Messages

1271

Works in progress / Re: One More All-In-One Milling Screen

« on: February 28, 2009, 06:26:07 PM »

Updated screenset attached - CW/CCW LEDs fixed.

Regards,
Ray L.

1272

Works in progress / Re: One More All-In-One Milling Screen

« on: February 28, 2009, 06:08:24 PM »

I like it Ray.
Dont understand the M3 and M4 buttons either....must be in the scripts. Greek to me though.
Also, could use a regen button, sure you have it in mond.
Great work....thanks for sharing it,
RC

RC,

Thanks.  Let me know if you see anything else obviously wrong or missing, or have any suggested improvements.  I think this does contain every feature I actually use, so I'm pretty happy with it.  I'll be using it as my default for a while, and see how it goes.

"Dont understand the M3 and M4 buttons either" - Not sure I understand what you mean.  Are you referring to the LED behavior on the CW/CCW buttons?  I think I can fix that, but was too lazy on this one.

Notice there are a number of undefined buttons, and will likely be a few more when I'm done.  One of those could be made a Regen button.  I've never actually used it myself.  I rarely even look at the toolpath - I watch the machine!  :-)

Regards,
Ray L.

1273

Works in progress / Re: One More All-In-One Milling Screen

« on: February 28, 2009, 05:37:21 PM »

    The "alpha" version of my screenset is attached for anyone brave enough to give it a try.  It seems to work quite nicely.  To install, copy the folder "AllInOneMillScreen" into C:\Mach3\bitmaps, then copy the file "AllInOneMill.set" from that folder up into the Mach3 directory.  Open Mach, go to View->LoadScreens, and select AllInOneMill.set.  To return to the standard Mach screenset, go to View->LoadScreens, and select "1024.set".  Note that there is only one screen in there, not the 6 or so pages in the regular set.
 
    What I really like about this is it's big enough that I can read everything, even from 10 feet away.  It's very nice for old farts like me.  :-)
 
    Most of it should be pretty obvious. The two buttons next to the DROs do a GoToZero, either on all three axes (respecting SafeZ if enabled), or just X and Y.  "Mach Coord" toggles between User and Machine coordinates.  The background is RED when machine coordinates are being displayed.  The DRO borders are RED if the machine has not yet been homed, or otherwise referenced.
 
    The "SetPos" and "GoToPos" buttons next to the current tool DRO allow you to jog to your desired toolchange position, then click "SetPos" to make Mach remember it (this does not persist after exiting Mach, however).  Clicking "GoToPos" will rapid back to that position, respecting SafeZ, if enabled.  The dark rectangle under the tool number DRO is an LED that lights up yellow when it's waiting for you to do a tool change (do an "M6 Tx" in MDI, where "x" is the new tool number).
 
    The Spindle and Feed DROs are, from top to bottom, the commanded value (S-word or F-word), the over-ride value (0-100% for feed, 0-200% for spindle speed, and the actual value, with the over-ride taken into account.  Click or drag on the blue vertical bars to change the over-ride.  On Feedrate, the Reset button returns it to 100%.
 
    In the lwoer right corner, clicking on one of the four probe graphics, the center of the blue circle, or the tool spindle graphic executes the macros to do edge-finding, center finding, and tool length setting, using the Probe input.  The dark rectangle in the lower right corner lights up yellow when the probe is grounded, so you can test the probe before running one of the macros.  If you don't have a probe hooked up, you can still play with these by going into Ports&Pins->Inputs, and defining an emulated Probe input, mapping it to a keyboard key.  That's how I did all the debugging on my laptop.
 
    The MDI line is at the bottom left of the screen.
 
    I don't have a lot of hotkeys wired in yet, but these should work:
 
    Alt-R -> CycleStart
    Alt-S -> Stop
    Left/Right -> Rapid Jog X
    Up/Down -> Rapid Jog Y
    PageUp/PageDn -> Rapid Jog Z
    F5 -> Spindle on/off
    Alt-M -> Mist on/off
    Alt-F -> Flood on/off
    Alt-H -> Hide/Unhide menu bar
 
    Notice a number of DROs and buttons have green borders.  These are LEDs that light up when the corresponding function is active.  So, for instance, the one around the Mist button blinks red when the Mist coolant is on.  One quirk I haven't worked out yet is that when the spindle is turned on CCW, BOTH LEDs (CW and CCW) blink.  When you turn on the spindle, clicking EITHER CW or CCW will turn it, and the coolant, off.

Regards,
Ray L.

1274

Works in progress / Re: One More All-In-One Milling Screen

« on: February 28, 2009, 05:34:44 PM »

I've also figured out how to make a kinda cool new combo button/LED that I'll be making extensive use of. 

Glad you're getting along better now Ray, I was feeling your pain but was helpless.

Anxious to see how you did the button.

I put a button in an LED but it is behind it. It works, but you can't see the button till you put the cursor over it.

Thanks,
RC

I've also figured out how to make a kinda cool new combo button/LED that I'll be making extensive use of. 

Glad you're getting along better now Ray, I was feeling your pain but was helpless.

Anxious to see how you did the button.

I put a button in an LED but it is behind it. It works, but you can't see the button till you put the cursor over it.

Thanks,
RC

RC,

What I did was created a two-color button graphic (similar to the LED surrounding the Spindle CW button), complete with text, then put an image button with no image on top of it.  So, when the function associated with the button is active, the entire button can light up a different color, or blink.  Looks nice, but I dont' have any of those in my prototype screenset yet.

Regards,
Ray L.

1275

General Mach Discussion / Re: circles are not round - need advice

« on: February 28, 2009, 11:54:25 AM »

If you think about a clock.   The distance between 12 and 6 would be the X dimension (Correct), the distance between 3 and 9 would be the Y dimension (Correct) the distance halfway between 1 and 2 to halfway between 7 and 8 (not correct)  It is slightly shorter.  This is creating an elongated shape.  Again it is ever so slight but just enough to throw me off.

Wow!  That is really bizarre!  I don't have a clue on that one...

Regards,
Ray L.

1276

General Mach Discussion / Re: circles are not round - need advice

« on: February 28, 2009, 10:44:06 AM »

"The X dimension is correct.  The Y dimension is correct.  It is the verticals that are off and causing it to be slightly oval. " - I don't understand what this means.  What do you mean by "the verticals"?  Is the circle not in the X/Y plane?

Regards,
Ray L.

1277

General Mach Discussion / Re: how to set up auto tool zero fot (X,Y,AND Z)

« on: February 28, 2009, 10:41:41 AM »

hello to all
I got this plastic square with a round copper inserted into it. I would like to do a tool setting where it will find the center and also will do the tool height.
I have seen something on that were you can add a bluemach screen to it abd it will load it for you,
I like my screen the regular one , is there  way were I can add a  macro scrip so when I press (auto tool zero) it will do the same ass the mach blue screen.
if someone has done this can you please tell me how I can do it myself.
thanks

Josh,

I just did exactly that a few days ago.  Here's all you have to do:

1) Go to Config->Ports&Pins->Inputs, and configure a pin as the "Probe" input, making it Active Low.
2) Wire your touch plate to the Probe input.
3) Go to the Offsets screen, and, in the top-left corner, set the touch plate thickness to the exact thickness of your plate.
4) Go to Operator->EditButtonScript, then click on the AutoToolZero button.  When the VB editor opens, delete the few lines of code in there, and paste in the following:

'Tool Zero Setting Macro

' Change the following three lines to suit your machine
PlateThickness = GetOEMDRO(1001) ' Thickness of touch plate
RetractClearance = 0.100 ' Clearance above touch plate to retract to
ProbeFeed = 5      ' Feedrate to use for probing

' Define some constants
ZDRO = 2      ' Z Axis DRO
AbsoluteModeLED = 48   ' Absolute Coordinate Mode LED
IncrementalModeLED = 49   ' Incremental Coordinate Mode LED
FeedrateDRO = 818   ' OEM code for feedrate DRO
ProbeLED = 825      ' OEM code for probe input LED
ZTouchDRO = 2002   ' OEM code for DRO that holds Z touch position

' Do nothing if probe is already grounded
If GetOemLed(ProbeLED) = 0 Then

   ' Wait a few seconds for user to get touchplate in place
   Code "G4 P2"
   
   ' Save current feedrate
   CurrentFeed = GetOemDRO(FeedrateDRO)
   
   ' Save current coordinate mode
   AbsMode = GetOemLED(AbsoluteModeLED)

   ' Set absolute coordinate mode
   Code "G90"

   ' Zero Z DRO
   Call SetDro (ZDRO, 0.0000)

   ' Pause for DRO to update
   Code "G4 P0.5"

   ' Do the touch move
   Code "G31 Z-0.5 F" & ProbeFeed

   ' Wait for it to complete
   While IsMoving()
   Wend

   ' Delay a bit for
   Code "G4 P0.25"

   ' Get the Z position where probe input triggered
   ZProbePos = GetVar(ZTouchDRO)

   ' Go back to touch position (G31 backs off after touch)
   Code "G0 Z" & ZProbePos

   ' Wait for it to complete
   While IsMoving ()
   Wend

   ' Set Z DRO to touch plate thickness
   Call SetDro (ZDRO, PlateThickness)

   ' Pause for DRO to update
   'Code "G4 P0.5"

   ' Retract Z to SafeZ, if enabled, else to RetractClearance above plate
   If(IsSafeZ() = 1) Then
      SafeZ = GetSafeZ
      If  SafeZ  > PlateThickness Then
         GotoSafeZ()
      End If
   Else
      RetractHeight = PlateThickness + RetractClearance
      Code "G0 Z" & RetractHeight
   End If
   
   ' Tell user we're done
   Code "(Z axis is now zeroed)"

   ' Reset feedrate to original value
   Code "F" & CurrentFeed
   
   ' Reset coordinate mode to original value
   If AbsMode = 0 Then
      Code "G91"
   End If
Else
   Code "(Z-Plate is grounded, check connection and try again)"
End If

Exit Sub
             
    I'd also suggest adding an LED connected to the Probe input on the screen, so you can make sure the Probe input is working before running the macro.  If you don't know how to do this, contact me off-line.  If you send me your screenset, I can add the LED, and send it back to you.

   I also have macros for doing edge-finding, and center finding in a circle or pocket I can send you.  They install in basically the same way.

   Once you have this capability, you'll wonder how you ever did without it!

Regards,
Ray L.

1278

Works in progress / Re: One More All-In-One Milling Screen

« on: February 28, 2009, 01:14:30 AM »

Gerry,

That one tip saved me a HUGE amount of grief!  Once I moved the .set file into the Mach3 directory, things started behaving MUCH better, and I now have most of my new screen up and running in just a few hours.  Thanks again!

I've also figured out how to make a kinda cool new combo button/LED that I'll be making extensive use of.  I just wish I was more adept at the graphics editing part - It's something I've always sucked at....

Regards,
Ray L.

1279

Works in progress / Re: Scream4 Crashing!!

« on: February 27, 2009, 11:43:31 PM »

Brett,

I saw an old post where you mentioned that bug.  I haven't had that problem (yet...).  I've already got most of it working, in 1024x768, so I hope I don't run into that problem before I finish.

The new screen works really well on the 20" LCD on my machine - If anything, the buttons and all are TOO big!  I now have much of the functionality up and running with Mickey-Mouse graphics, so the next big effort is creating the many new graphics doo-dads for the "real" version.  What I've got now is below.

Regards,
Ray L.

1280

Works in progress / Re: Scream4 Crashing!!

« on: February 27, 2009, 11:37:43 PM »

Ray, that really isn't a problem if that is what happened. It is supposed to open a blank screen, you have to add a button or choose from the drop down what page you want to navigate to. I think I may have picked that info. up from one of the tutorial videos, can't remember really. But what really made it stick with me was haveing a problem as you described.......... school of hard knocks.

Some of the OEM codes were depracted and I can't remember the range but I do remember you had to add 800 to them. That info. is on the Wiki though.

Brett

Brett,

Yeah, that's the kind of stuff that makes you tear your hair out when you don't use it often enough to remember all the quirks.

Regards,
Ray L.