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Author Topic: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?  (Read 7026 times)

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Offline fdos

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Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« on: May 04, 2007, 05:54:24 PM »
Just starting to look into "attempting" a completely mouseless screenset and before I go too far has anyone else done this for setups also without a touchscreen.

I by far prefer the  simple user interfaces of industrial controls, which normally make heavy use of softkeys.

Softkeys are fairly easy to implement in Mach with the use of a keyboard encoder such as the I-PAC's or Xkeys.

One thing I thought might be a stumbling block is the direct entry of values into Axis DRO's without a mouse click.

I tonight made a button which could easily be alligned with a softkey and have an associated hotkey to select it.  This button has the script

x = Question ("Enter New X Value")
Call setoemdro(800,x)

In it. this as expected will set the DRO ok, but has a couple of limitations.  1. being for various reasons ie pressing the button twice might make the box NOT the window taking keyboard input.  ALT-Tabbing back is a PITA.

I don't like the "Answer This" title!!   Sounds kind of out of place, and brutally generic!....  Something like "User Input Required" might fit in a CNC scenareo better.

I guess it's possible to code a new dialogue box routine long hand.

There are hotkeys associated with the axis DRO's already ie X axis seems to be scancode 32856   I have no idea what key combination that is, and it seems that in screen designer that hotkey is locked?

FOUND THAT ONE CTRL X, shame the I-PAC can't do those control keys.

Anyway and others here like to discuss true mouseless screen setup?   

Wayne.....
« Last Edit: May 04, 2007, 08:17:17 PM by fdos »

Offline John S

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Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #1 on: May 05, 2007, 08:40:26 AM »
Wayne,
Getting round this at the moment by using a touch screen off Ebay with no problems.
Only plug the mouse in when using other programs that's on the machine PC.

Need to get a better 4 axis touch screen but the standard one we have slightly modified to give bigger buttons works OK.
So far not seen any screen's I like for 4 axis, most are too arty farty and certainly not thought up by anyone who has to employ operators.
Even the best ones have missing controls on the main screen for just operator control.

Not really got into hot keys yet except for F5 for spindle and G for GoTo zero'(s)

John S.

Edit (oopps ) just read the bit about "without a touchscreen"
« Last Edit: May 05, 2007, 08:43:58 AM by John S »

Offline fdos

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Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #2 on: May 05, 2007, 09:17:04 AM »
John

I'm not a big fan of toucscreens.  I used to look after a couple of machines with them and they could be a real PITA at times, even though they were rugged industrial types.

Besides my hands are rarely clean!

As I'm now using Modbus able PLC's from Cubloc I can implement all those original operator panels without too much grief.

Actually Cubloc have a PLC with a built in small Touchscreen with Modbus.   This would make a killer pendant for those that way inclined.

I'm actually thinking of creating a screenset either like the Meldas or a TNC control.   Both those used the operator panels with the most often used functions as REAL switches.  and softkeys around the screen for those menu selections.

Was trying out the Jetcam screen designer last night, that being more flexible seems to be easier to use in creating "real", "proper" or whatever you want to call them screens ;)

I bought a couple of I-Pacs the other day, didn't realise they could only do single keystrokes, so not a lot of use, unless you use a multimedia keyboard to program in some non standard scancodes.   Even stuff like CTRL X is not possible it seems.


Wayne....

Offline Graham Waterworth

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Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #3 on: May 05, 2007, 02:15:20 PM »
Here is one I started some time back and have not got round to finishing as yet, I will when I have time.

http://www.artsoftcontrols.com/forum/index.php?topic=2128.0

Graham.
Without engineers the world stops

Offline fdos

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Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #4 on: May 05, 2007, 02:37:57 PM »
Nice Graham, but I still want to stay away from touchscreens/mice etc.   My workshop is such a hole they have no place there!

I may use a touchscreen oneday if I can find one robust enough for my abuse LOL.

Next week I'm going to be around a few controls particulary a couple of TNC's   I'll take some pics for reference of all the screens on those.

Wayme....

p.s. Here's one for J.S to have a go at hehe  He'll feel right at home!.

Offline fdos

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Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #5 on: May 05, 2007, 06:26:57 PM »
John. Just had a fiddle for 1/2 hour with Jetcam designer.   Here's something a little like ahha.

Would need a lot of work to make it useful and maybe more faithful to the original.

I actually quite like the Jetcam designer.

Wayne....
« Last Edit: May 05, 2007, 06:28:35 PM by fdos »

Offline lew

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Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2007, 05:27:19 PM »
Hi:
I'm a current user of Ahha and also a current user of Mach 3. When I started using Mach 3 I began to learn as much as I could. I rather quickly played with the screen designer and came up with a screen loosely based around the keystrokes of the Ahha system. It's a work in progress and when I get the chance I try to see where I can change things to make it more mouseless. The Mach system is up and running and I use this screen. However, it's at your own risk that you use this screen. I post it only as an example and because the question was asked about mouseless screens. I'm not a screen designer but I do enjoy the flexibility of the Mach system. If there's any questions just contact me.
So, this is a rather rudimentary screen. There's only one page. I can perform pretty much all the tasks that I need to in this screen. If there's a setting or test that I need to perform, I am only too quick to load the 1024.set screen and do what I need to do. Then, reload this screen and continue. The worst part of it all is that the mouse is required to load a program in a different directory. I can work the keys to load programs but it's quite cumbersome. So, I find myself moving to the mouse to load programs.
Take a look if you like and let me know what you think.
LEW



Re: Any MOUSELESS screens out there?
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2007, 02:54:53 PM »
I made my own sceen sets and put them on a touch screen.  Works very well as long as you watch how small or how much padding is around your buttons.  I also assigned hot keys to many of the main buttons and navigational buttons. Works very well.
B