simpson36:

   I understand your point, but understand mine, I was NOT critizing the author, he asked for comments I gave him mine.

You are entitled to your opinion, and it is as valid as anyone elses. I just disagree with it, so I presented a different viewpoint, that's all there is to it.

My concern is in seeing the public development of a precedent where someone volunteers to do something that is, and has been, sorely needed and the negative reactions and gimmee gimmees make that person (and others reading the thread) think twice about continuing the effort or starting any other.

It would be logical to assume that since nobody has yet produced the desired 'Mach for Dummies' book, that the comments made thus far are not from the perspective of experience, so let me share something with those who are lobbying for a 'newbies guide to programming'.

I have written many tech manuals as well as several full training curriculum's and a few tutorials. From those experiences, which span many years and several, albeit all technical, topics, I can state confidently that writing a proper tutorial is at lease an order of magnitude more time consuming than writing a technical reference. A proper tutorial requires a test group and feedback and iterations. A manual does not.

To sum up my point: those who are asking that Ray "JUST' write in layman's terms and as close to a tutorial objective as possible . . . . well  . . .you just don't realize what you are asking for. It is a huge undertaking.

In any event, a good reference manual and a good tutorial are like a terminator movie and a chick flic, you just cannot combine certainthings and have either be any good for it's purpose.

As I said earlier, a concise reference manual is needed badly. That is what Ray said he is working on. I do not want to have to wade thru paragraphs of explanations, definitions, laymans terms, humorous analogies and the like, the get the the reference that I need to move on with my programming project.

Tutorials ALWAYS grow out of manuals, NEVER the other way round.

So first things first, and I suspect there is an opening for volunteers to write tutorials . . .  I am not in that line, however.

 

YOUR responce describes EXACTLY why we asked to keep it simple.  IT was a simple request NOT a demand. I am sure i can get it interputated if needed. MAYBE we will get lucky and get pictures.

(;-) TP

YOUR responce describes EXACTLY why we asked to keep it simple.  IT was a simple request NOT a demand. I am sure i can get it interputated if needed. MAYBE we will get lucky and get pictures.

(;-) TP

I have no idea what you just said . ., perhaps because I do not know what the word 'interputated' means!

Would you mind providing an elaborate layman's definition of that term  . . using no larger than 4 letter words please . . . and make it funny so that I don't get bored. Maybe use it in a couple of example sentences so that I can try to comprehend the context.

Oh yeah, and I like clever anecdotes, so if you wouldn't mind throwing in a few, that would help with my short attention span.

I am sure i can get it interputated if needed. MAYBE we will get lucky and get pictures.

Please disregard my last post. I found the definition of 'interputated':

Interputated: The process by which a big scary word is simultaneously interpreted and mutilated.

NOW . .  finally . .  I fully understand the whole 'ASSERT' debacle . . . . . a classic case of interputation !   

Actually, a tutorial manual is in my charter, but as Simpson indicated, it has to come *after* the reference documents are done.  The tutorial will cover a lot of ground, but the most important thing is showing people how to make use of the reference manual, how to understand the functions and variables, and giving pointers on good programming practices, so they can come up the learning curve faster.  It will cover, if anything, more than most users will ever want or need to know, from how to create custom screensets, to writing all kinds of macros, up to and including probing and toolchanger macros.  This, combined with the many, many changes we're making in the VB envorinment, will make writing macros a LOT easier than it has been up to this point.

I will "publish" the documents, chapter by chapter, as I complete them, starting as soon as the first version of v4 that includes all the new VB features is released.  By that time, the reference manual will for sure be done, which will include full documentation on all new, old and deprecated functions, variables, OEM codes, etc.

Here is the overall outline I'm working from:

Introduction
Areas of Customization
    Screen Design
    VBasic Macros
    Plug-Ins (mentioned, but not described in detail in this document)
Screen Designer Basics
    Visual Controls
    Labels
    Images
    LEDs
    DROs
    Buttons
    Mach-Specific Controls
    Screen Designer Tools
        Screen4
        MachScreen
    Advanced Techniques
        Combining Buttons and LEDs
        Implementing Radio Buttons
Mach3 VBasic Macros
    Macro Basics
    Button Macros
    M-Code Macros
    The Mach3 Macro-Pump
    Communicating With and Controlling Mach3
        OEM Codes   
        Mach3 Macro Functions   
        Variables
        Moving the Machine
        Executing G-code
    Advanced Macro Topics
    Macro Execution Environment
    Nested Macros
    Terminating Macro Execution
Customization Examples
    A Basic Edge-Finding Macro
    A Basic Tool-Length Setting Macro
    A More Comprehensive Set of Probing Macros
    Probing A 2D Part Outline
    A Simple Tool Changer Macro
    Multi-Function Button Macros For A Pendant
Programmers Reference Manual
    V4 OEM Codes Defined
        Buttons
        LEDs
        DROs
        Vars
    V4 Scripting Functions Grouped Alphabetically
    V4 Scripting Functions Grouped By Function
Legacy Support
   Running Legacy Macros
    V3 OEM Codes Defined
        Buttons
        LEDs
        DROs
        Vars
    V3 Scripting Functions Grouped Alphabetically
    V3 Scripting Functions Grouped By Function

Regards,
Ray L.

SIMPSON DUDE (;-) you are way too easy to get wound up  I am just picking on you, tugging on your leg.

BUT please be carefull patting yourself on the back you could hurt someone doing it that hard and fast.

Ray is a pretty smart fellow I think he can handle the deal and keep it in perspective for everyone.

(;-) TP

Has anyone here ever used the CoupleSlave() function?

Regards,
Ray L.

I think it is use to sync the homing on the slave axis.  What do you need to know?

(;-) TP

I think it is use to sync the homing on the slave axis.  What do you need to know?

(;-) TP

Terry,

I'd like to know *exactly* what it does.  My impression is it causes the slave axis to move step-for-step with the master axis.  But, isn't that what it would do anyway?  And what happens when that function is turned off?  How does the motion change?

Regards,
Ray L.

SIMPSON DUDE (;-) you are way too easy to get wound up  I am just picking on you, tugging on your leg.

No problemo,  Mr V. 
I 'm not fragile . . . a little tail twisting on occasion enhances the experience.

BUT please be carefull patting yourself on the back you could hurt someone doing it that hard and fast.

VRAY DUDE (;-) I said I did the work, I didn't say if it was any good or not.

Ray is a pretty smart fellow I think he can handle the deal and keep it in perspective for everyone.

I've said it before. Kudos to all of you guys who spend so much time helping others. Even when I disagree with a post, I still appreciate that someone spent valuable time posting in the first place.  This thread got off to a bit of a silly start, but once the debate got up some steam, very useful information was presented.