Messages

51

General Mach Discussion / G82 Drilling Cycle

« on: July 13, 2020, 08:23:38 PM »

I do hope that this is the right place to beg a G-Code question - if not please advise, and maybe move to a more appropriate section.

I'm making a sacrificial table for my Denford into which I will be putting a grid of M4 threaded inserts.

This entails drilling a series of holes - all the same diameter and depth - so I've been reading the CNC Cookbook tutorial which tells me that the parameters needed for a G82 Drilling Cycle are :

•   -  X-Y :  Co-ordinates
•   -  Z :  Bottom of hole
•   -  R : Retract position
•   -  P : Dwell time
•   -  F : Cutting Feed Rate
•   -  L : Number of repeats

Now, I understand all of those but can't see where the distance between the holes is specified. I can see that the holes must be in a line - either on the X or Y axis and that a second/third (and so on) cycle would be needed to create a [grid] -  in my case this will be 50 x 40 (X - Y)

The holes will be less than two diameters deep so there is no reason to use G83
I've read the tutorial a number of times but cannot see any reference to the spacing --  what am I missing?

52

General Mach Discussion / Re: Screen Editor ?

« on: July 13, 2020, 10:15:27 AM »

I'll agree with that ...  I'm just reading through your web site ... when I bought my Roland MDX-20 some 10 years ago one of the first things I made was a Z height sensor. Never was very successful since the Roland is crude in its Z control compared to the Denford with a Wireless Mach3 Pendant controller I now have.
I am about to dig it out again though and have another go at it on the [new] machine.

53

General Mach Discussion / Re: Screen Editor ?

« on: July 13, 2020, 08:37:20 AM »

I'm now thinking that the learning curve of  CNC in general plus G-Code and Mach3 has just taken a steep up-turn !    It might even have introduced a new 'ladder' 
I write in Pascal but not VB - not that that should be a problem but there are only so many hours in a day and I will need to get my prioreties in order.  I will be looking at the screen editor properly (I've spent at least 10 minutes on it already ) but I might just accept the current layout for now.
Thanks again for your input Tweakie - very heartening.

54

General Mach Discussion / Re: Screen Editor ?

« on: July 13, 2020, 08:01:54 AM »

You can download a Screen Editor / Designer from here;  https://www.machsupport.com/downloads-updates/screensets/

Tweakie.

Now that's what I call a FAST response !!   Thanks Tweeakie!

I've downloaded the "Klaus' MachScreen"  so I'll see what sort of a mess I can make of my 'test' installation on a Win 7 PC that's not connected to my CNC Router before doing anything to the working system

55

General Mach Discussion / Screen Editor ?

« on: July 13, 2020, 07:35:12 AM »

May be a silly question  - but I'll ask anyway
I see a response from 'Tweakie.CNC' to another post which mentions :
(Use the Screen Editor to add a VB button ....).
I've looked at all the options in the menus but can't see a listing for a Screen Editor  -  I have found a means by which I can modify the fonts used. If such exists, is it possible to modify (enlarge) the Table Display window ?   My screen is large and I also have a second monitor which I could expand on to as well.

56

General Mach Discussion / Re: MDI G-Code not actioned

« on: July 13, 2020, 05:59:21 AM »

Just by way of explanation ---  To my chagrin I see that I made some forum posts way back in 2007 !!  I had completely forgotten    well, it is 13 years ago!

My previous post is still a valid question although it was a straight copy of a post I made last week to a different forum which had >70 views but no replies!

I have now hand-written a couple of G-Code programs and am much more aware of what can be done than I was in 2007.

57

General Mach Discussion / MDI G-Code not actioned

« on: July 13, 2020, 05:23:29 AM »

Hi - Very new to CadCam - been looking at Mach3 driving a Denford MicroRouter Compact for the past week and today cut my first slot(s) in 18mm Plywood to make a sacrificial table.

I haven't yet run a 'file' but I have been using the MDI and entering G-Code by hand which generally does exactly what I would expect but on occasion hitting [Enter] after typing the G-Code does nothing - not even displaying the command in the pop-up box - and at other times it does clear the line and show it in the pop-up but the command is not transferred to the Denford.

Even when that happens and I test that I can turn the spindle on it does action that and it also responds to [REF ALL HOME].

Once I [Esc] from the MDI Input I can use my hand controller to move the tool along X, Y or Z without problem but the manual G-Code entry still doesn't operate.

I've also made sure that there are no [Error] codes.

There must be something simple that I'm missing but look to the wisdom of the forum for guidance

TIA.

58

General Mach Discussion / Re: How to generate G-code in Mach 3

« on: April 06, 2007, 04:04:03 AM »

Hi Keith,

My problem was that I had installed Mach 3 (and all ancilliary programs) on my 'Progra' Drive ('P'). Once I'd un-installed and re-installed - accepting the default location of drive 'C' - I can create G-Code correctly.

Because LazyCam is still in Beta, I suspect that they haven't yet sorted out the dynamic location issues that one expects of a robust program.

JG

59

General Mach Discussion / How to generate G-code in Mach 3

« on: April 03, 2007, 06:56:23 PM »

It will no doubt be very obvious   -  once I've done it   -   but I've spent two days (well, part of) trying without success.

I can create .DXF, .WMF, HPGL or any of the supported bitmap format files using CorelDRAW but trying to create G-Code using LazyCam I find totally impossible.

I can get an outline of the object on the LazyCam screen when I import an HPGL file but all other vector formats report the file contains 'splines' which cannot be imported and then tells me that there is nothing to import.

When I do get an outline I can rotate it and move the origin but cannot see any 'button' to create the G-Code. Looking in the options or lazyCam  when I hit the G-Code button I see that there is a tick box for "Send file to Mach 3 when posted" but even with this 'ticked' on clicking the 'OK' button I get a 'File Creation error'.

I'm sure the collected wisdom here can point me to what I'm doing wrong.

JG

60

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: New people welcome !! Come in here and introduce your self!

« on: March 31, 2007, 06:11:22 AM »

Hey JG,
     In the general Mach discussion board would be good. Why didn't you download Mach 3? You should give it a try. It also comes with Lazycam, a g-code generating program.

Brett

Thanks for the quick response Brett. I was 'bamboozled' by the 'VISTA' ((  flash  into thinking that Mach 3 was not available for free download.

It was always my intention to purchase Mach 3 once I had worked out if I could use it.

I now have Mach 3 and the .PDF tutorial for setting up the three axis mill so I'll read through that tomorrow (I am committed for the rest of today to other matters) and post to the general forum if (when?) I have further questions.

JG