59 PM »

Hello everyone. Name is Ben. I am from Celina, Ohio. I just recently purchased a 3040Z-DQ 4 axis CNC engraving machine from China. It arrived today, I got it put together and everything seems to be in working order. I went through the whole configuration routine for Mach3. No apparent issues anywhere. I was able to load in some sample G-Code and watched as the machine moved around. I would like to ask if someone out there could help me with my first actual tool touching material. I have a piece of board clamped on the table. No tool in the spindle. What do I do from here? I have been all over the web googling and can't find any decent tutorial on what to do to start cutting. Do I touch off on one corner and zero out all my axises, then hit Cycle Start? Will the Z axis push the tool down into the material? I am super new. If there is a thoughtful person out there that can point me in the right direction, I would be greatful. Oh, by the way, hobbies are Amateur Radio (KD8BRU), and RC aircraft and Helicopter. I work at a Fork Lift Manufacturer running a CNC Horizontal Mill. I am married and have a beautiful 10 year old daughter. Bye for now and God Bless.
Ben