Messages

61

General Mach Discussion / Re: New CV features

« on: January 29, 2007, 12:04:37 PM »

Hey Gary,

I tried your file and have the same results as my original, just in different places.  I don't know what version of Vector you have, but I'll attach the .ccd just for fun.  I'm using XT v10 so if you have an older version, you won't be able to open it.

Those changes in color in Mach's preview window are G02's and G03's (purple on mine) and G01's (blue).  So it would appear that Quantum is slowing way down at the short G01's between the G02's and G03's

No need to spend a lot of time on this now as I don't have to make any of these at the moment, I was just using them as a Quantum test. 

Thanks

62

General Mach Discussion / Re: New CV features

« on: January 29, 2007, 12:48:28 AM »

Thanks Gary, I'll give it a whirl, but I think that the breaks must be due to some dxf issue between us because I have no breaks showing in Vector and the path selects continuously into one chain.  What I sent you was a recreation of the original Vector .ccd file.  If there are breaks in it, Vector won't select it as a continuous chain.  If there were and I somehow managed to get it all selected, Vector would've create a safe Z connection between each one of them.  As I mentioned below, both files run proper in Mach3.

I think that the small arc segments are causing Quantum to act as Art described below.

Art, thanks for your reply and for puttin' up with this belly acher. 

63

General Mach Discussion / Re: New CV features

« on: January 28, 2007, 12:35:48 PM »

Hey Gary,

Here's the dxf.  This file was made in Vector by selecting the outside ring of leaves (in consistent direction) and creating a 0.75" offset to the outside.  I then keep the outer profile and delete the stray inner parts of the profile.  At that point, it's already "Arc Fit".

I find that some v-carve stuff works ok in Quantum, but the next one will run hesitantly and slow or fast depending on the setting.

Thanks for looking.

I should add that this file runs fine in Mach3 (unless you add in too much CV Tol), but not in Quantum.  The gun runs fine in Mach3 (albeit with rounding), but won't run smoothly in Quantum.

64

General Mach Discussion / Re: New CV features

« on: January 27, 2007, 06:57:04 PM »

At the risk of dropping completely off the bottom of Art and Brian's Christmas list, I'll step back in here.   

Kree, I just pretty much settled on a compromise of rounded corners and poor V-carves and hoped that the customer didn't have a problem with it.  I just did the best I could.  I got tired of spending a half hour test cutting to only have the same results most times.  The larger the V-carve design the better.  Smaller ones with sharp corners are worse.  So I'm sitting at the end of that track waiting.   

Brian, I have found that Quantum is better with mainly longer linear moves and not a mix of shorter G01, G02, and G03's.  The type of files that I need to run act as if I have exact stop set.  I have run the gamut of the range of settings for "Max Jerk" with the only change being how fast the file runs.  I sent two files to Art a while back that exhibit this and I'll attach them here if anyone would care to try them.  Are these type of files (short straight and arc segments) to be considered the same as short 3D and V-carving types and therefore not optimized yet?

I'm able to almost double my acceleration settings, but because of the jerk setting not being applied to rapid moves, if I get too high it will loose steps on take off.     Will this eventually be applied to rapids also?

Regards,

65

Mach Screens / Is there an LED for.....

« on: January 24, 2007, 12:19:30 PM »

Is there an LED for an "Overridden Spindle" condition?  There's a DRO, but I was looking for a LED also.

Thanks

66

Feature Requests / Re: Stock and work probing

« on: January 22, 2007, 04:53:12 PM »

I'm using a probe routine to locate the X Y corner of a holding fixture or the corner of a blank with a contact plate that either goes on the corner of the fixture or on the corner of the blank.  It works pretty good.  After cutting the first part at that location, I measure the part and adjust each axis if needed (1/32" to 3/64" at the most which could just be my contact plate).  From there on that work offset is set until I move the fixture or something else needs to be done.

Here's a sample of the code behind the button I have on my screen.

67

General Mach Discussion / Re: OEM codes

« on: January 22, 2007, 04:30:12 PM »

OEM buttons, LED's, DRO's and many other helpful things can be found here.....http://www.machsupport.com/MachCustomizeWiki/index.php?title=Main_Page

68

Mach Screens / Re: Screen Designer Quirks?

« on: January 19, 2007, 11:35:07 PM »

It seems that the "Load" button is the worst offender.  It doesn't get the time to refresh or something before the file dialog box opens up, leaving it in a distorted state.

Is there a way to put a short delay in the launching of the file window?  I tried a macro to "DoOemButton" 216 and that made the button act right, but after a file is selected, the path generation dialog hangs and crashes.

69

General Mach Discussion / Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions

« on: January 18, 2007, 04:46:58 PM »

GNBG,

You can do it a couple of ways, with a button placed on your screen or by making a .m1s file containing the macro and calling it up with a M(file number like 301, etc.) in the MDI line.  The variables in the macro will have to be changed to suit your needs, settings, and screen.

The easiest is to place a button on your screen (along with a DRO for the plate thickness and the feed rate at which to measure at) with Screen4 and edit the script for the button in Mach3.  Take a look at the script behind some of the other buttons and also look at the settings for some of the buttons in Screen4 (the exe for that is in the Mach folder).  The Screen4 video will help to understand that part a bit and as far as macros, looking at what's behind some of the buttons in Mach3 and the wizards are a good place to learn by example.  The DRO, Button, and LED lists on the Wiki are a must to have in front of you too.

If it's all more than you want to mess with, send me the screen .set file that you are using and I can place a button (with script) and a DRO on it for you and you can then dissect it to see how it works. 

It's best to test this with a junk bit or a broken off one chucked upside down just in case. 

Regards,

70

Mach Screens / Re: New screen & arrow keys

« on: January 18, 2007, 09:51:39 AM »

Thanks,

That's one button that I haven't gotten to yet. 

Regards,