Messages

2611

General Mach Discussion / Re: How to create a plugin for Mach3

« on: May 18, 2014, 07:11:41 AM »

My question is: is it possible to create a plugin that makes Mach3 send a certain character to the serial port each time it sends a pulse to the parallel port? for example: each time it sends a pulse to the parallel port to rotate clockwise the motor X, it sends also a character (for example "a") to the serial port, so the controller board connected to the serial port can get that character and rotate the motor. This way I can control my CNC from my leptop which has no parallel port.

If it's posible, what should I learn and what softwares should I use to make it? I have C programming knowledge and use Code::Blocks.
Any tutorial or guide would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance!!!

See the Ma h3 Programmer's Resources here:

http://www.machsupport.com/software/downloads-updates/#tabs-4

2612

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 Printer Port Discussions

« on: May 18, 2014, 07:05:35 AM »

Darwin is the Mach4 parallel port driver.

2613

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Variables reading and writing

« on: May 17, 2014, 08:27:55 PM »

All the whining about Lua and two weeks later he's spitting out wizards. Must not be that hard.

2614

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Variables reading and writing

« on: May 17, 2014, 12:41:54 PM »

Thanks.

2615

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Variables reading and writing

« on: May 17, 2014, 12:31:41 PM »

How do you open these Windows???

2616

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: May 16, 2014, 07:51:47 AM »

You can lower the refresh rates in the screen editor.  Click on the top element in the Screen Tree Manager and it is the "Refresh Interval".  It defaults to 50ms.  100ms would be more of a Mach3 speed.

Steve

I tried that, but I went the wrong way.   Wasn't thinking clearly last night.

2617

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach 4 Bug Reports

« on: May 15, 2014, 10:22:20 PM »

When launching Mach 4, window is blank and a pop up window stating "Connecting Toolpaths"  will hang there for at times, 2 minutes. But if i minimize window and then Restore window, pop up window is gone and Mach screen set is loaded.

I see the exact same thing on 32bit XP

Also Mach4 idles at 40% CPU and about 225 MB of Ram

The CPU usage is somehow related to what's going on in the screenset. Mine is at 50% with the default screen, but drop to 0-5% with a screen with just a toolpath and a few buttons on it.

2618

Machscreen Screen Designer / Re: Add image is under background

« on: May 15, 2014, 11:44:20 AM »

Sorry, but I have no recollection of what I was doing.

I went back to using Screen4, and only use a single background bitmap on my screens. Multiple bitmaps have always had issues for me.

2619

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ScreenSet Question

« on: May 14, 2014, 12:42:24 PM »

I wasn't out to attack Mach4 in any way. And I'd rather see Mach4 finished and bug free before any manuals.

Don't let customers or potential customers change your course of action. Just do waht you think is needed to get it done.

But like Terry says, make sure everything needed for a beginner to run Mach4 out of the gate is ready, or it will be a support disaster for you.

2620

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ScreenSet Question

« on: May 14, 2014, 12:01:40 PM »

I am shocked that you could call Mach4 not close to finished..

Until we see versions that can run machines, we really have no way of knowing how close it is? I said the versions we're seeing.

What would make it "finished" more?

See above 

Hotkeys? That is the KB plugin and a few signal scripts.

As Rich said, 96.5% of your users will not be able to do that.

I personally won't have a need for Mach4 for another year, so I'm in no hurry right now. But a lot of people are probably quite frustrated with the time it's taken. I know you are as well.
The one thing that's really important imo is a good customization manual. Without it, most people won't be able to utilize all the new power you're giving them. I don't want it to end up like Mach3's Flash screens. Extremely powerful, but almost nobody knew how to create them.