Messages

201

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 21, 2009, 08:38:27 AM »

That in itself is an issue. I don't suppose those items got added to the list (if there is one)?

The only way to move forward is to log all of the current issues and make steps to correct/avoid them in the future. This could actually save time in the process by not having to go back and fix problems.
BTW
A re-write doesn't guarantee correction of any of the existing issues especially if you don't know what they all are.

Sage

202

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

203

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 20, 2009, 03:14:28 PM »

Well it appears to be one in the same problem that others have alreay reported i.e. the toolpath display is not always correct and needs to be refreshed.

I guess some refresh as a matter of normal operation (presumably because they see it doesn't look right) and don't think twice about the fact that it  should not be wrong in the first place.

I guess I'm just ponting out that the toolpath display is incorrect quite often.
We can all just keep pressing the button and be done with it or we can request that the programmer have a look and possibly fix a simple oversite such as forcing a refresh everytime the toopath display is activated.

Just trying to make suggestions for improvement here.

(I don't suppose anyone is compiling a list of the little bugs that get noticed from time to time ?? )

Sage

204

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 10, 2009, 10:22:34 PM »

No I don't have the driver installed. This is just my "sit in front of the TV and write code machine". I haven't checked it out on my production machine. What is your line of thinking as to why it matters?

Enough said I guess.

I'm just pointing it out because for the programmer it's probably going to be obvious why this happens (or doesn't) and just as easy to fix it.

Just trying to make Mach as good as possible by pointing out the oddities.

Sage

205

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 10, 2009, 02:46:47 PM »

Hood:

There is a minor problem with Mach (as mentioned above). The big toolpath display seems to be fooled by file changes.

Try this. It exhibits the problem for me.

Take a G-code file and copy it to another file with a slightly different name (so they can co-exist in the same directory).
Edit the second file so it does something obviously different that can be seen in the toolpath. Try not to make the file too much bigger though.

Start Mach and load the first file into Mach and display it on the big toolpath display.
Go back to the main Mach page and "close G-code". Keep Mach running.

Go to a new windowand with windows explorer rename the first file (the one you just open in Mach) to sometihng else and rename the second (modified file) to the same name as the first file was.

Go back to the Mach window and load the modified G-code file (which now has the same name as the original file loaded into Mach).

In the main page toolpath you should see the modified file toopath fine.

If you switch to the big toolpath display you will still see the original file displayed instead of the new one.
A regen will update the display to the new file.

This displays the problem every time for me. It's not a big deal but I feel that if you close a G-code file it should clear it out of the whole program and should not be lurking inside the program somewhere.
Just another small thing to add to the list (please).



Sage

206

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 07, 2009, 11:36:45 PM »

Ok one last thing for tonight.
I forgot that the files have a date and time stamp in the G-code header.
I noticed that Mach IS loading the latest file.
 But I had always been using the big toolpath display (you get when you press the toopath button) because I have to zoom in a lot to see the artifact I'm changing settings to get rid of and it's easier to see.
In any case if I zoom in on the little toolpath display it is fine.
The big tool path is the one that does not seem to pick up the changes. Maybe it's caching old information. The two displays are different.
Even though the small toopath does go blank and appear to refresh when you load the new file. I guess the big one is not.
If I do a regen while on the big tool path it updates to the new file as well.
I thought I'd tried the regen before with no help but I've been back and forth so much I might have gotten confused what I was supposed to see.

In any case it does seem to be a big toolpath display refresh/caching problem.

Sage

207

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 07, 2009, 10:58:25 PM »

There is only one file with that name. It's in my Eagle projects directory. When I open Mach it defaults to the last place you got files from which is at the moment is the same Eagle directory.
 As mentioned it's not like Mach is picking up the wrong file every time (i.e looking in the wrong place at the wrong file). It's quite happy to open the updated file as long as you exit Mach and return.

Thanks to all for helping.

Catch you tomorrow. I have to sleep on it for a while.

Sage

208

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 07, 2009, 10:49:34 PM »

I tried your suggestion.
If the file is open in Mach then PCB-Gcode gives an error - access denied...
I would have expected this since Mach does need to open the file and presumably it keeps it open - locking it just in case you want to edit it or something.
The problem comes when you close and then re-open it. Mach apparently reads it from memory, not from the file the second time around (as already detailed previously).

Anything else you'd like to try. (tomorrow) ?

Sage

209

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 07, 2009, 09:57:31 PM »

Not sure what your thinking is with that. It's not like Mach is picking up an old file 'cause it's looking in the wrong place or anything. It finds it fine as long as you close mach and open it again.
 In any case I'll remember the issue and if I come across it again under different circumstances I'll test it some more. I've moved on for the moment.


Sage

210

General Mach Discussion / Re: Mach memory cache annoyance

« on: October 07, 2009, 09:28:45 PM »

Doesn't help.
Here's the steps I followed.
Generated the G-code file in Eagle with PCB-Gcode then loaded it in Mach. Noted toolpath display.
Closed the file in Mach keeping mach open.
Generated the new file with different parameters.
Loaded it in Mach noted it had not changed.
Closed it in Mach. Kept mach open.
Opened it in notepad (can't tell one from another in notepad it's a huge file)
Closed it in notepad.
Opened it in Mach. Still the same old file.
Closed Mach all together.
Restarted Mach
Opened the flle - it's the new one.

Beats me. I can't duplicate it with any other operation. Maybe Eagle messes up Mach. Still smacks of some sort of memory cache problem. Where else would Mach be getting old information.

Sage