Messages

621

Works in progress / Re: New IPS (Interactive Programming System) Professional Screen for Turn

« on: September 09, 2011, 07:47:54 AM »

T201 is still tool 1 with another set of offsets, (I have no reason to think this functional unless I have a third side to turn)

To me it looks like tool number 2 with offset number 1

Dan

622

Works in progress / Re: New IPS (Interactive Programming System) Professional Screen for Turn

« on: September 09, 2011, 07:29:20 AM »

Hi Wes,

Now this is how they handle offsets. Basically if you have say a 10 tool changer/ turret. To get to the 2nd set of tool offsets you start at tool 11 and go up to tool 20. Basically tool 11 = slot 1 and so on.

In this example it's very easy to figure what slot would be tool number 36 for instance. But what if your turret had 6 slots for instance (like in my case), it would make it fairly complex to figure what slot is tool number 15... well at least for me Now it's true that normally you wouldn't care about the actual slot, but I am just throwing in a thought.

Only reason I can think of is the tool changer macro isn't smart enough to handle anything past its physical number of tool slots??

Exactly!!! This is the main reason! I don't know how to change my macro to do what you say. May be your way may be better than the way I currently work, but the macro needs to change and I will have to get used to it. And by the way, I've never seen an industrial machine that works like you describe. Those I've seen work in terms of tool slots and offset numbers.

I still think that if you make the tool description in the Tool Setup DRO tied to the offset number (OEM DRO 245) this would make both camps happy. It wouldn't interfere with the way you work since in your case the offset number is always identical to the tool number.

Dan, if you still wanna do some testing I will send ya a copy and let you play with it. I would love to get this offset issue straightened out.

Sure.

Dan

623

Works in progress / Re: New IPS (Interactive Programming System) Professional Screen for Turn

« on: September 08, 2011, 04:17:07 AM »

Wes,

It would be nice if the tool list took into account the tool offset as well for the displayed too name. Something like Hood did:

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,17093.msg116321.html#msg116321

But I don't know how to practically do this for all the combination possible. Instead I hope that in your Tool Setup DRO the displayed tool name is tied to the offset number and not the tool number.

By the way, I think that tool radius compensation doesn't work well in MachTurn. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Dan

624

Works in progress / Re: New IPS (Interactive Programming System) Professional Screen for Turn

« on: September 06, 2011, 10:30:52 AM »

Absolutely, Wes. Have been planning to replace mine with a touch screen for a l-o-o-n-g time. With your screen I will have a good reason to finally get one

Dan

625

Works in progress / Re: New IPS (Interactive Programming System) Professional Screen for Turn

« on: September 05, 2011, 02:23:24 PM »

Wes,

Just the way I like it - an MDI on the main screen. Again, it's just easier for me to use the keyboard than grabbing the mouse and looking for the button. I agree though that the screenset perfectly suits a touch-screen.

By the way, I don't switch G94/G95 from the MDI for the loaded program. I do so when I use the MDI for manual turning. And since with your screen, setting the tools seems to be done from the Cycle screen I figured I needed to set the feed mode before programming something like G1 Z-10.

Anyway, just my way of doing things.

Dan

626

Works in progress / Re: New IPS (Interactive Programming System) Professional Screen for Turn

« on: September 05, 2011, 11:10:54 AM »

Hi Wes,

For me personally an MDI is a must on every screen. Don't like switching between screens just because I want to change a tool for instance - I have an automatic turret and I must call my custom M6Start macro to change tools. This is just an example, I also use the MDI for all sorts of other stuff like changing the feedrate or switching between G94 and G95 or setting a spindle speed. I don't have a touch screen so it's much faster for me to use the keyboard than reaching for the mouse to click on buttons.

Dan

627

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: September 02, 2011, 02:35:24 AM »

Actually no Tweakie - I figured it was about that small, judging by the zoom level (background is quite blurred ).

The reason for my question in the first place was you saying it was cut from wood. It looks not more than 0.5mm thickness... didn't you mean to say "paper"?

By the way, the size adds very much to its charm.

Dan

628

Show"N"Tell ( Your Machines) / Re: The Laser Project.

« on: September 01, 2011, 01:13:06 PM »

Nice, Tweakie. What's the size?

Dan

629

Show"N"Tell ( What you have made with your CNC machine.) / Re: Cylinder Heads

« on: September 01, 2011, 03:27:39 AM »

Hi Steve,

Been a fantastic thread to follow. The photos of your progress almost made me feel like I was building it

Thanks,
Dan

630

FAQs / Re: Losing Steps or something

« on: August 30, 2011, 04:16:26 AM »

Hi Pete,

Don't know how it would be a resolution issue since the Smooth Stepper obviously hasn't change that. But what matter I guess is you got it working correctly now

Dan