Messages

631

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Workshop at Cabin Fever Expo

« on: January 18, 2009, 10:19:46 PM »

Oh no, I did sell the steam boat but I did NOT buy the fire engine. This was about reducing the toy collection, not adding to it. I didn't even buy any new tools this year.

The Dusenberg model in the photo above is a fully functional model- that means a working engine, transmission, etc. It has to be seen to believe.

It was a great weekend, I hope everyone there enjoyed it as much as  I did.  We had a good group of guys in the seminar, the visitors seemed to enjoy watching the demo machines run.

Thanks to Dave Cole, Scott Schaffer and Tom Hubin for adding their experience in the seminars, and to everyone that attended.

632

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Workshop at Cabin Fever Expo

« on: January 17, 2009, 07:35:03 PM »

We were not able to get the manual printed for a reasonable price. Id still like to see it happen, but It doesnt look good. You might try a place like Staples or Kinkos, I have had multi hundred page docs printed and bound.

633

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Workshop at Cabin Fever Expo

« on: January 15, 2009, 07:38:33 PM »

Yep, just come into the main entrance, they should have a list of everyone registered. They will open at 9:00.

I arrived mid-day, unloaded my boat, but could not unload the cnc lathe. We did get Brians crates of the truck, but cannot unpack until Friday AM. We will likely be a little slow getting started tomorrow, but should be fine the rest of the days.

634

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: New Comp Code,G41 & G42?

« on: January 02, 2009, 10:19:21 PM »

No, the thread milling wizard does not use cutter comp. As I recall it may have in an early version, but between bugs in the wizard and the problems with the old comp It was removed.

In my view cutter comp should not be used in simple conversational wizards. If you want to make a tool size adjustment its takes only a few clicks to re-run the wizard and generate new code. All the previous values will be saved by the wizard, so the only change you need to make is the tool dia.

Im sure others have a different opinion.

If I had written the wizards from the start they would not have used it, but since Brian wrote them, and most use cutter comp, Im not going to remove it from any of them,

635

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: New Comp Code,G41 & G42?

« on: January 02, 2009, 06:11:02 PM »

Many of the wizards have always generated code using G41/42. As I noted in another topic I have found at least one that fails with the new comp code., and Ive almost got it fixed. I am testing all the rest to see if they have a problem with the new comp code.

I think all the wizards use the P word form, but they also use the tool number if you select a tool number.

636

VB and the development of wizards / Re: Wizard questions?

« on: January 02, 2009, 06:03:39 PM »

You can simply add a screen to the standard screen set. Make a button on the main screen to go to your page- DoButton('page number')

Mach will save all the DROs and LEds into the xml of the base screen set. You dont need to use SaveWizard()

The only problem with this is you are sharing the DRO numbers with the base screen set- you will have to look through the screen set to be sure you dont duplicate any of them. You are also sharing the number set with any macropump that runs. If you stick to the higher end of the numbers- say 1200- 1256 you might be OK.

637

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Wizards and the new cutter comp

« on: December 31, 2008, 10:17:53 PM »

Brian has just made a major change to the cutter comp, and it looks like this has broken at least one wizard- the circular groove.

One of the new rules is that comp must always start and end on a straight move, never a g02 or g03. Im going through all the wizards now to test for other cases and will be fixing them and releasing a new version as soon as I can, but I expect it may be a while. some of this comp code is strange!

638

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Thread Mill Rough

« on: December 31, 2008, 10:13:48 PM »

I agree that using the multi-step ability of the wizards is the best way to handle this. Im not likley to make basic changes to the wizards now when there is an easy way to do the job

639

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Rectangle do a oval?

« on: December 31, 2008, 10:12:20 PM »

I dont think it works very well. I just tried a few examples and when the corner radius gets to big to fit within the rectangle strange things happen. Im not sure if this is a feature of the new cutter comp or it always worked like this. Im testing more now.

640

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach Workshop at Cabin Fever Expo

« on: December 30, 2008, 07:19:23 PM »

I met with Brian yesterday and we have added some detail to the seminar agenda. It now looks like this:


Friday
9:00-10:30    Brian, Ron, Dave, Scott N., Scott S.   
  Introductions,
  Mechanical Considerations. Some example machines. Stepper, servos, ballscrews, belts, pullies, etc

11:00-12:30  Dave, with Brian, Ron
  Electronics, BOBs, SS, Geckos, Power supplies, Limit switches, spindle sensors,  general wiring hints.

1:00-2:30   Brian
 Installing Mach and basic config, ports and pins, motor tuning, basic test and debug

3:00-4:30   Brian
 General config, choosing the right answers.
 Operator interfaces- Shuttle Pro, Xkeys, Ipac, PoKeys, MPGs, pendants

Saturday

9:00-10:30   Brian Barker
  Basic Mach operation, loading programs, running, operator control, CV

11:00-12:30  Ron Ginger
  Using Wizards, Screen4, Intro to VB

1:00-2:00   Scott Schaffer
  Customizing screens with Flash.
  Flash screen, examples, what can be done, brief How to.

2:00-2:30 Tom Hubin
  3D video scanning

3:00-4:30   Brian, Karl
  The new cutter Comp,

Sunday

9:00-10:30   Dave, Brian
 Other I/O options, modbus, PLCs, Brains, tool changers.

11:00-12:30  Brian
  Plug-ins, using and writing.

1:00- the end  All
   Wrap up, feedback, General Q&A.

Im still working on the plans for Friday night, but there will at least be a reception room at the Holiday Inn where we can all have a drink talk.

Saturday will be a reception (free beer!) at the York Museum of Industry.

We will have a router making signs, an Emco lathe with tool changer, a mini mill with tool changer and likely a few more demos.

I have also been told there is more good machinery in the auction, by at least double, any previous year.

Its going to be a great session, dont miss it.