Messages

1

Newfangled Mill Wizard / MillWizard in Mach4

« on: September 17, 2020, 12:07:13 PM »

I've installed Mill Wizard, and it works great.

Is there a way to set it up so that Mill Wizard can be opened from within Mach4 (similar to the menu access to wizards in Mach3?

Thanks,

SF

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Hobby Screen Editor

« on: November 08, 2019, 01:26:13 PM »

Well, I think I (well, we - thanks for all for your comments & suggestions that got me pointed in the right direction) have this resolved...

I removed wxMach.exe from the "Mach4Hobby" folder, changed the "Target" on the Mach4 desktop shortcut to Mach4GUI.exe (it was also in the "Mach4Hobby" folder). Click the shortcut, the "Profile" selection screen appears with all the profiles, including the test ones I created while working on the problem. I select the profile I'd created for the Dyna2800 (using wxMach), and Shazam! The correct Screenset appears, motors, limit/homing functions work correctly, and it downloads and runs gcode seemingly without any problems (well, one minor one- the "keyboard jog" function isn't working, but hopefully I'll figure that out pretty quickly).

I don't remember if Mach created the desktop shortcut or I did (likely me), but it looks like the whole problem was Mach was doing just what it was told to do, i.e., launch the wxMach screen set.

I hate it when computers do what I tell them to do, and not what I want them to do...

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Hobby Screen Editor

« on: November 07, 2019, 03:47:24 PM »

I certainly agree that "...Ditching that awful profile and compose your own..." would solve the problem.

Unfortunately, when I create a new profile using the "Create Profile", Mach asks for a screen set in the "Profile Information" box. Since all of the .set files in the Mach4 "Screens" folder (including "blank.set") give me the same screen as shown in the attachment I posted, I still have the same problem. (The "DYNA 2800" profile that appears in the lower right of the attachment was created this way).

I appreciate all your suggestions.

I think I should probably assume that the installation of Mach4 was somehow corrupted and I should re-install it (hoping that will get a screen set installed that has all the menu tabs it is supposed to have!). I really had hoped to avoid that, since in means going through the SmoothStepper set-up again, but if that's what it takes, so be it...

4

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Hobby Screen Editor

« on: November 07, 2019, 01:10:56 PM »

Sadly, the screen cap I posted is the complete screen that I have - the section(s) highlighted in your screen cap don't exist on my screen...

I would gladly try the "View" menu if I had it on my screen (as I noted in my initial post, ...Additionally, the "View" menu is also missing from the screen...).

 My second attachment shows the menu bar on my screen, and the "View" menu isn't there...

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Hobby Screen Editor

« on: November 07, 2019, 12:30:35 PM »

The "Dyna2800" profile that is shown in the screen caps is a profile I created by copying/modifying the "Mach4Mill" profile that was loaded with the Mach4 installation. I modified it with the motor settings for my Dyna milling machine (manually copied from the Mach3 profile that I had created for the Dyna mill years ago).

It appears that no matter which of the profiles supplied with Mach4 I install at startup (Mach46axis mill, Mach4router, Mach4_Tangential), I get the same screen set that is shown in the images.

It seems like there is something overriding the screen set choice with this odd screen set??

6

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Hobby Screen Editor

« on: November 07, 2019, 11:35:42 AM »

Thanks for the suggestions.

Attached are two screencaps showing my current screen. For some reason, this screen doesn't have either the "View" menu, or the "Edit Screen" option under the "Operator" menu, so I can't change the screen via the "Edit Screen" option...

The wx4.set file is in the "Screens" subfolder of the "Mach4Hobby" folder. There is no .set file in the "Mach4Hobby" folder. I tried just copying the wx4.set file to the "Mach4Hobby" folder, but nothing changed.

The only screen related files in the "Mach4Hobby" folder that I can identify are "screen4IPC.dll" and "ScreenScript.lua".

??

7

Mach4 General Discussion / Mach4 Hobby Screen Editor

« on: November 06, 2019, 06:36:42 PM »

I've just installed Mach4 version 4.2.0.4300 (licensed) in a Windows 10 PC (ESS SmoothStepper/PMDX126/PMDX134 BOB). Everything works as advertised, although the default screen doesn't quite match the one shown in the operations manual. I'd like to customize the screen (to add the "Limit Override" button that is shown in the manual, but is not on my default Mach4 screen).

When I go to the "Operator" menu, the "Edit Screen" option does not exist. Additionally, the "View" menu is also missing from the screen.

Did I miss something in the installation? I'd appreciate any suggestions...

8

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit Switch Overide???

« on: May 23, 2019, 04:49:35 PM »

Well, the problem turned out to a corrupted plug-in for the breakout board. Reinstalling the plugin (downloaded from the Artsoft site) solved the problem.

I suppose the lesson here is that a plugin that appears to be working correctly may still be causing problems in other parts of the system...

9

General Mach Discussion / Limit Switch Overide???

« on: May 20, 2019, 05:45:59 PM »

After years of flawless operation, my Mach 3 on Windows XP finally has come up with a problem I haven't been to find an answer to in the forum...

It started with random "Art Code 9991" warnings/crashes, which (I think!) was fixed by a reinstall of Mach3. After the re-install, everything seems to working except I can't get Mach to reset the "Limit Switch Triggered" message. Nothing has changed in the physical machine set-up. In ports and pins, I can set the "Active Hi/Lo" to turn off the limit/home switch indicator lights in the "Diagnostics" screen, but this still does not allow me to Reset successfully. However, if I disable the switches in the "Post and Pins/Inputs", all axes work fine.

The "Auto Limit Switch" toggle on the "Settings" page makes no difference.

Any thoughts on how get my Limit Switches functional again??

10

General Mach Discussion / Re: Thank you

« on: July 17, 2014, 03:58:23 PM »

I'd like to second Slothie's "Thank You" to all the folks who have shared their experiences on this forum. In the years I've been working with Mach 3, you guys have answered every question I've had (as Slothie noted, many before I knew enough to ask them).

As my router is running merrily along carving a winglet mold for a 15 meter sailplane (lofted in Solidworks, g-caode generated in VisualMill, Techno Isel router controlled by Mach 3), I send you all, especially the Moderators, my thanks...