for new beginners like me im finding it increasingly difficult to get my head around the LAZY CAM and MACH3 software operations

someone attempted to direct me to video tutorials but they just dont work as videos...they are simply SCREEN SHOTS on the artsoft website..NO VIDEOS at all

surely there is a HUGE market out there for someone to actually create operational videos for the DUMMIES (like me)..

what i keep running into is that every instruction or tutorial that i can find ASSUMES that i am some sort of expert on their level...

i guess my question is

IS THERE ANYWHERE that has a tutorial that has been DUMBED DOWN for absolute BEGINNERS...that covers things like TERMINOLGY explainations etc etc

im at the point when im just going to give up and sell my new machine and stick with engraving from my Garavograph Pantograph machines...

the Lazy Cam manual i have is 123 pages long and it seems to not run in sequence but jump all over the place...CRAZY

while i do appreciate that the majority of guys here on this forum have a more than basic knowledge of CNC operations....but surely somewhere...somehow,,,,someone has come up with a STEP by STEP guide for DUMMIES...if not...then i can safely say there is a HUGE market out there for someone to create these tutorials and in EASILY EXPLAINED ENGLISH...Not Computer Jargon

sorry for the rant....but this is all becoming too much for me

all i want to do is simply ENGRAVE flat material such as Trophy Plates (in multiples) and Plaques as such...im not interested in MILLING...

the cnc chinese 3040 machine i just purchased appears to be great...it responds to jog commands from mach 3,,,,so the machine is fine and so is the software

i just cant co-ordinate it in my head

HELP before i go insane

i must add that im not a very patient person...LOL

but reading 123 pages of terminolgoy that is set for guys who have at least a 50% knowledge of programme terminolgy is not what i call a real tutorial...

im the type of person who finds it increasingly hard to follow the written word with instructions

im the type who needs to be SHOWN

guess there is no hope for me and cnc engraving...LOL

on the videos page, http://www.machsupport.com/videos/ , did you scroll to the bottom of the screen and did you see a control to play the videos?

John

oh god...thank you...

told you im lost....if not stupid...LOL

amother stupid question you guys will be shaking your head at

being in australia we work on the metric system

how do i change the UNITS in lazycam to MMs only

Here is a link to a thread that may help with Lazycam belin.

http://www.machsupport.com/forum/index.php/topic,12078.0.html

Brett

Belin don't feel bad, I'm kind of in the same boat as you, a newb trying to figure out these programs.  I had to watch the first two or three videos in the support area several times and still don't understand half the stuff that was said, but seeing it done and what happens made it a little easier.
So far I've been able to do the basic setup (to me anyway) and atleast run one of the sample gcodes several times with success.

Your going to have to take it in small steps and once you figure one part out move onto the next, you also need to pay attention to what you need right now and not try to learn everything right away, that's what I was trying to do it just got more confusing the more I read.
I thought I'd be doing some simple machining with mine already but I'm still trying to figure it out.

thanks COILS...i am feeling a bit frustrated

however...thanks to a couple of replies here ive been about to find the PLAY button for the support videos....LOL

Im doing much better now....i have my machine running and acting like a good little machine...

as you said ...i just need small steps and a helluva good memory...........so much to take in...

i will admit the SUPPORT VIDEOS are perfect for me

i couldnt get my head around a 123 page manual...that was just not going to happen....

ive sort of got the machine finding  JOG ans reset 0000000 positions

the one thing that shook me was the need to use SCALE in the lazycam software...otherwise the created project was just way to big for the machine

thats why i need to know if its possible in lazycam to set the measurement units to MILLIMETERS...not inches or units

First thing I would ask, is your machine set to mm as native units? If not and you are going to be working in metric then you will have a headache working things out.
To see what the native units are set to go to Config menu then native units. If it is set to Inch then you will need to change to mm. Doing that however is only half the story as now you will have to reset your motor tuning to reflect the the fact the step pulses being sent out are no longer for 1 unit equalling 1 inch but rather 1 unit is now 1mm.
 Sounds a bit confusing but if all is working now then all you need to do is divide the Steps Per unit value by 25.4 and multiply the Velocity and Accel by 25.4. Remember to save the axis settings before you move on to changing the next axis.
Hood

thank you HOOD...that is the type of information myself and im guessing many others need

just simple explaination talk on how to go about things

much appreciated