Messages

11

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Keyboard short cuts & editing current Gcode

« on: February 19, 2023, 03:17:56 PM »

Thank you for replying.
Yes, That works great in Mach3.
It is horrible in Mach4 without that option (at least I have knot found it).
Bertho

12

Mach4 General Discussion / Keyboard short cuts & editing current Gcode

« on: February 19, 2023, 11:31:50 AM »

In Mach3 it was very convenient: Click "Edit" make the changes, save. and run again.
Mach4 is a pain: close the file, switch to an editor, find the file, edit, save, switch to Mach4, click on file open, find the file, and finally run again.

I realize that custom buttons can be added but I am surprised that one is missing.
I have searched high and low for keyboard shortcuts but no luck.
There are so many great features in Mach4 that I might be overlooking the obvious.
Bertho

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: Swapping computer, same model

« on: January 03, 2023, 09:02:17 AM »

I copied the whole Mac3 folder.   I might have forgotten something.  I have been running Mach3 for 20 years but the PC finally failed.  I am using Mach4 on my mill so the Mach3 setup is way back in my memory.
Regardless, I transferred the harddrive to the replacement computer and now everything works.
Thank you for helping.

14

General Mach Discussion / Swapping computer, same model

« on: January 02, 2023, 11:37:21 PM »

I am  getting rusty: many, many years ago I installed Mach3 on an XP computer.  Today the computer died:-(  I copied the whole Mach3 folder to an identical model computer.
Everything looks normal but the laser does not move. The display shows the desired movement.
After a while, I realized that I should install Mach3, not just copy the folder.  I installed it but still the same problem.
The LPT1 is enabled.  Presumably I am missing something obvious.
Bertho

15

Feature Requests / G-code pre-test

« on: August 26, 2017, 03:09:35 PM »

When Mach-3 loads a program it automatically reads the program looking for errors like illegal commands, missing parentheses, or other typos.
I really miss that feature in Mach-4!
It is really frustrating after machining for a long time and then it stops because of a typo.
Bertho

16

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 M6 Macro problem

« on: May 01, 2017, 08:08:50 AM »

I am learning, not arguing.
If the same tool is used for the finish operation why would the CAM program insert a tool change?
I started to insert:
T1 M6
G43 H1
I just stops at the start of the program and a cycle start continuous but it guarantees that the program will not run without stopping to get the right tool afterwards.
Bertho

17

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 M6 Macro problem

« on: April 30, 2017, 08:15:06 AM »

OK, I understand, thanks.
Actually I have been looking at the M6 macro and I am thinking about removing the conditional "If the tool is the same..."
As far as I can see, a program would not have a tool change in the middle of a program to change to the same tool so it would not affect it.
At program start it would always stop for a tool change but that would be just one extra click on cycle start.
Is there an easy way to force Tool 1 in Gcode?  That way I could have it included as part of a default safe startup string.  Basically a T1 but without M6.

18

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 M6 Macro problem

« on: April 30, 2017, 12:16:25 AM »

Thanks Steve,
That is why I wrote "option" since I figured someone wanted it that way.
Question:  Will the suggested line only work when Mach4 is started or will it work each time a program is started?

19

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 M6 Macro problem

« on: April 29, 2017, 08:00:56 PM »

We should not have to play games to make it work correctly.  There ought to be a way to clear the old tool without having to do dummy tool changes.
I always clear tool and other offsets as a first line of code and it ought to clear the tool selection too or at least have an option to do that.
There are so many options and I might be overlooking something.
Bertho

20

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: Mach4 M6 Macro problem

« on: April 29, 2017, 07:08:07 PM »

I have a related problem and I am probably missing something obvious.
Same initial conditions: The previous program ran with for example T22 and Mach4 was shutdown and the tool removed.
Next time a program that needs T22 is run Mach4 thinks that the tool 22 is still in the machine and it skips the tool change and of course it does not work well to mill without a tool.
What am I missing? How can I automatically clear the old tool settings.  As far as I am concerned it ought to automatically clear the tool setting.
Bertho