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Author Topic: Comments about Mach4 in Demo  (Read 93508 times)

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Offline Dan13

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Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #40 on: April 27, 2014, 02:19:05 PM »
Hi Steve,

Thanks for the response. For your convenience, below is a quote of my previous post. To summarize it, there are three points:

1. DRO entry. Highlighting the number in the DRO by single click.
2. For touch screen users, adding the auto-calculator like in Mach3.
3. A small bug under  Config -> Homing/Softlimits

Dan

I find entering numbers in the DROs rather inconvenient comparing to how it used to be in Mach3 where a single click would highlight the whole number. Now you have to highlight the the number with the mouse. While it's the typical Windows way to do this, I think it is not suitable for a machine control. When I do it in the web browser or google, for instance, sometimes the whole string doesn't get highlighted and there is a character left (sure it happened to you a few times) and then you notice the mistake when you see the wrong search result. In a machine control this type of mistake could have more devastating outcome. Also this way of doing things is completely not suitable for a touch screen.

And speaking of touch screens, there is the very handy auto calculator that pops up in Mach3 and is very handy with touch screens. Eliminating wondering between the keyboard, mouse and screen.

Also posted this one earlier but it seems it slipped unnoticed:

Under Config -> Homing/Softlimits, mouse clicking in the Soft Enable column doen't toggle states. You have to input from the keyboard '0' or '1' to toggle states.

Dan

Dan

Offline smurph

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Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #41 on: April 27, 2014, 09:03:40 PM »
I forgot to mention that the DROs highlight with a double click. 

Steve

Offline Dan13

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Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #42 on: April 28, 2014, 02:38:24 AM »
Yes, noticed that, but again not as good for touch screens. Also, the behaviour of DROs not quiet clear with the introduction of the cursor. Fill in a number in the X DRO, hit Enter and the cursor moves to the Y DRO, allowing you to fill in numbers, but not allowing you to save them with the Enter key...? The cursor ahould have disappeared after hitting Enter in the X DRO I think...

Anyway, it is my opinion that a cursor type DROs in a machine control system is not as practical and is a source for machine operator's mistakes.

Dan

Offline Dan13

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Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #43 on: April 28, 2014, 02:46:50 AM »
Is there a setting for persistent DROs after restarting Mach4, like there is in Mach3?

Dan
Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #44 on: April 28, 2014, 10:14:53 AM »
Is it going to be possible to remotely access and control Mach4 as I could with Mach3 using third party software such as:
Mach = (Mach4.IMach4)Marshal.GetActiveObject("Mach4.Document");
Script = (Mach4.IMyScriptObject)Mach.GetScriptDispatch();

Then using script.Code(Gcode);  to send the command to Mach4 to move the steppers etc.
I have tried this with the Mach4 demo but it wont connect or respond.
Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #45 on: April 28, 2014, 10:18:52 AM »
Hi Brian,

Are you taking notes of the comments and reports, or are they getting consistently missed...? What's the purpose of this thread then anyway? Would be nice of you (or Steve) could confirm that a comment posted has been noted.

Dan

We are reading this thread and talking about it. At the same time I am getting data from the Yahoo forum and direct mails. Many updates have been done but we are programing and working to quickly to note every comment.. but we are reading them all!
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #46 on: April 28, 2014, 10:24:00 AM »
As soon as I have some free time I will try to make an on screen Keyboard plugin.. We should be able to connect it to the DRO's somehow LOL
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com

Offline smurph

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Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #47 on: April 28, 2014, 12:44:47 PM »
Is it going to be possible to remotely access and control Mach4 as I could with Mach3 using third party software such as:
Mach = (Mach4.IMach4)Marshal.GetActiveObject("Mach4.Document");
Script = (Mach4.IMyScriptObject)Mach.GetScriptDispatch();

Then using script.Code(Gcode);  to send the command to Mach4 to move the steppers etc.
I have tried this with the Mach4 demo but it wont connect or respond.

There is no DCOM interface.  Mach4 is cross platform and we had to choose a way of doing the remote stuff that is also cross platform.  There is a library that you will link to in order to accomplish this.  The full API is exposed.  Running scripts, etc...

Steve
Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #48 on: April 28, 2014, 03:46:59 PM »
Is it going to be possible to remotely access and control Mach4 as I could with Mach3 using third party software such as:
Mach = (Mach4.IMach4)Marshal.GetActiveObject("Mach4.Document");
Script = (Mach4.IMyScriptObject)Mach.GetScriptDispatch();

Then using script.Code(Gcode);  to send the command to Mach4 to move the steppers etc.
I have tried this with the Mach4 demo but it wont connect or respond.

There is no DCOM interface.  Mach4 is cross platform and we had to choose a way of doing the remote stuff that is also cross platform.  There is a library that you will link to in order to accomplish this.  The full API is exposed.  Running scripts, etc...

Steve
Thank you for the info. I look forward to being able to use the new version with my pick and place machine and software. Will I need to register as a developer to have access to the API ?

Offline smurph

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Re: Comments about Mach4 in Demo
« Reply #49 on: April 28, 2014, 04:35:14 PM »
If writing a plugin or a third party app, yes.  Contact Todd Monto.  You might want to get things rolling.  However, we won't release the API until all of the documentation is done.

Steve