Messages

1

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to Modify Go To Work Zero

« on: October 14, 2017, 12:19:30 PM »

can you post where is the link that you find, I am looking for the same topic too?
thanks.

2

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to use Home offset under mach configuration

« on: October 14, 2017, 11:25:58 AM »

Here I draw a diagram of the idea how I want it to work, correct me if there is a better way to do this.
I will use the laser pointer to find the origin 0,0 first
then move to point 2, compare this number to the actual drawing,
then go to point 3, if this 3 number match to one another, that mean the size of the print to the actual thing that put in the job table match, if not then I will modify the toolpath to match the measuremnt from the router table,
once this is done, it should be ok to do the cut.
is this logic sound right to you.
thanks.

3

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to use Home offset under mach configuration

« on: October 13, 2017, 10:06:16 PM »

You read my mind.
"I suspect what you want to do and is very commonly done is to use your laser pointer to indicate the start point on your work piece. When you hit
a button the WORK co-ordinates are set to 0,0 accommodating the offset of your laser from the spindle. Does that sound like the procedure you want?"

this is exactly what i want to try. I want to start with laser pointer to proof my idea is work then go step up and get the 6 LED Waterproof Micro USB Borescope Inspection Endoscope Tube Camera about $15-20 to pin point the dot position for exact toolpath to cut on the object that has image on it already. Then I want to cut around it nice and good following the toolpath from the dxf file but also contour cut around the edge of the pre-print image.
With your experience, and also all the nice people in this forum, I am sure you and someone will point me to the right direction how to achieve this idea.
thanks.

4

Mach4 General Discussion / How to use Home offset under mach configuration

« on: October 13, 2017, 05:54:31 PM »

I have the mach4 setup to run all the basic stuff, so far so good, but I want to learn how to use the Home offset and key in either positive or negative number do not see any effect at all. I would like to know what is this setting design for and how to make use of it. Is there any manual detail explain all this detail setting in mach4?
I did look into the user manual but no luck in finding the detail.

what I want to do is that I have a laser point beside the spindle, if the spindle is 0,0, this laser say it is 2,2. I want to use this laser point as a guide to find my target then use the offset so that the spindle will always start in the right spot.
May be there is better way to do this please advise.
Thanks.

5

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: How to use offset in mach4

« on: October 06, 2017, 03:19:55 PM »

I do have home switch and limit switch on x y and Z (is on top to make sure the ball screw stop).
I always reference to zero before any job, it can go to the left lower corner and stop at the limit with the Z to the high limit. all zero nice and good on the DRO.
I can use the remember position to store any point.
then use "Return to position" to get it move there without any problem.

I am not sure The 'Go to Work Zero' button, do I need to do some setup or edit something first, it does not says...goes to the 0,0,0 coordinates of the current G54.********* workspace. It will go nowhere if G54 is not
defined.
How to I define it? and I am not sure the function of Deref all axes.?

i attach the photo of my home switch setting.
thanks.

6

Mach4 General Discussion / How to use offset in mach4

« on: October 05, 2017, 07:41:08 PM »

I did follow a video How Mach3 Can Store and Recall Table Positions Using Offsets
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXbRBPO6M24&t=314s
Since I have mach4 and the layout is not the same as mach3 anymore, zero X ,y & z is not there.
I try but there is no respond when I click "Go to work zero".
what might be wrong?
is there some manual to show the detail of how to offsets tab in more detail?
thanks.

7

Mach4 General Discussion / how to setup home to fix the (0,0)

« on: September 25, 2017, 03:09:43 PM »

I have setup home and limit switch for X and Y, on the machine diagnostic, I know they are working, since I can jog x & y and get them light up, but I don't know how to set the software to mark this as the 0,0 as a home, and what is the icon for me to move them back to this 0,0 (Home). sorry for this very beginner question.
is there some document on detail mach4 config setup? or video link etc.
thanks.

8

Mach4 General Discussion / Re: cad/cam software that link with mach4 on USB to control

« on: September 20, 2017, 04:32:48 PM »

since I have use software like enroute3 before and it can directly control the router, the who idea is to setup the machine
we get the file from adobe illustrator, either save as ai or dxf file
import to the cad software to make sure all the tool pick, offset, bridge, cut depth, number of pass, group etc is right and send to cut.
what do you recommend?
thanks.

9

Mach4 General Discussion / cad/cam software that link with mach4 on USB to control

« on: September 20, 2017, 03:58:15 PM »

is there any reasonable price software that is design to take dxf, ai type of file and it can control the mach4 directly thur the usb? I want to make the setup from file to cut as simple as possible.
or any free one that can do a simple job nice and quick?

any review page to compare those on machsupport page suggestion?
http://www.machsupport.com/software/mach-3-add-ons-for-mill/
thanks.

10

Mach4 General Discussion / how to use Enroute 3 to generate TAP file or G-code file for Mach4

« on: September 19, 2017, 06:07:38 PM »

I am new to Mach4, almost finish the new controller and now need to learn how to generated the G-code to run in Mach 4

on the design, I am using Adobe illustrator to draw the line file and I usually save them in ai3 format, then use Enroute 3 to export the DXF for my old Camtech Routermaster TCPWIN software to send the file to the router.
the tool size, speed, group etc are control by the TCPWIN

Now that I am using Mach4, I need the new process to setup. I see there are many driver in Enroute but none of them is Mach3 or 4.
Can someone give me some suggestion how I can do all this?
Thanks.