Messages

881

General Mach Discussion / Re: software to convert to .dxf file type

« on: March 04, 2007, 08:21:45 PM »

jpg and bmp files are image files, great for photos but useless for mechanical parts. The most common file to use between CAD and Gcode is a dxf file- 'Drawing Interchange File' Almost every CAd program can output a dxf. Stl and iges are for 3D work, but what you describe for a robot chassis is a simple 2D part.

There is a video on using LazyCam, see the links at teh top of this page to get to all the videos.

882

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: New Teach wizard

« on: March 03, 2007, 08:33:30 AM »

Thanks for the note.

Adding the coolant buttons is easy, Ill do that.

I see the error in applying Z moves without changing the feed. I will fix that.

I am going to change the current holes to do a spiral down cut, I will also try to add a simple drill button- but that opens the need for a couple more DROs to set peck and retract distances and  some buttons for cycle choice. Ill see if I can get it all on the screen and still be able to understand it.

Ill try to get these updates in the next couple days.

ron ginger

883

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: New Teach wizard

« on: February 27, 2007, 02:07:53 PM »

I have found that you must have made a rapid or a feed move BEFORE the first point of an arc. I will fix that. Otherwise I can make both arcs and circles work fine. I will try a few more tests.

thanks for the feedback

884

General Mach Discussion / New Teach wizard

« on: February 25, 2007, 09:29:17 PM »

Ive just added a new Teach wizard. See http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php?topic=2557.new#new

Its out for test, feedback is welcome.

ron ginger

885

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / New Teach wizard

« on: February 25, 2007, 09:26:59 PM »

I have a new Teach wizard ready for test. This is based on the original Teach wizard but has a few additions.

This wizard would be used to copy a part and generate Gcode form it. You would place  a part on the machine and jog around its features in the sequence you want to cut the part. Code is added to the file only when you press one of the action buttons, so you can jog around until you are exactly on the spot them press a button to create either a rapid move, a feed move, and Arc or a circle.

There is now a button to add holes, and do do full circles. There is also a help file.

Download the attached zip file to the addons directory and unzip it. I have called it NewTeach so it wont overwrite the old Teach wizard.  Id like suggestions on a better name- somehow Teach doesn't quite move me- CopyCat? DupliCut?

Any feedback is welcome.

ron ginger

886

General Mach Discussion / Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions

« on: February 22, 2007, 11:10:18 AM »

Be careful of the Screen4 editor. If you open it on a small screen that requires the display to have scroll bars it will totally screw up the screen set- stuff gets moved  all over and you cannot get it right.

I use a big monitor- 1280x1024 to edit the wizard screens in 1024x768.

I agree with the suggestion to look at existing code- its the best way to learn. But Id copy the 1024.set file, I call it My1024.set, then I mess with that one. If I blow it there is always the original unaltered screen to get back to.

I have never been able to get Screen4 to display jpg images- there is a button to turn them on or off, but for me they are always off. I believe it has to do with which folder the Screen4 image is in, but I have not been able to get it right.

The screen edit and macro ability is one of Machs best features, its a shame the editor is such a hack and so frustrating for beginners to use..

887

General Mach Discussion / Re: Set Z to zero automatically?Auto tool zero questions

« on: February 20, 2007, 08:12:41 AM »

No, I am doing it on a Knee Mill, with metal parts and vise. What you are missing is that my plate is a piece of copper clad printed circuit board. It has copper on both sides, but is a fiberglass plate. I thought about removing the copper from the back side- the part that touches the work or vise, but its not necessary. The wire is soldered to the top of the plate, the side that will touch the tool.

It works well.

ron ginger

888

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Newfangled Wizards, V2.73 Test Release

« on: February 19, 2007, 09:14:33 PM »

Thanks for the comments,

I have removed the Message Box that insisted on choosing a new material.

If you click the 'save wizard' anywhere else within the set it remembers all of the settings, including the material, so once you have selected a material that one will always be selected when you startup.

If no material has ever been selected it will default to the first material in the list. That is as it used to work.

I don't really expect anyone to have 100 materials, but there were requests for adding materials and this makes it very simple to add your common material.

889

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Newfangled Wizards, V2.73 Test Release

« on: February 19, 2007, 12:12:27 PM »

Art is still including the original version of the wizards in his release. When I fix a couple more problems I will send a copy to Art and he will make that the Newfangled version in his releases. Probably in about a week. Until then you will have to reload the zip file if you install a new version of Mach.

890

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Re: Not so sweet Cut Circle in Suite of HW

« on: February 18, 2007, 01:27:45 PM »

Ok, Art just posted this on the Yahoo group_

Hi Ron:

  I gave this a top priority, Id like to get the G41 as tough as I can. Version .048 fixes this problem. It turned out to be the same square root error as before, only in a slightly different way. I have tightened it up a lot, so this can't  or shouldn't happen again . Thanks for the bug, download .048 and that arc will work fine..

Art.