Messages

1561

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 26, 2015, 10:05:37 AM »

BTW: saying "your wrong" doesn't explain why you're so defensive about mach 3

Plenty of Mach3 users like it the way it is, and wouldn't want it to be what you think it should be.
It's really a pretty simple program to setup and get working, if you spend a little time learning about how it works, and interfaces with your machine.

When someone says they've spent 6 years trying to get it to work, they either didn't try very hard, or are not cut out for Mach3.
When you say you have 15 years of CNC experience, something doesn't add up.

If it was so easy to use, and so simple, why are there over 150,000 posts and 34,000 threads loaded with thousands of people having issues?

Most of the longer threads here have nothing to do with peoples problems.
Many posts are questions on how to customize Mach3, whether is be writing macros, making custom screens, custom built electronics,.....
Many of the "problem" posts are simple questions that are easily answered if you read the manual.
Like, where is the "recent files" list.

1562

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 26, 2015, 09:37:32 AM »

You can buy a Flashcut system for $2000, ready to run with free phone support..... But you'll still need to know how your switches are wired.

1563

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 26, 2015, 09:26:29 AM »

BTW: why are you all so defensive? do you have a vested interest in Mach3 or something? The way you're acting is like I personally insulted your wife or daughter....

Because your wrong.

If you want help with something, don't come to a forum telling everyone how much you know, and why you know how things should be.
If you knew so much, you wouldn't be asking for help.

If you want to get Mach3 setup to work correctly, then you need to learn about your machine, and how it's wired. You need to know which switches are wired to which pins, and setup Mach3 accordingly. If you can't do that, then you're going to have a hard time getting your machine working with Mach3, or any other control software.


The first thing I asked you was if your limit switches were enabled. I don't see that you ever answered that? And that's probably why they don't work.

Mach3 requires some knowledge and work by the user to get it set up and working properly.

btw: I updated to the current version and I STILL don't have a recently used file list...so I'd really like to know how one obtains this basic feature.....

Click the "Recent File" button next to the Cycle Start button.

1564

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Edit post for xy position move then z

« on: December 25, 2015, 09:56:51 PM »

Try this:




; Set up program header
;
START = "([FILENAME])"
START = "(Material Size) (X=[XSIZE], Y=[YSIZE], Z=[ZMATERIAL])"
START = "(Tool Number:[T]) ([TOOLDESC])"
START = "G90G80G20G49"
;
; Program moves
;
FIRST_RAPID_RATE_MOVE  = "G0 [X] [Y] [Z]"
RAPID_RATE_MOVE  ="G0[ZH]"

1565

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 25, 2015, 09:04:40 PM »

Oh, btw, Makerbot uses modern technology and sells a unit that someone who has never touched a CNC let alone operated one had it up and running fine in a day....makes you think doesn't it?

Nope.
Makerbot, and the many others like it, are toys, designed for people with no CNC experience. They lack a large portion of the functionality that Mach3 provides, because it's too difficult for their target audience, and because their programmers don't appear to know all that much about CNC.  All these guys are doing is reinventing the wheel.

1566

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Re: Edit post for xy position move then z

« on: December 25, 2015, 08:59:40 PM »

Try this, but I'm with terry, you should leave it like it is.


; Set up program header
;
START = "([FILENAME])"
START = "(Material Size) (X=[XSIZE], Y=[YSIZE], Z=[ZMATERIAL])"
START = "(Tool Number:[T]) ([TOOLDESC])"
START = "G90G80G20G49"
;
; Program moves
;
FIRST_RAPID_RATE_MOVE  = "G0 [X] [Y] [Z]"
FIRST_RAPID_RATE_MOVE  ="G0[ZH]"

1567

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 25, 2015, 01:23:17 PM »

The thing that kills me the most about Mach3? The fact that you can hit "start" to start your program run...AND THE CNC ISN'T ACTUALLY TURNED ON! LOL....I haven't tried it, but I bet Mach3 will run, even if a CNC isn't connected to the computer!

If the fact that Mach3 will run without a machine is your biggest problem, then just quit now.

Myself and many others run Mach3 on PC's without machines connected to them for a variety of reasons (all good reasons).

The thing that kills me too about the "limit" switches? you shouldn't be able to jog PAST the limit switch once the limit is set. No ifs ands or buts about it. That is why the limit switch is there.

A very large portion of Mach3 users have multiple switches connected to a single input pin. Because of this, Mach3 often doesn't even know which switch has has been activated.

Mach3 is a highly configurable, general purpose Machine Control. It's used for a huge variety of machines, in a huge variety of configurations.

If it did everything exactly how you wanted it to work, it would be of little use to many other users, and it's cost would be many times higher.

1568

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 25, 2015, 11:59:38 AM »

Ok, this explains one issue to me: (which reinforces my concept that the people who wrote Mach3 were monkeys):

No.

When you jog into a limit switch, the machine will stop. What the quoted text refers to is AFTER the machine stops. At that point, it's up to you to jog it in the correct direction to get it off of the switch.

1569

General Mach Discussion / Re: Limit switch issues

« on: December 25, 2015, 07:52:44 AM »

Go to Config > Ports and Pins > Input Pins, and see if the limits (X++, X--, etc.) are enabled.

1570

General Mach Discussion / Re: Issue with X & Y

« on: December 23, 2015, 07:26:05 PM »

Typically, yes, the longer axis is the "X". But many people call the axis along the gantry the X axis, so that what they see on the screen matches what they see at the machine.
You can't display the toolpath with X going from top to bottom (front to back). So you either stand at the side of the machine, or swap the axis, if you want what's on the screen to match what you're looking at at the machine.