Messages

1

Mach4 Plugins / Re: Keyboard Inputs plugin issues

« on: April 22, 2021, 09:50:55 AM »

Dear all,
I did now test it a bit more in detail using a online keyboard grabber. The grabber detected all inputs without any problem.
It shows that all inputs the keyboard plugin cant recognize are simply ALT + "whatever" inputs. In Detail:
X - F9
Y - F10
Z - F11
Set X - ALT+X
Set Y - ALT+Y
Set Z - ALT+Z
Jog Cont - ALT+K
Jog Step - ALT+S
Jog 1.0 - ALT+1
Jog 0.1 - ALT+2
Jog 0.01 - ALT+3
Measure Tool - ALT+V
Stop Gcode Execution - ALT+/
Start Gcode Execution - F7
Pause Gcode Execution - F8
Spindel RPM + - ALT+P
Spindle RPM - - ALT+M
Feedrate + ALT++
Feedrate - ALT+-
And the keyboard inputs plugin always just recognizes the ALT button but not the additional one. Therefore just the F7-F11 commands work.
How can i fix the issue?
Thanks!
Wolfgang

2

Mach4 Plugins / Keyboard Inputs plugin issues

« on: April 20, 2021, 06:15:46 AM »

Hi guys,
I upgraded my mill a few days ago from Mach 3 with parallel interface to the control system to Mach 4 and ESS.

The control system is the old one from "www.einfach-cnc" and i use the old handwheel from this company too.
The handweel has a USB connection to the computer and electric connection to the control and therefore ESS. Via the electric interface just the MPG and a reset button for the control system are connected and both work well.

All other buttons (Start/Pause/Stop Gcode, selection for Axis, Step increments,...) are connected via USB to the computer and therefore should work via the keyboard Input plugin. More or less as they did on Mach 3. I watched the "Keyboard Mapping" video and got a basic understanding for the LUA programming. I tried to mapp the buttons via the keyboards input plugin and it worked for some buttons without any problems (e.g. pressing on "Start G Code" at my handwheel shows "F7" or so in the plugin). Fine - i created a LUA code and it works already. I can start and pause the Gcode.

Now to the issue: The plugin recognizes many buttons just as "Left ALT (164)". Therefore they cant be "separated" by the plugin and therefore i cant use them. I am sure that the USB Handwheel in fact sends different signals for each button or it would have never worked in Mach 3. So it must have to do with the Keyboard Inputs plugin or some other setting e.g. on the computer. How can i fix this problem? Thanks!
Wolfgang

3

Feature Requests / Re: Time estimation until next Tool Change

« on: November 05, 2011, 04:06:29 AM »

How?

4

Feature Requests / Re: Time estimation until next Tool Change

« on: October 31, 2011, 04:25:47 AM »

That was exactely what i wanted. Improved time management. So i know if i can go out and weld 1h around or better stay the 5 minutes to the next TC.

5

Feature Requests / Time estimation until next Tool Change

« on: June 28, 2010, 02:54:07 AM »

Hi all,

think it would be a good idea to see the estimated time until the next Tool Change in Mach 3 V4.
I have often long programs >5h with a few TC inside. My machine has no automatic Toolchanger
so it would be very helpful to see the estimated time to the next TC in advance (best would be as DRO
selection then everybody can include it into their screens). At the moment thats even with macros not
possible.

See also thread: http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,14816.0.html

Thanks in advance!

Wolfgang

6

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Time estimation until tool change

« on: May 31, 2010, 03:26:30 PM »

I use Pro Engineer as CAM. Need to check if i can get my post processor to tell me this times
and put it into the G code file...could be.

I think a countdown until next TC would be a good idea for the MachV4!

7

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Time estimation until tool change

« on: May 31, 2010, 02:56:03 PM »

I would like to get the TC times "quickly" without waiting 10h in case of a 10h program.

Ok. Maybe my programming error. Need to try again and check if i can find out why the variables where
gone after new CycleStart. I didnt close down Mach so it should work.

8

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Time estimation until tool change

« on: May 31, 2010, 02:40:09 PM »

Hi BR549,
somehow. Its working to create the worklog file. But it runs 10h in case of a 10h program.
Thats not what i really want.

Besides that i tried to directly write the times until next tool change
into the #40x variables. It works to write the TC times into the variables but when i click "CycleStart" to
really run the program the variables are all reset ...
Does Mach always reset all variables when i use "CycleStart"??

Wolfgang

9

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Time estimation until tool change

« on: May 13, 2010, 10:48:59 AM »

Dear BR549,

thanks for your help. I can create the Worklog now (sample see below). But its running in real time, so for my programs
it would run 10h or so. How can i make the worklog creation running faster? Furthermore i need to click start after TC each
time.

"5/13/2010.....O:\Zeichnungen\BF20L_3Phasenmotor\lichtschrankenhalter.tap,StartTime 4:21:44 PM"
"__________ToolChange T# 8,4:21:45 PM"
"__________ToolChange T# 7,4:25:03 PM"
"__________ToolChange T# 14,4:26:37 PM"
"__________ToolChange T# 13,4:28:30 PM"
"__________ToolChange T# 8,4:32:51 PM"
" O:\Zeichnungen\BF20L_3Phasenmotor\lichtschrankenhalter.tap..........EndingTime4:41:53 PM"

Now i have the TC times inside the worklog file. How do i now get it used for the DRO? Shall i just add
the code from your post from May 7 and create a OemDRO 1000? In this case i need to manually input
the #401, #402... variables each time as far as i understand. Is it possible to read it out from the worklog or
in some other way that i dont need to input the times manually?

Wolfgang

10

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Time estimation until tool change

« on: May 09, 2010, 10:02:20 AM »

Dear BR549,

i have some questions to your post. Sorry for the maybe stupid questions but i am not that experienced with macros yet.

1) Where do i get the "new WorkLog" Macros from?
2) When/how to start the "Worklog" Macros? Like a button which starts worklog and then directly the program run?
3) What do you mean with the "  'Program Load " part? What/how to create to get the
    TC times from the worklog inside the #40x variables? Do i manually need to input?
4) Is the M1030 macro automatically called if the program reaches the M30 line
    or do i need to change anything?

Thanks for your support!

Wolfgang