Topics

21

General Mach Discussion / change color of indicators

« on: October 20, 2009, 03:29:06 PM »

For some reason I have trouble seeing the colour of blue used in some of the indicators (like the optional stop and single block buttons). Can someone point out where this can be changed? (if it can)

Thanks

Sage

22

General Mach Discussion / Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 07, 2009, 02:13:57 PM »

I've noticed a very annoying issue with Mach.
I've recently been using Mach as just a G-code viewer. I create G-code with a program (PCB-Gcode) then open Mach and load the file to observe the results. I then close the G-code file in Mach and modify the g-code. PCB-Gcode generates a new file but with the same name as the old one that overwrites the old file (confirmed).
 When I return to Mach and load the G-code file it displays the old information not the G-code from the new file.
I've tried erasing the file from the disk before regenerating it but Mach still displays the old information.
The only way I can stop this is to exit Mach and return and open the file. An obvious pain. It then picks up the new file information.

I believe this is someting that needs to be corrected by the Mach programmer. I think there is probably a flush memory buffer function that should be issued to force Mach to clear it's cach and actually load the file contents instead of from memory.

In the old DOS days you sometimes had this problem and you could do a CTRL-C to clear the disk cach and re-log the disk drive. I'm not sure of any such think exists in Windows.

Anyone have a work around for this?

Sage

23

General Mach Discussion / Mach V.043 feed hold still broken

« on: March 14, 2009, 10:45:23 AM »

I just happend to try "feed hold" and upon restart, the program took off to places unknown. It was inside a subroutine at the time, if that matters. Just thought I'd report this problem again. Seems it's been around quite a while. It would be nice to be able to pause a program for a lot of reasons. Not sure if it was supposed to have been corrected.
 If a code example demonstrating the problem is required, let me know.

Sage

24

General Mach Discussion / Beta Mach V3.043

« on: March 10, 2009, 09:47:46 PM »

Is anyone running V3.043 beta?

I had a couple of strange things happen with it that never happened here before. My stepping is ALWAYS very stable and reliable and I've never so much as missed a step or heard the motors act up.
The problem was as follows:
I have an "aussie tool setter" for setting the tool zero height.
Just after it finished retracting the tool, my Z axis gave out a SCREAM of steps. Luckily they came out so fast the axis did not actually move. In fact the strange thing was the DRO's did not change either. It happened both times I tried it, then I chickened out of trying it any more.
 Also just panning the table I heard it pump out a bunch of X axis steps, also too fast to move the axis. Not related to the tool setter.

Now I'm a bit stuck, since I need the new version for the properly working tool offsets but I  don't trust it.

Anyone had any issues like that with it?

Sage

 

Sage

25

General Mach Discussion / Cutter comp fixed yet?

« on: March 10, 2009, 09:14:53 AM »

It's been hard to follow progress. Was cutter compensation supposed to be fixed in V3.042.021 ??

I have a strange looking lump in my toolpath when I turn on cutter radius compensation G41. I was hoping I wouldn't have to re-write my whole program to fix what should be correctabe with a slight cutter radius compensation.

Sage

26

General Mach Discussion / Wrapper and toolpath view

« on: March 05, 2009, 11:34:58 AM »

I'm using the Wrapper sotware to machine some text onto a cylinder. Although I've set all the parameters in Mach according to the wrapper software HELP  I can't get the Mach toolpath display to show a cylinder with the text as it says it should in the wrapper help. The toolpath is  just some sort of flattened X,Y,Z display. No A axis shown. I think the machining is going to be correct judging by air cutting movement but it would be nice to see it properly in the toolpath.
Ive set Mach:
Config/toopath/ A-rotations checked and Axis of rotation X checked.
Confg/general config/ rotational - Rotate 360 rollover unchecked.

Anything I'm missing.

Sage

27

LazyCam (Beta) / Pocketing not working

« on: December 11, 2008, 02:41:44 PM »

Sure would be nice if pocketing worked as well as shown on the video. - Click boom done.
I've attached a file that I can't get anything to pocket on.
I'm using LazyCam 2.61.
I loaded the dxf (autocad V12 and others tried) with various tolerances of .001 and .01 then cleaned and optimized. I select a 1/16 cutter, circular pocket.
I can select any of the rectangles in the dxf and press pocket and all I get is an offset inside the rectangle.
In fact the project list shows an offset was added instead of a pocket.
I looked at the dxf and for all reasonable zoom levels I see no disconnects or overlapping lines.
Got to be easier than this.
How do I have to hold my mouth and which foot do I stand on to get this program feature to work. 
Very disappointing.

Sage

28

General Mach Discussion / Cutter compensation and fixture offsets problem??

« on: December 02, 2008, 02:20:02 PM »

Why does this code screw up? <attached>
I used a wizard to cut a circle in order to counterbore a 1/2" hole to 0.58 inches. The code uses cutter compensation. It works fine.
 I duplicated the code for a second hole right next to the first and used a fixture offset to get to the second hole. The second hole is a complete mess. (at least the toopat display says so)
Granted I'm a rookie at G-code but I can't see the problem.
 
Note: to Hood and Gram W. As much as I appreciate it, please don't re-write new code. I'd like to learn why this particular code does not work as a learning exercise.

 

Sage

29

Newfangled Solutions Mach3 Wizards / Circular pocket - milling direction descriptions

« on: December 02, 2008, 10:58:08 AM »

I believe in the NFS wizards circular pocket routine on the screen to select the milling direction, the descriptions of the milling directions is incorrect. Since you are always inside of the pocket the milling direction CCW should be listed as climb milling not conventional milling.

Also the code produced is incorrect. If you select CCW the code produced moves the cutter clockwise.

Pocket Wizard V2.79

Sage

30

General Mach Discussion / Shuttle pro and on screen MPG

« on: November 20, 2008, 10:03:15 PM »

I recently installed a shuttle Pro. It's fantastic but there's a couple of things I need to clarify.

Since I installed the shuttle pro the onscreen MPG (tab key) seems to be stuck in step mode. The XYZ arrows will only step and the mode button does not toggle between step and  fast motion modes. The step increment is also fixed at .001.
Is this normal? Even if I disconnect the shuttle the MPG does not return to normal.

This isn't a big deal since the shuttle pro does all this stuff now EXCEPT I can't figure out what option to attach to a button to change the step increment. The center wheel only steps at .001. I'd like to be able to toggle it through .001 / .010 / .1 like the on screen version does.
 I found the jog ++ and jog -- options but I didn't really want to use up two buttons. (plus how do I tell what the current increment is?

Anybody know what's normal or how to program the shuttle like the on-screen MPG.

Sage