Morning chaps--
( well at least it is morning here!)

I have a computer in the workshop and my laptop in my office
I write code and drawings on the laptop  and machine in the workshop.
Both have mach3 installed and I want to ensure that they have the same configuration.

Which files and folders must be synchronized?

Many thanks

fred evans

Hi Fred, Jim from Brum UK. My CNC machine is in a cold drafty shed down the bottom of the garden so I spend a little amount of time down there as possible. So I write the programs on my computer in the house using a free 500 line MACH 3, then send them via the internet or a memory stick to my Computerised Workshop, the wife calls the SHED. I download the programs on a 15 year old Dell connected to my Denford Triac. I've had no problems and have not configured the computer in the house to the same as the Triac computer in the SHED, providing the first line has all the command G codes (G00 G21 G49 G17 G80 G50 G90  etc) it works fine. The config for the machine does not need to be installed on my home computer as its not connected to a machine. I also work occasionally with a young man some 5 miles away and send him programs and providing I send him the program with all the setup commands on the first line its fine. I did once have a problem concerning machining rads, but this was easily sorted by telling the machine to work with rads not using the I, J K commands, I just use the end point with a R (radius) command. Hope this helps. Jim

Yhanks for the info Jim!,
We are in the same boat and I am doing a very similar thing although my office computer is
networked to the workshop ( coincidentially also an ancient Dell))
so on my office computer i just have a share set up to the mach3 folder in the shop- ( share name x-drive)

When I program I only have to make sure that the file i am working on is closed on the remote computer.
( if the file is open the local computer  cant save over the  open file in the remote computer.
that way  i can work in the shop - Using mach3 file menu- close files and then go to my office
log onto x drive and work on the files - just remember to save and close before going back
to the shop.

But what i really want to do is to have both my computers identical and i think that the
config is kept in the xml files so if i have changes somethin in the factory Mach3 I just want to
download the latest config to the office computer

But on another tack - is your  "young man" friend using mach3 or does he use the mainline
(Fanuc,Siemens) software? Is he a hobbyist or a professional?


best regards

fred

To have things the same there is really only a couple of things you need.
1. Same version of Mach
2. Same profile so that means use the same xml
3. If you have macros, Brains, Plugins in use then copy them although they may not work correctly as they may be hardware dependant.
4. Fixtures and tool tables if you use them. They are in the macro folder of the profile you are using, fixtures.dat and tools3.dat are what they are called.
4. Licence is also best put on the other computer.

BTW for Jim, you are quite free to use your licence on the other computer if you wish, the policy at Artsoft is that you can use the licence on as many computers you wish (your own obviously ) and they only ask that if you make any money from the cnc machines, you have, that you have a licence for each.

Hi Hood nice to hear from you. thanks for the info, my CNC programs never go above 500, I'm a retired engineer and a simple bloke making model steam train parts but will bear in mind the licence note you sent me. You have helped me loads and everything is working perfect, so best left alone, cheers mate. A note for Fred forgot to say a G40 in the first line saves sudden shocks and yes my lad uses Mach3 on one of those Seig X2 milling machines, he's got skype on another computer so I can watch it machining and duck at the right time. Jim

he's got skype on another computer so I can watch it machining and duck at the right time. Jim

Thanks Hood,

A batch file  copy x:mach3\ *.xml
                 copy x:mach3\macros\*.*

would do the trick???

And to you Jim--   I am just starting with all this gcode stuff and want to keep my brains
on one track until I am proficient before going to the next step. therefor I dont want to
go back plotting  etc. Do you think your friend would be able to convert dxf files to gcode for me?
Just until i have this gcoding taped?

If he could i would appreciate making contact with him

best regards

fred

If you are networked then just copy and paste but if you want to do a batch file then go for it
Hood

Hi Fred, sorry I used to be a special needs tutor and the lad I work with does not communicate with people he does not know, brilliant at CNc but a non communicator, sometime even with me.  However this is the free software he uses. http://quicklydownload.com/programs/cad/dxf-2-g-code/70580 . Be careful as the conversion does things as you designed them so will go thru component on rapid if you constructed it that way. Hope this helps. Jim

Thanks Hood-- But i love batch files

regards

fred