Messages

561

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Toggle Coolant on/off in SigLib

« on: December 28, 2016, 11:55:50 AM »

The script you posted looks fine too BTW.

562

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Toggle Coolant on/off in SigLib

« on: December 28, 2016, 11:51:44 AM »

No problem.

Unless you have some additional functionality you need to add to the buttons you really should not have to do much more than assign the proper left up action to the button (like the default coolant on/off button does). Maybe you can avoid signal script and custom functions all together?

Don't forget you have toggle buttons in screen designer too. So you can make them do one thing on one press and another on a second press (like spin CW and spin stop).

The reason the spindle toggle is done as it is in the default screens is there are 2 spin on/off toggle buttons. One for CW and one for CCW. We wanted both buttons to stop the spindle if it was on and no mater which direction it was running in. We wanted them to individually turn it on in a particular direction though.

Hope that makes sense.

563

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: CV G64 and Exact Stop G61

« on: December 28, 2016, 09:30:22 AM »

In regards to the tool path view, the only reason a machine can not follow the toolpath accurately in exact stop mode is if the step resolution is so poor that it can not possibly go to the requested position. Of course the display does not take into account machine flex or backlash....... which in the real world actually running parts can make huge differences.

What speeds you can set for different angles in the CV wizard is entirely dependant on 2 things. Your axis ability to accelerate and the tolerance you have to hold your tool path to. Its simple physics. Does your machine run like a pro-mod drag car, an Indy car or a bus? No mater how it performs, CV is a trade off. Nothing happens instantaneously. No matter how much accel and rigidity a machine has it cannot go around any corner (angle) without rounding it unless it stops at the end of one line and starts back in the direction of the next. End of story.

Now, what the CV wizard does is limit the feed rate to whatever you set it to for any given angle. It does not limit the feed rate in straight lines, only in corners (direction changes). So say your machine can take a 90 degree corner and only rounds it by about .010. If the tolerance you have to hold in that corner is .005 the .010 is not acceptable. So how fast your machine can take that 90 degree corner and still hold the .005 tolerance is the question. Unfortunately, your the only one that can answer that question. So, you have to do some testing to find out. When you do your testing I would do so in the worst case scenario (biggest tool, deepest cut in hardest material etc.). All of these considerations are trade offs as well. Maybe you use a 1.000 2 flute end mill to surface your aluminum table but most of your cutting will be with a .250 v cutter in styrofoam. So do you optimize the CV wizard to surface the table, do some v-carving in foam or somewhere in between? Lots of things to think about. This is why predefined (before the build begins) specifications are not optional if you hope to end up with a machine that will meet the end users demands.

564

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Toggle Coolant on/off in SigLib

« on: December 28, 2016, 07:46:05 AM »

Look at the default screens that come with Mach4 (wx4 and wx6) and see how they are done. That is how they work.

565

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Feed Rate Override Absolute Value?

« on: December 22, 2016, 02:41:24 PM »

Nice! I'lll check out your script later today. Thanks for posting your solution. 

566

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Feed Rate Override Absolute Value?

« on: December 21, 2016, 04:34:39 PM »

Good deal!

How about tell us or show us what you did. It may answer others questions.

567

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Understanding Lua

« on: December 20, 2016, 04:27:23 PM »

Awesome feedback guys! Thanks!

Have fun skiing! Makes me jealous. 

Thats a good find Daz. That could have taken a very long time to find especially if you did not have intimate knowledge of your setup. No shame in it either. This is what happens. To me it is another perfect example. This is why once folks start customizing any little part, they own it all and have to. This is why we ask all testing be done with all things default. Now with this example no way to do it because we are helping to customize but folks need to always start with a profile (copied) that has all things default, change a little and test. That way its easy to back out till you find the error if you run into one.

It also lets folks see that even the best run into issues at times and just have to dig in and figure out whats going on. Sometimes knowing what doesn't work is as valuable as knowing what does. I remember a bit of code stumping me not so long ago. The problem............ inst was not defined. Another fella spotted it right off. Obviously I understand its importance but being imperfect comes natural. 

I may be wrong but I think topics like this one will be priceless for those starting out and willing to follow.

568

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Understanding Lua

« on: December 20, 2016, 09:31:58 AM »

I am confused. Unless I am misunderstanding you, in the script I originally posted both of those are correct.

I think your original code was successful except for the filename change to load_modules.mcs from load.modules.mcs

C:\Mach4Hobby\Modules\mcUserScript.mcs should be
C:\Mach4Hobby\Modules\mcUserScript.lua

The reason I point this out is because it really shines a light on the old saying, garbage in is garbage out. To us humans those are very simple mistakes and easily overlooked. But to a computer your talking about different planets all together. I plan on using this as an example many will see over time and I want to make sure it is 100% accurate. I know it works here, I have tested it many times but if exactly what I posted does not work on your end I need to figure out why.

569

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Understanding Lua

« on: December 19, 2016, 09:33:46 PM »

Great! Can you give us a summary of why that wasn't the case on the first try? This helps make adjustments to samples, docs, etc.

570

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Understanding Lua

« on: December 19, 2016, 05:12:50 PM »

Where are you defining the inst variable your using in the first 2 calls?

inst = mc.mcGetInstance()