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Author Topic: Mach 3 or Mach ?  (Read 1636 times)

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Mach 3 or Mach ?
« on: November 01, 2015, 12:30:29 PM »
Hi
I am brand new to Cnc only started using my Cnc in September so am very green and very new.

My questions is would it make any sense upgrading to Mach 4 before i get used to Mach 3 ?
Would it be easier for me to learn Mach 4 from the start and is it any easier to use than Mach 3 ?

I paid for and got 3 hours training with my new cnc but to be honest he succeeded in making me quite
Nervous about using or touching any but the basic essential settings in Mach3.
I am learning my Vectric software by having plenty of practice and i am Quite pleased by how well i am
Learning the software, but as i said above i am pretty scared to explore or make any adjustments in Mach 3.
Any advice would be appreciated .
Thank you in advance

Offline BR549

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Re: Mach 3 or Mach ?
« Reply #1 on: November 01, 2015, 12:38:46 PM »
Once the main settings are in place and working there is little to NO reason to fiddle with the settings.  Mach3 will be no difference in most ways than Mach4 or most any other Gcode controller.  The first things you need to learn is the interaction of the Gcode with the machine and HOW the Gcode works.

(;-) TP

Offline beefy

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Re: Mach 3 or Mach ?
« Reply #2 on: November 01, 2015, 05:14:04 PM »
Gary,

first set in your mind that this will take time to learn. Take it one step at a time.

I've only used Mach3 but what I'd suggest is look at the training material, videos, etc available for both. For me that has always been the battle. Software is no good without knowing how to use it. Last time I looked there seemed to be more training materials for Mach3 than Mach4 but Mach3 is getting old and requires either a PC with a parallel port and XP (some have had success with Windows 7), or an external motion controller board (UC300-LPT or Smoothstepper).

Take a look at other options too like UCcnc + UC300-LPT, by Cncdrive.com

As for what TP said, I couldn't agree more. I haunt another forum and get very irritated by how many "button pushers" there are. They seem to have a strong refusal to learn and understand gcode. As a matter of fact I just got tired of suggesting single stepping through gcode as a troubleshooting method, because it fell on deaf ears most of the time. Point is understanding the gcode is a very powerful tool. I'm not genius at it but I learnt what I needed to make life a lot easier for me.

Keith.
Re: Mach 3 or Mach ?
« Reply #3 on: November 02, 2015, 04:10:16 AM »
Thank you BR549 and thank you Beefy i appreciate your advice and will certainly take your advice and use it as i learn.