Messages

441

General Mach Discussion / Re: Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 21, 2010, 09:34:24 PM »

Hi Terry,
OK, you're tugging at my chain again I see... 
Let's see, how about a scenario where you paint one wall of the shop bright reflective white, and we use a hi-res projector hung from the ceiling.... Of course those require a darkened room for best effect ( that satisfies the low light criteria), then we really spiff it up and require the use of 3d glasses  - you know, the new LCD shutter type that delivers different images to each eye (but I'm not sure how "cheap" we can get those to be, but that's just a supply chain issue dependent on volume commitment)  - then we really animate things - like make the estop  cause a monster to roar and walk across the room to drag you back to the machine....  Hum, I guess we'll also need a good 5.1 sound system loud enough to be heard over the machine noise....

I'm thinking that this way we could all get new home (shop?) theaters AND be able to write it off as a shop expense....  

Dave

HIYA DAVE, any plans for a simple HI-RES, low light, poor eyes, cheap glasses version for use in the shops(;-)

Just an oldie

442

General Mach Discussion / Re: Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 21, 2010, 09:03:48 PM »

Hi,
Re the clipped DROs - please see an earlier prior post I made re that question - the clipping is an artifact of the development machine I took the screen shots from - the DROs are not clipped in the release candidate software.
I posted a revised screen shot with the normal fonts to show the regular appearance.

Re the yellow axis labels, - actually they are tri state axis labels - if an axis is disabled, it is dark grey to make the axis label blend into the background; if the axis is enabled and not referenced, the axis is yellow; when the axis is referenced, the axis label is green.

I'll ask folks to hang out a a bit for the beta release - there is a consistency and logic to the controls (well at least to those that are used to it - like me <grin>). Think of the buttons as internally lit - when they are off, the internal light is off and the button is grey, when on they are lit with a color - generally green. There are a few cases where yellow or red are used when you have selected "unusual conditions" - to remind the operator of the current state.


Dave

Don't shoot the messenger, just some first impressions

Both the Speed and Feed DRO's values are clipped. Seems like the DRO boxes are too wide for the font used.
Not sure I understand The green button theme, does it mean (go/ be careful / look at me / I'm special)

I'd always hoped you would have put the graphics screen next to the gcode. Find myself looking back and forth from one side of the screen to the other when finding a start point after an issue. (Wish there was a search feature, find tool number# or jump back to Z+1 clear plane)

I do like the Yellow Axis labels, classy.

Overall it is an improvement, tedious work. Good job

443

General Mach Discussion / Re: Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 21, 2010, 08:09:20 PM »

Sorry, I can't help with info re turn plans.
Please understand that while I can talk about this project now that it's close to general beta, it's not my prerogative to discuss ArtSoft's product plans one way or the other - you'll have to inquire to Brian for that.
Dave

Dave

Dave,
Nice job on the screens and a new manual to boot!
Surely a lot of effort and must say thanks to those involved.

Does that mean TURNING may be on the horizon?

RICH

444

General Mach Discussion / Re: Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 19, 2010, 06:21:29 PM »

Here is a run page screen shot - same machine, same software, just using the normal 96 DPI fonts.
Dave

Whoops - They will not look that way on a normal machine.

It's an artifact of the test machine I took the screen shots from - and how it has windows options set up. I run my development machine with the windows fonts in display properties/settings/advanced set to "large" (120DPI, or 125% of normal). As my eyes get older, I find that more comfortable.

I forgot to set the fonts back to normal size before grabbing the screen shots this morning...

With normal font resolution, the bottoms of the chars are not clipped.

Dave

 i.e.

Dave, absolutely beautiful set as mentioned above but a quick question if you don't mind? Why are the all DRO's clipped at the bottom? Is this because of the way you have Windows set up on your PC? Reason I ask is because I have my fonts set up larger than normal because of my monitor resolution and that's how it shows on Mach 3 for me as well (with the bottoms clipped).

Thanks for all your hard work!
Dave

445

General Mach Discussion / Re: Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 19, 2010, 05:52:09 PM »

Whoops - They will not look that way on a normal machine.

It's an artifact of the test machine I took the screen shots from - and how it has windows options set up. I run my development machine with the windows fonts in display properties/settings/advanced set to "large" (120DPI, or 125% of normal). As my eyes get older, I find that more comfortable.

I forgot to set the fonts back to normal size before grabbing the screen shots this morning...

With normal font resolution, the bottoms of the chars are not clipped.

Dave

 i.e.

Dave, absolutely beautiful set as mentioned above but a quick question if you don't mind? Why are the all DRO's clipped at the bottom? Is this because of the way you have Windows set up on your PC? Reason I ask is because I have my fonts set up larger than normal because of my monitor resolution and that's how it shows on Mach 3 for me as well (with the bottoms clipped).

Thanks for all your hard work!
Dave

446

General Mach Discussion / Re: Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 19, 2010, 02:04:28 PM »

No worries there - the visual appearance has been stable for a couple of months during the alpha testing process. We don't foresee any significant changes along those lines happening at this point.

Dave
 

Nice screen set!  I hope it remains this clean and does not get a cluttered as the current 1024.set is.

447

Mach Screens / MachStdMill screen set announcement

« on: June 19, 2010, 01:58:40 PM »

FYI - An announcement has been made for the new mach screen set which is being shown at the CNC workshop next week and expected to be released for use with Mach3 v3 the following week.

For more info see the thread on the main board

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,15150.0.html

Dave

448

General Mach Discussion / Announcement: MachStdMill screen set - release target

« on: June 19, 2010, 01:39:24 PM »

Hi,

You may have noticed mention of a new screen set being developed for Mach3 v4…  I've been working with Brian to develop a screen set to prototype and support Mach3 v4 functionality (on top of Mach3 v3).

I'm pleased to announce the screen set is called MachStdMill, and that Brian and I will be showing MachStdMill at the CNC workshop next week. Additionally, we've decided to pre-announce release of a v3 specific version of the screen set for use with Mach3 v3.

The v3 version of MachStdMill contains all off the package's functionality which is supported on Mach3 v3 (as of the recent 3.43.6 development release).

If all goes as planned, the MachStdMill screen set will be released for general beta testing the week following the CNC Workshop. The screen set effort started last year and has been in Alpha testing for the last few months, so we're confident that the Beta release of v3 MachStdMill is pretty stable.

In addition to supporting the functionality of the venerable 1024 screen set, MachStdMill provides support for significant additional functionality.

The following are some of the enhancements included in the MachStdMill package:
    Updated User Interface (UI)
        New visual appearance.
            (See screen shots)
        Graphic controls consistency.
        Work flow driven functionality grouping.

    Integrated probing support for work coordinate offsets setting.

    Tool handling extensions
        RH (repeatable length tool) holders & NRH (non-repeatable length tool) holders
        Support for mixed usage of RH & NRH holders

    WCO (work coordinate offset) and TT (Tool table) handling extensions.
        WCO and TT can be saved to named disk files and reloaded.
        Reports of WCO & TT contents.
        MachStdMill WCO and TT tables will transfer to Mach3 v4.

    Enhanced support for optional hardware
        Monitors: both 10x7 (1024x768) & 12x9 (1280x1024) monitor resolutions are supported.
        Touch Plates: both “mobile” and TCP (tool change position) touch plates supported.
        Integrated support for 3D probes.

    Master tool mode
        MachStdMill now supports the use of a master tool TLO model.
        Master Too Mode includes support (with a TCP TP) for auto measurement of TLOs during a tool change.

    Full doc package included
        A full set of Mach3 manuals are installed with the package and are accessible from the reference page of the screen set.

        The MachStdMill package includes a new “Using Mach3” manual which covers MachStdMill use with Mach3 v3.

    User extensible
        Source package to be available.
        Including graphics source files – so you can easily modify the screen set.

    Screen set package is licensed free of charge.
        License terms are “BSD like”.

   
Attached are a couple of screen shots to give an idea of the visual appearance of MachStdMill.

If you will be at the CNC workshop next week, please catch me and say hello.

Dave

449

General Mach Discussion / Draft Mach3 v3.x Programmers Reference Manual avail from Machsupport.com

« on: June 18, 2010, 06:01:01 PM »

Hi,
FYI, Ray's manual, with some updates for the new calls released in mach 3.43.6, is now available from the machsupport site documentation page.

http://machsupport.com/docs/Mach3_V3.x_Macro_Prog_Ref.pdf

I want to again thank Ray for his work in creating the manual! I printed off a copy and the pages have become dog eared while developing a new screen set for Mach.

Should you find typos/corrections, please let us know. I suspect the typos will all be in sections I added for the 3.46.6 changes 

Dave

450

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Frequency out

« on: June 05, 2010, 09:33:32 PM »

I don't know if this will help as I've never run a laser.
There is an option in config/general config called "Set charge pump to 5KHz - laser standby".
Look in the Install & Config manual for a description of the config options.

I suspect this sets the frequency of the charge pump output to 5KHz, - you could then run that line to you laser...?

Dave