I'm building a Rostock Delta style printer.  I'd really like to use Mach 3 to drive it. However it is not a cartesian XYZ axis arrangement.  Instead there are 3 vertical linear axis arranged in a triangle. Z moves involve moving all three axis at the same time, as do X and Y moves.  So the computer must calculate the kinematics and move the axis appropriately.  So the question here is could this be accomplished by Mach 3?  Could a plugin be written to handle the kinematics?  I am not a programmer, I'm the mechanical guy. However my buddy who is actually getting the printer is something of a computer whiz and could probably pull this off if it was possible.

Thanks.

Hi Gary,

Just my opinion…
Assuming a clever programmer could write a Mach 3 plugin to control the Delta, you are then likely to have a non-standard system unable to take full advantage of the existing CAD/CAM software tailored specifically for that design of machine.

It’s still early days yet and they are just starting out but you may like to check, from time to time, what some of the other guys are doing here with constructing their delta’s http://openbuilds.com/?category=3d-printer-builds&id=272

Tweakie.

Tweakie,
I've been on the Reprap forum for more than a year following all the builds people have been doing. The machine I'm building is a little outside of the typical home build and I'd like more capability than the 3D printer control boards currently have. However I see that the Smoothie board may be available soon and that looks like it could be a winner.

I just started 3d printing with the Rostock Max V2, and while digging through the firmware, I was wishing for a Mach 3 plug in as well.

And Tweakie, the slicing software still sends out a conventional gcode to the controller,,, It's the onboard controller that has to figure out where and how to put the printhead.