Messages

1

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Migration to Win7 - Simulation use only.

« on: July 23, 2011, 10:28:40 AM »

Well now that kinda bites...  I hate to either have another PC just for Mach simulation of gcode and scripts (much cheaper than buying a smoothstepper to run nothing).

Stan

2

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Migration to Win7 - Simulation use only.

« on: July 22, 2011, 08:14:13 PM »

Now I have two things in flight...

1) do I install the PP driver even though it wont work on Win7 64bit?

2) if I goto to the Function Cfg->Reset Device Sel, I get a message saying that at the next startup I'll get asked which plugin to run...  Then on the next startup I get the msg agreeing that Mach run dangerous equip.... then nothing.

Me thinks that these two are related.

Stan

3

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Migration to Win7 - Simulation use only.

« on: July 22, 2011, 02:17:07 PM »

I did not get that message at anytime.  I am familiar with that message and was looking for it.

I also did not see anything in the device manager either.  I am used to seeing it listed as "mach pulsing engine" on WinXP.

Stan

4

Mach3 under Vista / Re: Migration to Win7 - Simulation use only.

« on: July 22, 2011, 11:40:58 AM »

ah the plot thickens....

I do not get a msg asking about using a PP.  Could this be because I did install the driver first thinking that Mach may need it for something else.  I uninstalled/reinstalled mach without the driver the second time.  But I did not see anything anywhere on getting rid of the PP driver.

Just a simple deinstall Mach and reinstall without PP driver.

Stan

5

Mach3 under Vista / Migration to Win7 - Simulation use only.

« on: July 22, 2011, 07:19:53 AM »

OK guys this is my situation.  I have two PCs.  One runs the machine (cnc router) and the other is used to check out scripts and gcode before running off to the machine.

The one I use to check out the scripts and gcode is my "main" computer for almost everything and it was time to give it a not so decent burial....

So, I now have a new Win7 Professional machine that will be used for design and check out.

The issue is that scripts (such as zero set plate) do not run (first one checked is a z-zero plate) correctly.  I have attached the script as things may have changed since Mach was installed on the other machine (moving to current lockdown).  But I also used the "older" lockdown version as well (same issue).

I "emulated" the probe key and the "led" on my screenset fires when the key (in this case 'p') is pressed but the script continues to run in the "ismoving" section.  It seems that the script does not "see" the keypress.  The diagnostics screen shows the probe/digitize led firing.

I am not sure if this is a configuration issue or a Win7 issue.  I am not running the PP driver (no need and doesn't work under x64) so I would not expect to see any changes on the Diagnostic screen for the corresponding leds for the PP pins.

This new machine is a quad core processor if this makes any difference.

TIA, Stan

6

VB and the development of wizards / Re: M6End macro thoughts (newbie alert)

« on: March 15, 2011, 07:53:05 PM »

Well that is what I'll probably end up doing.  It is just that Visual Mill usually rapids to x0y0 and then onto the actual cutting.

Right now it is more of a visual fuzzy to make sure the machine hasn't hiccuped....

Stan

7

VB and the development of wizards / Re: M6End macro thoughts (newbie alert)

« on: March 15, 2011, 06:18:12 PM »

I understand that I can do what I want in the M6End macro....

The question is more of "should I" as I do not see any reason to return to the previous location to start the next cutting operation.  Usually the gcode goes to x0y0 (whichever offset is working) and then begins the operation.

I noticed this while manually moving the cutter to a tool change location, then moving it manually to near the starting point, only to have Mach move to the previous location and then back to the location that I had moved it to.....

so what if I don't use the M6End to move back to the previous location before resuming the gcode?

What kind of scenarios would rise up and bite me?

Stan

8

VB and the development of wizards / M6End macro thoughts (newbie alert)

« on: March 15, 2011, 09:57:41 AM »

After getting my 5'x10' router running...  I am looking at ways to make things more efficient (read I want the machine to work for me 

My question is simple.  Why would I want the machine to return to the previous spot called out before a tool change?  I am working towards having a certain location that the machine moves to (got this one), wait for the tool change (got this one), and when cycle start moves to the start of the next tool operation (know how to do this conceptually) not the previous position.

I'm not sure if my idea is sound.  Basically, moving the bit to machine coord z0 in the M6End macro and then letting the gcode take over to go do whatever it is that the gcode does.

BTW, I cut molds so it is mostly 3d with CV on and don't want to mess those up.

Stan

9

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / GCode Prologue from CAM...

« on: September 23, 2010, 08:25:49 AM »

Please forgive me if this has been answered before.... but...

Currently my CAM (VisualMill) generates the prologue gcodes all on one line.  I had heard/remember that Mach didn't deal with this kind of coding at some point in the past.

Does the newer versions handle this?  I could test this except my CAD/CAM machines are not at the same physical location as my Mach machine.

Stan

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Relationship of Velocity/Accel to G0...

« on: June 27, 2010, 09:02:15 AM »

Cool, I will ask there as well...

Stan