Topics

1

General Mach Discussion / Missed Features

« on: August 01, 2011, 11:15:32 PM »

I just noticed that if one has been using a customized screen set for a number of years, then some enhancements found in the updates may not be in effect.

Namely, the case at hand is the Gcode button. Even tho I have .042.020 loaded, my Gcode button still returned the older rather basic spreadsheet type format.

Screen4 showed that my Gcode button had the “OEM Code Function 8” checked and that the current 1024 screen set has “VB Script Function Edited in Mach3” selected.

Changed the function option selection and copied and pasted the VB code “HtmlDialog(GetMainFolder()+"Mach3MillGcode.htm" )“ into the Gcode button.  Now I have the enhanced format. The file “Mach3MillGode.htm” was already downloaded from the newer updates.

Makes me wonder if I’m missing any other new features?

If this has been previously discussed I apologize, I missed it, and so it’s new to me. (And possibly others?).

Al Lenz

2

General Mach Discussion / Macro Help

« on: February 10, 2011, 03:54:55 AM »

A recent post, re. 'soft limits' (thanks kolias),  prompted me to write a macro to assist in setting my own soft limits.

 I would jog the X, Y and Z against their hard stops (that's acceptable/harmless with a Sherline mill).  Then the macro would back off all axes by 0.10, Ref All Home and zero the X, Y and Z work coords. Needless to say it didn't work.

So I have three questions:
1. What is the better/correct way to go about this?
2. What/where is the preferred Macro reference document? I go to the WIKI but didn't someone on the forum write  a  better document? I can't seem to find it.
3. And last, just for my own info, why doesn't my dumb macro work?

Here is the macro:
'Zero work coords
SetOEMDRO(800, 0.0)
SetOEMDRO(801, 0.0)
SetOEMDRO(802, 0.0)

'Then back off 0.10
Code "G00 X0.1 Y0.1 Z-0.1"

'Ref All Home
DoButton(22)
DoButton(23)
DoButton(24)
DoButton(25)

'Zero work coords
SetOEMDRO(800, 0.0)
SetOEMDRO(801, 0.0)
SetOEMDRO(802, 0.0)

Thanks,
Al

3

General Mach Discussion / Chinese Digital Caliper Magnetized

« on: February 18, 2010, 11:17:38 PM »

I have a Chinese digital caliper that the tips have somehow become magnetized.
Question: Will pulling it thru a demagnetizer destroy it?
I’ve tried cautiously putting just the tips in the demagnetizer.  It weakened the magnetism and didn’t seem to affect the operation, but I am a bit leery about demagnetizing the entire caliper.
I posed this question on another forum but no one knew for sure.
Thanks for any info.
Al

4

General Mach Discussion / Rotation Diameter Problem?

« on: April 28, 2009, 02:28:25 AM »

I recently downloaded rev R3.042.020 and found that the ‘Rotation Diameter’ on the Settings page now wants a Radius (to set proper feed-rate) rather than a Diameter which my older version used. However, when the Z value changes, Mach still assumes that the Z is a diameter (not a radius) and consequently under-compensates the feed rate by 50%.

This is the check that I ran:
1.   Set ‘Rotation Diameter’ to 0.0001 (Let Mach use Z as diameter)
2.   G00 Z3.1831 A0 (Diameter of a 10 in circumference circle)
3.   G01 A360 F10 (Result: 60 sec travel time, OK)
4.   G00 Z 6.3662 (Dia of 20 in circumference)
5.   G01 A0 (120 sec OK)
This confirms that Mach is properly using Z as a diameter.

Now:
1.   Set ‘Rotation Diameter’ to 1.5915 (Radius of a 10 in circumference circle)
2.   G00 Z1.5915 A0
3.   G01 A360 F10 (Result: 60 sec, confirms that Mach is using ‘Rotation Diameter’ as a radius)
4.   G00 Z3.1831 (20 in circumference)
5.   G01 A0 (Result 90 sec, should be 120 sec)
This implies that Mach is mixing the ‘Z’ change as a diameter and the ‘Rotation Diameter’ as a Radius.

My apology if this has already been discussed or if I’m totally off base, (more often than I’d like to admit). I haven’t followed the forum for awhile, but did do a search and didn’t find any references.

Al Lenz