Messages

11

General Mach Discussion / Buggy Functions List

« on: July 20, 2016, 09:19:29 AM »

Is there a list of buggy functions and possible work-arounds? Seems like a useful thing, especially for newbies like me. I would put "Run From Here" and screw mapping on the list. This is especially important since Mach3 is no longer maintained. A "work-around" might mean a change to an older version of the software, an alternate procedure that does the same thing, or pre-distorting the input data so the result comes out right.

Rick

12

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 19, 2016, 07:53:19 AM »

Yes, I do plan to change that and see what happens. I see discussions about problems with ver 66 but no glowing support for ver 62. I have to wonder what new problems will surface with ver 62. It is all about the devil I know versus the devil I don't know.

13

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 19, 2016, 07:31:15 AM »

Also running mach3 ver 66

14

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 18, 2016, 08:55:59 PM »

I am running XP in my shop.

Rick

15

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 17, 2016, 11:09:02 PM »

Hood,

I have no custom macros or macro pumps. I do use a parallel port. Details of my hardware can be found at http://rick.sparber.org/CNCHW.pdf

Please contact me off list so I can send you the XML and gcode files.

If you do figure this out, I will document what you did so others can benefit.

Thanks!

Rick
rgsparber AT aol DOT com

16

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 17, 2016, 05:17:08 PM »

With Y and A values being random, I have to conclude that "Run From Here" is not to be trusted. I'll stick with doing a rewind and then use "Set Next Line" being careful to pick a starting point that defines X, Y, Z, and A.

Thanks to all that helped me.

Rick

17

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 17, 2016, 01:20:13 PM »

Gerry,

Ah, that solved the Z problem.

Thanks!

Rick

18

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 17, 2016, 10:28:30 AM »

Hood,

I could not find "Safe Z" on any of the screens but did find "Preparational Move to:"/Rapid Height which was set to 0. I changed it to 1.1 and that solved the initial movement to 0. The non-zero value in Y is annoying but so far has been harmless. I will update the comment on the video.

Thanks!

Rick

19

General Mach Discussion / Re: Preparation Positioning, bug?

« on: July 17, 2016, 09:13:23 AM »

This problem still exists. I have avoided Run From Here for a long time but yesterday took a closer look. The manual explains that RFH does a dummy run from the top of the program in order to establish the correct position for the line immediately before the line to be executed. Seems clear enough to me. I created a video of my experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ML7LPLecw4

My work-around is to do a Rewind, enter the line number, do a Set next line only in a place that will fully define the cutter's position, and then hit Run. Until proven otherwise, I think RFH is buggy. Hmmm, maybe "Run From Here" means that I should Run (for my life) From this (Here) function ;-)

PLEASE prove me wrong!

20

General Mach Discussion / Re: skipping around a g-code file

« on: July 16, 2016, 07:56:37 PM »

A picture is worth a thousand words.. A video maybe more :-)

Here is a video of my Run From Here problem: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ML7LPLecw4

It shows two strange things: a preparation to move that involves the Y axis in a program which only moves Z. It prompted for it yet did not move Y. Secondly, although I want to be at Z= 1 and was at Z = 0.9, Mach3 moved me all the way down to Z0 and back up. That sure would have ruined the part.

I'm sure there is a "smack me on the head" in all of this but I don't see it.

Thanks in advance,

Rick