Messages

41

G-Code, CAD, and CAM discussions / Mastercam X Lathe Post processor

« on: February 06, 2007, 04:51:38 PM »

Has anyone used Chris Krstanovics V9 post processor in mastercam X. It behaving very oddly as for roughing work it is fine, however when I put a finish path in, all the arcs are in the wrong direction (but not in the roughing pass!!!). Anyone else had this problem or got a post that wrosk?

Cheers

Dave

42

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: February 04, 2007, 12:47:30 PM »

Hi Stan

If you are simply trying to put a button over an image,
you can simply add an image to the button using the
button's Image property.

Yeah that's what I was trying to do - had the screenset graphics already created. I will re-create them to have seperate image buttons.

I have no idea what is and is not allowed in a format string.
So I cannot answer your question concerning "+" and "-" signs.

Certainly + is available, takes the format e.g. %+.3f. - doesn't seem to be available but is certainly a valid character.

Oh and while I remember have you had any problems with importing Graphics as background images ? I find that if I import a 1024x768 image onto 1024x768 screen then the bottom of the screen is missing.

Cheers

Dave

43

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: February 03, 2007, 06:33:56 PM »

No probs Stan - the more we can do now hopefully the less hassle you will have later.

Please elaborate.  transparency should be working 100% correctly within the limitations
described in the help file.  Where are you seeing a grey block?  In my editor?
I must admit that I never tried 100% transparency for a button.

This may be due to the way I am using the transparency. Basically I am trying to use an 'invisible' button - i.e. a see-through overlay. This may not be the best way to do this, but it is how it was often done in Screen4. I've enclosed some pics of what I am seeing.

I've never heard of a "user" DRO.
What are they?  How are they different from normal DROs?
Do you perhaps mean the new "sliders" by any chance?
Because if so,  the editor you have does not support them.

In a number of situations it is neccesarry to able to enter values, particulalry wizards etc and this is done by using a User DRO. They exist for DRO's from 1000 to 1254, similarly user LED's also exist from 1000 to 1254. Basically they are unallocated DRO's and LED's that are available for users to use as they want. for example in Screen4, if I want a DRO to behave as a userdro I simply give it the OEM value of 1000 and then I can reference it from within VB Script.

If I set the OEM code in the Jetcam editor to 1000, then load the screen in Mach3 it appears fine. However if I enter a value e.g. 2, then hit enter, the DRO returns to 0, and does not hold the value of 2.

Absolutely.
Are you talking about the "Format String" property?
Are there any other preset formats you'd like?

Yup - format string is the one. Probably the numeric values up to say 7 decimal places would be useful. Also any way to show whether a leading +, nothing or - should be added -
e.g.
-0
-0.0
0
0.0
+0
+0.0
etc.

Please forgive my ignorance,  I don't know much about MACH.
My father bought a lathe and a mill,  and asked me to write him
an improved MACH screen editor.  Which I did. 
Now I am going to write a better one.

Don't worry about it - you're doing us a massive favour developing such a great editor and I will do whatever I can to help it progress. I think we could do with a few more opinions here so i will try and rally the troops a bit.

Cheers

Dave

44

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: February 03, 2007, 03:02:35 PM »

Hi Stan

Yup that's right - no new feature required there!! Oops

With all this talk of the new version I got my thinking about an old wizard I had been working on but gave up due to the problems with the traditional Mach screen designer. Just had a quick go at setting it up in Jetcam and noticed a couple of things -

1) I've setup a button over a graphic on the screen, set the transparency to full but it just appears as a grey block on the screen.
2) I've got an LED set to flash red - But it flashes green. Where should the red graphics that jetcam creates be placed?
3) I use loads of userdro's in my wizards. How do I implement these in Jetcam? If I put the DRO number in (e.g. 1001) then the DRO appears and I can enter a value but it resets the value to 0.

Hope you don't mind me asking these questions here but I am currently trying to work with Jetcam so I can find any problems/ improvements that can be made so you don't have to redo too much work later!

Also one other thought - would it be possible to have the DRO formatting codes as a drop down list of formats? e.g. -
0
0.0
0.00
0.000
etc

Save me having to trying to work out what they all are 

Cheers

Dave

Cheers

Dave

45

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: February 03, 2007, 12:53:22 PM »

Now I think I'm going mad - just tried making a screen in Jetcam and then editing it the script in Mach and it works. I tried previously and it wouldn't work - the only difference is that this is a new computer.

Sorry Stan - seems like I've been leading you up the garden path here !! I think I better get my coat 

I know what you mean - work always seems to get in the way!! If you want me to do any testing once your near release just give me a shout.

Cheers

Dave

46

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: February 03, 2007, 06:20:21 AM »

Hi Stan

Replicating Screen Items

That sounds just great - you the man 

VB Script
Probably easiest to describe the way the system currently works
If you open a screenset in Mach, then go to the operator menu and 'Edit Button Script' any buttons that consist of VB script will then start to flash. If you now click on a flashing button the VB script editor pops up and you can edit the code, save and close it. I've attached a pic that shows what happens when you go to 'Edit Button Script' and click on the (now flashing) Ref All Home button. From memory the VB used by Mach isn't true VB - probably best to talk to Art about that one.

Thanks for all your work on the new editor - I'm looking forward to using it, any ideas when we may get to play with it?

Cheers

Dave

47

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: February 02, 2007, 10:15:53 AM »

Hi Stan

Thanks for the reply. Here's an idea - instead of having a display on screens ********* option. How about having a "copy to screen x" option. Thta way you select the buttons you want then hit the copy to option, enter the page number and it creates exact copies of the originals on the selected screen and in the smae positions as the original. I like to use 'common' toolbars down the sides and across the bottom of screens so being able to easily copy them would be great.

On the VB script front, that is the way the 'traditional' screen designer works. I guess Art must have some way of accessing the code within the screen files - if your screen files could be setup in a similar way to allow this to happen that would be great. It makes VB script developmentrelatively easy. Basically what i am saying is the feature already exists in Mach using 'traditional' screens but not with yours.

Cheers

Dave

48

JetCam screen designer / Re: List of Jetcam requests :)

« on: January 31, 2007, 08:49:00 AM »

Hi Stan

Brilliant news about your work on a new editor - I am looking forward to using it 

Can I pop another request in here -

Is it possible to create a method that allows buttons to exist on some pages. The traditional designer allows you to use 'display on alll pages'. Would it be possible to have 'display on pages 1,3,4,6,7' etc ??

One other thought - if you have a button running VB script, do you have to edit it within your editor or can you edit it while working in Mach? I do quite a bit of work on wizards and find that I have to tweak a lot.

Cheers

Dave

49

Others / Re: Orac Toolchanger Circuit Diagram

« on: January 09, 2007, 12:09:50 PM »

Hi

If you haven't been over there already then go to www.denfordata.com/bb then you should have a look. There is a good collection of denford stuff there including wiring diagrams, manuals, etc for lots of denford machines.

50

Feature Requests / Re: Variable soft limits ???

« on: January 08, 2007, 11:12:45 AM »

Hi Fernando

That can be done but it is much quicker to jog with the keys particularly when the depth of cut ain't critical.

Cheers

Dave