Messages

61

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Subroutines

« on: January 12, 2007, 03:41:05 PM »

Hmm,wrote that out and it just goes through one iteration(in reality just doing the sub program once;goes to 1 and then back to zero and stops)-Keith

62

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Subroutines

« on: January 12, 2007, 03:33:04 PM »

Thank you Graham. I see my confusion.-Keith

63

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Subroutines

« on: January 12, 2007, 02:41:16 PM »

I know this subject has been discussed before but my application of what I've read isn't bearing fruit for me and if someone could just give me an example,I think I could clear things up for myself.
Okay,let's just say I am at x0y0z0. To simplify ,let's use just the x-axis. Say we want to move the x-axis +1",then back to zero 5 times. What would the gcode/subroutine commands look like?
Ultimately I would like to include an A-axis move during the X move (I am winding a coil on the cnc) but if I could get the X to do what I'd like,I think I could figure the rest out.
Also,what is the qualification I've been reading about Mach3's relationships between P and O and L and Q ,about?Thanks,Keith

64

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Real CAM?

« on: December 07, 2006, 07:42:14 PM »

Thanks Chao,I should look at it again. A while ago I had contact with the Bob-Cad people and they were really pushy and so I kind of forgot about them,I'll check it out though.-Keith

65

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Real CAM?

« on: December 07, 2006, 04:47:20 PM »

Can anyone suggest a good ,authentic(no offense LCAM),CAM (I already use Rhino for CAD)for under $500?-Keith

66

General Mach Discussion / Re: Lost my orientation...

« on: November 15, 2006, 11:35:51 AM »

Thank you both. Yes Chaoticone,that was the place I was looking for. I love those rules using the hand(I always have mine on me).But ok,here goe's. I have a Sherline machine. From the start of my process first learning the mill( a year and a half now) I adapted to the fact that when I drew something(in Rhino) my axis started in the reverse quadrant.Ok,so going to the page Chaoticone just displayed, none of the 'Reversed' boxes are on. Recently I've been using a program called 'pcb-gcode' to cut circuit boards. To make a long story short with that,I've needed to finesse(that is in this case to make the top layer look like the top layer but call it the bottom layer) to get it to cut properly(of course very important with polarized components and pins to I.C.s). OK,now using Grahams 'hand rule' I see that my machine's X-axis,is not complying to the rule. So I guess I should 'reverse' the x-axis. So is this something that Sherline used as a standard(I did not solder the stepper control wires,they came as it is now).Anyway,I think that should do it. Thanks,Keith

67

General Mach Discussion / Lost my orientation...

« on: November 15, 2006, 07:51:21 AM »

Hi,I have a need to re-establish how Mach3 effects my mills perspective of negative and positive quadrants(e.g.-which actual direction 'negative X' ,etc. will go). I recall seeing a function for this many moons ago on Mach2 but I can't seem to find it in Mach3.-Thanks,Keith

68

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3d Digitizing PlugIn version 3.0

« on: October 16, 2006, 09:59:48 AM »

After all that,everything went kookie. I often got an error code from Mach on start-up and would have to open Mach a second time to not get the error.Last night ,all I got was this error. I was using 1.95x.So this morning I went back to 1.84 and that came up nicely with no problems.However,I notice LazyCam is not there and the 'plug-in enable' is gone from the menu. Does this only work with the on-going ver2.0? Is 2.0 pretty stable? By the way,since I already had the probing file in it's .dll form,I thought I'd put it in the plug-in folder that way. Not sure if that's ok.-Keith

69

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3d Digitizing PlugIn version 3.0

« on: October 15, 2006, 06:52:01 PM »

Ok,I got it,but it didn't happen automatically. Once I told 'folders' to open that type of file with M3 plug-in control,I then went to where it was and manually did an 'open with' and used that same control and it extracted .Thanks for getting me started. -Keith

70

General Mach Discussion / Re: 3d Digitizing PlugIn version 3.0

« on: October 15, 2006, 06:43:17 PM »

Thanks Hood. I managed to get the folder options to look like the screen shot but in doing so ,it asks for an 'action' to take place. I said:"open". Not sure if that's right. Still opened in notebook. When I'm 'clicking' on this file, should it be residing in the plug in folder? Anyway,I tried it in the folder and outside the folder.-Keith