Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Toolpath not shown when Gcode file loaded. (Only blue background)

« on: February 06, 2019, 03:06:29 AM »

In newer versions, some tool path settings have been relocated. If you go into the screen editor and select the toolpath, there are now options to adjust the line width in the Properties section (bottom left). Increase the line width (don't be afraid to go too high), save changes, and restart Mach4. Load your g code file and you should see an improvement.
-Bryanna

Hi Bryanna, that solved it. Thanks!!

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Can I safely downgrade Mach4 to an older version without loosing settings?

« on: February 06, 2019, 03:05:18 AM »

Thanks for info @joeaverage.

I wonder what is the official way to transfer ALL settings from one Mach4 install to the other? Copy manually the profile and screen set to a backup folder and to copy those back when you have done the new install?

Or ...

to go to the Help/Suppert/PackageCurrentProfile menu and make a backup that way?

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Can I safely downgrade Mach4 to an older version without loosing settings?

« on: February 05, 2019, 02:47:12 PM »

Can I safely downgrade Mach4 to an older version (older build) without loosing settings?

I have problems with Mach4 demo  v 4.2.0.4054 so I want to try an older version. Will that mess up my Mach settings?
I also have the ESS V 232 plugin. Will the settings in that plugin be messed up if I downgrade?

Can I do a Help/Suppert/Package Current Profile and load that in the older version?

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Toolpath not shown when Gcode file loaded. (Only blue background)

« on: February 05, 2019, 02:11:03 PM »

I have Mach4 demo v4.2.0.4054 (one of the latest builds downloaded from FTP) installed. I have the ESS v232 plugin installed (Ethernet Smooth Stepper).

Problem: on my new Win10 laptop the toolpath specified by the Gcode is not shown when a valid Gcode file is loaded. Mac4 operates as normal and will run the GCode, but the toolpath windows is blue and no lines or not even the coordinate axes are visible.

Any hints ?

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Mac4 seems to scrub the surface when moving from Work coord zero to the 1st. cut

« on: February 01, 2019, 04:15:17 PM »

I did get generated the below G code from Fusion 360 CAM module. It appears that the spindle is scaping the workpiece surface and isnt lifting enough in Z to clear the workpiece when moving from work coordinate zero to the first cut. The Fusion 360 guys tell me this may be a problem in Mach4. However I am no G code, Fusion or Mach4 expert so perhaps you can spot where the problem is. And most importantly how to fix it so that the tool lifts when it is moving to the first cut. See attachment for pic.

Code: [Select]

(1001)
(T1  D=4.762 CR=0. - ZMIN=-5. - FLAT END MILL)
G90 G94 G91.1 G40 G49 G17
G21
G28 G91 Z0.
G90

(CIRCULAR4)
M5
M9
T1 M6
S10000 M3
G54
M9
G0 X41.57 Y100.524
G43 Z90. H1
Z28.
G1 Z-1.524 F1143.
G18 G2 X42.047 Z-2. I0.476 K0.
G1 X42.285
G17 G3 X42.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X19.239 I-11.761 J0.
X42.761 I11.761 J0.
X42.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X42.047
G18 G3 X41.57 Z-1.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y100.524
Z27.
G1 Z-2.524 F1143.
G2 X42.047 Z-3. I0.476 K0.
G1 X42.285
G17 G3 X42.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X19.239 I-11.761 J0.
X42.761 I11.761 J0.
X42.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X42.047
G18 G3 X41.57 Z-2.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y100.524
Z26.
G1 Z-3.524 F1143.
G2 X42.047 Z-4. I0.476 K0.
G1 X42.285
G17 G3 X42.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X19.239 I-11.761 J0.
X42.761 I11.761 J0.
X42.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X42.047
G18 G3 X41.57 Z-3.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y100.524
Z25.
G1 Z-4.524 F1143.
G2 X42.047 Z-5. I0.476 K0.
G1 X42.285
G17 G3 X42.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X19.239 I-11.761 J0.
X42.761 I11.761 J0.
X42.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X42.047
G18 G3 X41.57 Z-4.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
X81.57 Y100.524
Z28.
G1 Z-1.524 F1143.
G2 X82.047 Z-2. I0.476 K0.
G1 X82.285
G17 G3 X82.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X59.239 I-11.761 J0.
X82.761 I11.761 J0.
X82.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X82.047
G18 G3 X81.57 Z-1.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y100.524
Z27.
G1 Z-2.524 F1143.
G2 X82.047 Z-3. I0.476 K0.
G1 X82.285
G17 G3 X82.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X59.239 I-11.761 J0.
X82.761 I11.761 J0.
X82.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X82.047
G18 G3 X81.57 Z-2.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y100.524
Z26.
G1 Z-3.524 F1143.
G2 X82.047 Z-4. I0.476 K0.
G1 X82.285
G17 G3 X82.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X59.239 I-11.761 J0.
X82.761 I11.761 J0.
X82.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X82.047
G18 G3 X81.57 Z-3.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y100.524
Z25.
G1 Z-4.524 F1143.
G2 X82.047 Z-5. I0.476 K0.
G1 X82.285
G17 G3 X82.761 Y101. I0. J0.476
X59.239 I-11.761 J0.
X82.761 I11.761 J0.
X82.285 Y101.476 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X82.047
G18 G3 X81.57 Z-4.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
X188.928 Y63.024
Z28.
G1 Z-1.524 F1143.
G2 X189.404 Z-2. I0.476 K0.
G1 X189.643
G17 G3 X190.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X94.881 I-47.619 J0.
X190.119 I47.619 J0.
X189.643 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X189.404
G18 G3 X188.928 Z-1.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z27.
G1 Z-2.524 F1143.
G2 X189.404 Z-3. I0.476 K0.
G1 X189.643
G17 G3 X190.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X94.881 I-47.619 J0.
X190.119 I47.619 J0.
X189.643 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X189.404
G18 G3 X188.928 Z-2.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z26.
G1 Z-3.524 F1143.
G2 X189.404 Z-4. I0.476 K0.
G1 X189.643
G17 G3 X190.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X94.881 I-47.619 J0.
X190.119 I47.619 J0.
X189.643 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X189.404
G18 G3 X188.928 Z-3.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z25.
G1 Z-4.524 F1143.
G2 X189.404 Z-5. I0.476 K0.
G1 X189.643
G17 G3 X190.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X94.881 I-47.619 J0.
X190.119 I47.619 J0.
X189.643 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X189.404
G18 G3 X188.928 Z-4.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
X298.928 Y63.024
Z28.
G1 Z-1.524 F1143.
G2 X299.404 Z-2. I0.476 K0.
G1 X299.642
G17 G3 X300.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X204.881 I-47.619 J0.
X300.119 I47.619 J0.
X299.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X299.404
G18 G3 X298.928 Z-1.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z27.
G1 Z-2.524 F1143.
G2 X299.404 Z-3. I0.476 K0.
G1 X299.642
G17 G3 X300.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X204.881 I-47.619 J0.
X300.119 I47.619 J0.
X299.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X299.404
G18 G3 X298.928 Z-2.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z26.
G1 Z-3.524 F1143.
G2 X299.404 Z-4. I0.476 K0.
G1 X299.642
G17 G3 X300.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X204.881 I-47.619 J0.
X300.119 I47.619 J0.
X299.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X299.404
G18 G3 X298.928 Z-3.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z25.
G1 Z-4.524 F1143.
G2 X299.404 Z-5. I0.476 K0.
G1 X299.642
G17 G3 X300.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X204.881 I-47.619 J0.
X300.119 I47.619 J0.
X299.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X299.404
G18 G3 X298.928 Z-4.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
X408.928 Y63.024
Z28.
G1 Z-1.524 F1143.
G2 X409.404 Z-2. I0.476 K0.
G1 X409.642
G17 G3 X410.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X314.881 I-47.619 J0.
X410.119 I47.619 J0.
X409.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X409.404
G18 G3 X408.928 Z-1.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z27.
G1 Z-2.524 F1143.
G2 X409.404 Z-3. I0.476 K0.
G1 X409.642
G17 G3 X410.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X314.881 I-47.619 J0.
X410.119 I47.619 J0.
X409.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X409.404
G18 G3 X408.928 Z-2.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z26.
G1 Z-3.524 F1143.
G2 X409.404 Z-4. I0.476 K0.
G1 X409.642
G17 G3 X410.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X314.881 I-47.619 J0.
X410.119 I47.619 J0.
X409.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X409.404
G18 G3 X408.928 Z-3.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z40.
Y63.024
Z25.
G1 Z-4.524 F1143.
G2 X409.404 Z-5. I0.476 K0.
G1 X409.642
G17 G3 X410.119 Y63.5 I0. J0.476
X314.881 I-47.619 J0.
X410.119 I47.619 J0.
X409.642 Y63.976 I-0.476 J0.
G1 X409.404
G18 G3 X408.928 Z-4.524 I0. K0.476
G0 Z90.
G17

M9
G28 G91 Z0.
G90
G28 G91 X0. Y0.
G90
M30


6

General Mach Discussion / Re: Single home switch and soft limits enough?

« on: January 13, 2013, 07:16:02 AM »

Hi.

I may try that. However it is the matter of placing the switches and the trigger "bolt head". I would then need to drill and tap the work table as well as the the saddle. I would like to not having to remove those to drill and tap...

Do you think drilling manually with an electric battery drill and tapping manually would work on the X2? It is cast material.

7

General Mach Discussion / Re: Single home switch and soft limits enough?

« on: January 13, 2013, 06:16:31 AM »

Hi. I think I will start with one switch + soft limits and later goto several hard limit switches. I want to get running asap.

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Single home switch and soft limits enough?

« on: January 11, 2013, 03:13:53 AM »

Hi Hood.

With soft limits set up some distance from the ends, wouldn't there be a quite low likelihood that the machine hits an axis end?

Even with switch based end limits (as opposed to soft limits), wouldn't those end limit swithces need to be placed some distance away from the axis ends so that the machine have time to stop before it hits?

How do other people place their end limit swithces on small X2 style CNCs with steppers? What is common practice?

The guys at CNC Fusion said that it is not so probable that the ballscrews or nuts will be damaged. They were more concerned about stall damage to the stepper motors.

9

General Mach Discussion / Single home switch and soft limits enough?

« on: January 10, 2013, 01:34:50 PM »

Hi!

I am working on my Sieg X2 CNC project. Someone told me that they would suggest using only one home switch and then setting soft limits on each end of the travels on X and Y axis. On Z axis a home switch somewhat up on the Z axis travel and soft limits.

In case this is OK, I can save a lot of wiring and making brackets for swithces. I would need only three swithces instead of six.

Do you think this is a good idea?

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: End limit switches and homing switches (Mach3, G540, CNC converted X2 mill)

« on: January 06, 2013, 08:34:11 AM »

No I think this exercise is very good! I will remember it now. Cutting makes Z more negative. I just will learn that. Thanks again!