Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Keyboard to set Feed Hold

« on: August 10, 2021, 06:33:49 PM »

Thanks, that helped a lot.  I got it working using your script and the video.  I appreciate your help.

--Colin--

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Keyboard to set Feed Hold

« on: August 10, 2021, 04:52:50 PM »

I already use the keyboard plugin and have it setup to do jog functions and that works fine.  I added a keyboard input for the Esc key but there is no Function available for feed hold or stop. So, do I need to somehow edit the plugin to add that function?

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Keyboard to set Feed Hold

« on: August 10, 2021, 04:19:26 PM »

How do I set a "Feed Hold" or "Stop" function using keyboard entry?  I want the Esc key to cause my machine to stop.  I had this working in Mach3 but can't figure out how to do it in Mach4.  I'm using port 1, pin 13 as an E-Stop.  Is there a way to trip this with a keyboard entry?

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How do I make "Go to Work 0" work?

« on: August 05, 2021, 04:48:55 PM »

Bill,

Thank you, I got it to work.  Didn't have to close Mach and restart though.  I found the solution just before receiving your message.  It's covered in the Youtube video "Mach4 Basics: Homing and Soft Limits" near the end when she discusses how to make soft limits ON by default.

It's certainly not very intuative but I appreciate your response.

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How do I make "Go to Work 0" work?

« on: August 05, 2021, 04:08:54 PM »

I'm trying to figure out how to edit these scripts.  I know the ScreenScript.lua can't be edited, but I also have two other files, ScreenScript Mod.lua and ScreenScript-Mod.lua.  Both of those files can be edited but they do not appear to have any effect.  How do I identify the lua fragment?  I've looked all through the screen editor file tree and this fragment is not obvious.

For me the GoToWorkZero screen button works fine.  I would like to change it so that Z-Axis also zeros, but removing comments from either of the two editable files mentioned above does not work.

Ultimately, what I really want is a screen button to Home the machine back to machine zero.  I need to figure out how to do basic edits to existing scripts before attempting to create a new one.  I did this in Mach3 but Mach4 is much less intuative.  I've watched the basis screen edit video on Youtube but it doesn't go into script editing.  Thanks for any suggestions.

6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Differents between MACH2 and MACH3

« on: September 04, 2006, 07:10:01 PM »

The higher the freq the higher the load on your computer.  Use 25KHz unless you need a faster pulse rate to run the motors faster.

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Differents between MACH2 and MACH3

« on: September 04, 2006, 12:20:19 PM »

I recently installed Mach3 and it definately runs motors smoother that Mach2.  It does take some time getting it all debugged.

Since you are running on a laptop, be sure to plug it in to 110V power whenever using it for CNC control.  I discovered this by accident.  I had my router running well with Mach2, installed some G-code and then took the computer to the shop for a quick test run.  It ran like crap.  As I tryed to figure it out, the battey ran down so I plugged it in.  Instantly, the controller started running the motors smoothly.  Apparently, the system slows to conserve power when running on batteries.   There are probably configuration settings in Windows to change this, but I've since changed to a dedicated desktop system for machine contol.

8

Third party software and hardware support forums. / Re: STL CAM???

« on: September 03, 2006, 10:46:09 AM »

I've used Meshcam quite a bit, but never used Madcam.  Madcam appears to only work with Rhino, as it's a plug-in , so I'm not sure about STL files.

Meshcam was developed as an easy CAM system for 3D profiling.   It is probably one of the easiest CNC programs I've used and it is very affordable.  It produces very good toolpaths, but you are limited in choosing the areas to machine.  For the most part it is limited to machining the entire surface of a part without giving you the ability to select specific surfaces to cut.  It does that job very well and a great way to get started.  However, Madcam had more options and since you have Rhino, it's probably a better tool for you.

Rgds,
--Colin--

9

General Mach Discussion / Mach2 verses Mach3?

« on: June 29, 2006, 11:11:52 AM »

I'm new here.  Used to frequent the Yahoo Groups forum, but not for a couple years.  My homebuilt CNC router has been working very well with Mach2 for several years, but now I'm considering updating to Mach3.  What differences/improvements can I expect?  Will Mach3 automatically utilize my current system settings or will it require reconfiguration?  Any inputs are appreciated.

--Colin--

ps: Is this forum the preferred place to discuss Mach products now?  I see that Yahoo Groups is still active.  Is it necessary to monitor both forums to stay current?