Messages

631

General Mach Discussion / Re: CNC Router Down!! Need Help!!

« on: January 30, 2010, 09:55:09 AM »

Try MSC, McMaster-Carr or Stock Drive Products.  If it's not proprietary, one of them will have it.

http://www.mscdirect.com
http://www.mcmaster.com
https://sdp-si.com/eStore/

632

VB and the development of wizards / Launch app from a button

« on: January 29, 2010, 11:35:52 AM »

I'm trying launch an external app from a button using VBScript.  the following code is supposed to work but doesn't on a Mach screen.  Can anyone point me in the right direction?  Perhaps there is another way to launch an app from within Mach using a button or menu item?

Dim commandLine, WshShell
 
   commandLine = "C:\app.exe"
 
   Set WshShell = Server.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")   ' I get object not supported error on this line.
   Call WshShell.Run (commandLine,8,true)
   Set WshShell=Nothing


Thanks

633

Mach SDK plugin questions and answers. / Live Video Plugin

« on: January 25, 2010, 08:40:20 PM »

I'd like to write a live video plugin.  I know Mach has one, but I've tried three capture cards and can't get it to work.  I can write the app in VB no problem, but I'm not sure what it takes to make it a plugin.  Ideally, I'd like to have a small video window embedded into the run screen.  It would replace the tool path display window.  If that's not possible, just being to use it like the existing video window would be fine.  Is there a guide to writing plugins?  I'm not even sure where to start.

Thanks for any assistance...

634

General Mach Discussion / Re: Live Video Window

« on: January 23, 2010, 06:07:35 PM »

Thanks Rich.  I'd like to use a wireless IP camera but I suspect the video window won't know what to do with it since it's looking for a camera/capture device. 

635

General Mach Discussion / Live Video Window

« on: January 23, 2010, 05:55:17 PM »

Question on the live video window.  I'm playing with it on my office PC because it has a capture card in it.  When I try to set up the video source, I get an error that says "Video OCX (VIDEO) - Driver can't be connected."  I press OK on that and then I get another message that says "Unable to start camera".  My office PC is 64 bit.  Is that why it's not working?  I'm not running the PP driver.  Mach installed, starts and runs fine but no live video. 

Will the video window only work with a USB camera or will it work with any capture device?  I need to run about 25 feet of video cable from the machine to the Mach PC and I think PCI capture card will work better than USB over that distance.

Thank for any suggestions.

636

General Mach Discussion / Re: Motor Heat

« on: January 22, 2010, 09:51:43 PM »

The current set resistors should be soldered to the DB9 that plugs into the drive.  They are not internal as Gecko has no idea what motors you will use.  You can remove the hood on the power cables and see if it's in there. 

637

General Mach Discussion / Re: Plasma Kerf Angle

« on: January 20, 2010, 06:40:01 PM »

I tried that.  I think it may have something to do with this...

"Most plasma torches use a clockwise swirling flow of plasma gas, which produces a straighter cut on the right hand side of the kerf with respect to forward torch motion. Typical bevel angles for conventional plasma torches range from 1-3 degrees on the "good" side of the cut and 3-8 degrees on the "bad" side of the cut. High tolerance plasma cutting systems can achieve even lower bevel angles."

From this article on cut troubleshooting...

http://www.centricut.com/TA_SolvingPACCutQualityProb.htm

638

General Mach Discussion / Plasma Kerf Angle

« on: January 20, 2010, 03:33:30 PM »

I'm wondering if anyone has had an issue like this.  When cutting a square object in 1/4" plate I notice that the first Y and first X cut are square, but the second X and Second Y are cutting at about  a 20* angle.  I tried rotating the torch in the holder and got the same results.  Fiddling with cut speed, height and amperage didn't help much.  When I cut a circle all sides of the circle cut square.  I usually only deal with sheet metal so I've never noticed this before.  Has anyone ever experienced anything like this?

Thanks

639

General Mach Discussion / Re: Help with G-540 and xyz probe

« on: January 03, 2010, 05:46:55 PM »

I have a probe set up on a G540.  It is connected to one of the G540 inputs and mapped in Mach according to the G540 instructions.  Make sure your PP is in EPP mode.  Some features of the G540 won't work unless in EPP mode.  That could be one of them.

640

General Mach Discussion / Re: newbie question

« on: December 26, 2009, 10:51:54 AM »

I prefer Rhino over Autocad and inventor for drawing, but that's just because I've spent more time on Rhino so that's what I'm comfortable with.  Neither will generate a toolpath which makes them CAD programs, although there is a CAM package for Rhino.  Not sure about Autocad.  There are CAD/CAM programs that do both.  Take a look at the links page.  There are a number of them listed.  

My favorite CAD/CAM is Artcam.  There is also another company called Vectric that has something very similar for a fraction the price.  It is so similar to Artcam, I'm almost certain is was created by the same programmers.  If I were after a very good, cost effective CAD/CAM, I'd go with Vectric.  It's still a good deal even if you use it only as CAM and draw in Rhino or Autocad.