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Mach4 General Discussion / Re: ScreenSet Question
« on: May 14, 2014, 08:07:45 AM »Quote
GUYS all this IS great, it really is BUT that idea of having a CNC controller is for the CONTROLLER to provide ALL the normal CNC machine functions without having to learn a new high order programming language and create the needed functions.
This is one of the failings of Linux/EMC . Most new generation or Jobshop operators need/want to cut parts NOT work on the machine all the time trying to get it to work correctly without a programming degree.
I think the main issue here (at least I hope it is) is that the version of Mach4 that we're seeing are still quite a long way away from being a finished product. When it's released for sale, everything needs to work properly, including default hotkeys. If everything's not working, Mach4 will be a failure. I think we all expected Mach4 to be much further along than it appears to be, but it is what it is. All we can do is wait at this point.
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My thought was to have MACH4 come out with a good 4 axis workable screen set AND have the screen editor as an optional program for those that choose/need to do it. That lowers the cost of MACH4 for the hobby side and creates a second tier profit center for the Screen editor as an option.
This is a tricky area. Because Mach is such a universal control, used on many different types of machines, a single "good" screenset is a bit of a compromise. You also have to consider that a huge plus for Mach3 has always been the ability to customize screens. Taking that option away, or charging more for it, would be a step backwards for Mach4, and is not really an option, imo.
I think you need to realize that you're not seeing the finished product, which needs to be much better than it's current state. People need to be able to use it out of the box, as is.
Mach4 is definitely going to be much more difficult to customize (especially with no manuals as Brian has hinted at
), but that's a byproduct of the increased flexibility and power. If you don't like, it, you can always use one of those other controls that don't let you customize it. Not everyone is going to like everything about Mach4. There are certainly things that I don't like. But at the end of the day, it'll hopefully still be the best option formost of us. If not, we'll move on to something else.
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