Messages

4521

General Mach Discussion / Re: loading screens etc

« on: February 07, 2011, 01:01:21 PM »

bitmaps, xml's. macro's, brains, and .set files. And license.

4522

General Mach Discussion / Re: loading screens etc

« on: February 07, 2011, 11:51:32 AM »

If you're starting Mach3 from different shortcuts, then each may be using it's own .xml, which would explain the settings being different.

4523

General Mach Discussion / Re: Importing G code

« on: February 06, 2011, 10:34:17 PM »

Ideally, you should be drawing your parts in AutoCAD in the positions you want to cut them, relative to the origin.

4524

General Mach Discussion / Re: Importing G code

« on: February 06, 2011, 08:27:56 PM »

Sounds like you're creating the code in the CAM software outside of the machine limits.

4525

Finished Screens / Re: Mach3 Aqua

« on: February 06, 2011, 08:26:44 PM »

http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/downloads/mach3/AquaR104.zip

4526

Finished Screens / Re: Mach3 2010 Screenset - Now available

« on: February 06, 2011, 08:12:14 AM »

Brian has now posted version 3.43.028, which I've tested the macros on it and they appear to work fine.

Personally, I'd still recommend using 3.42.040 until the current lockdown is updated to at least the current development version.

4527

Screen designer tips and tutorials / Re: Problem with A and B axis DRO

« on: February 06, 2011, 07:34:27 AM »

If you don't have the A and B axis enabled in motor outputs in ports and pins, you can't change the DRO's.

Someone else will have to confirm it, but as I said on CNC Zone, I don't think you can change the toolpath display. It's always XYZ + rotary(optional), and that's it.

4528

General Mach Discussion / Re: Slave Axis

« on: February 05, 2011, 06:38:03 PM »

One thing I dont understand; lets assume that the gantry is out of square by 1/4". When the gantry hits the first limit switch lets say on Y axis would Mach3 stop the motor on the Y axis and keep running the motor on the A axis until the gantry is square?

And how Mach3 knows that the gantry is square?

Each needs it's own switch. The Y and A will move together, the Y stops when it hits the Y switch, the A stops when it hits the A switch.

It's up to you to position the switches so it ends up square.

4529

General Mach Discussion / Re: probe input

« on: February 05, 2011, 06:46:06 AM »

It says you only have 10-13. What is CCOM connected to? That looks like the only other input?

4530

LazyCam (Beta) / Re: AutoCAD and LazyCam

« on: February 05, 2011, 06:32:25 AM »

Russ, he imported a .jpg image into AutoCAD and saved it as a .dxf file.

Mishawaka, that's the problem. You can't do that, with ANY CAM program.

When using a .dxf file with a CAM program, it should really only contain lines, arcs, and circles.

Can LazyCAM import jpg files directly? Depending on what you want to do, that might be your best bet. If, you want to carve it as a 3D object.
However, if the image is a line drawing, you probably want to use a raster to vector converter to convert it into lines, then save the conversion as a .dxf

Personally, if it's a line drawing, I import it into AutoCAD, then trace it manually. Results will be much better. However, it sounds like you know very little about AutoCAD, so that may not be an option.

I recommend posting the image here, so we can get an idea of what you're looking to do, then steer you in the right direction. Most likely, that doesn't involve AutoCAD.