Hello Guest it is March 28, 2024, 01:24:59 PM

Author Topic: Where are work offsets saved?  (Read 6967 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Where are work offsets saved?
« on: March 21, 2006, 03:11:10 PM »
I know it's not in the G-code file, but where?  Sometimes my offsets are available when I reload the program and sometimes they just evaporate and I have to recreate them.  Where do they go? ???
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2006, 03:25:28 PM »
Do you have them set to save or to Zero on startup? it is under Config/State...
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2006, 04:16:52 PM »
Optional offset save is checked and so is persistant offsets.

Thanks Brian!
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #3 on: March 23, 2006, 09:49:07 AM »
when you exit it usually asks you if you want them to be saved.

Barker/Art, I havent run mach3 much yet, but I know that when a computer crashes or mach crashes the offsets are usually lost, Could they be saved to a file right when they are entered so that they arent lost when something like that may happen?  I use to have problems with one of my computers I had running my mill and I would loose my offsets often and have to re set them up.

sshneider, Do you have home switches to reference these offsets? otherwize they arent gonna be acurate unless you leave the drives powered up and hope they dont get stray pulses to keep them in place.


Jon
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #4 on: March 23, 2006, 11:49:39 AM »
JF- Thanks for the reply! 

I do have home switches and I have had to re-reference to home and re-enter my offsets when the offsets get "lost" (after the 1st couple of times of losing them, I have taken to keeping a notepad next to the computer and physically writing them down in case they are lost). 

When I quit the programs, it does ask me to "save fixture" (which I think is a weird way to ask since the program calls it an offset but, whatever I understand-I think, what it means) and I always say yes.  Sometimes my offsets reappear on the next load of the program, sometimes they don't.

I suspect there exists some kind of an .ini file somewhere in the Mach3 folder but, to be honest, I haven't looked- I just posted the question hoping to get Brian or Art to point me in the right direction.  So far, I'm still in the Bermuda Triangle.

Brian- Maybe my last post wasn't clear- should both of those options/boxes be checked? Would an upgrade to Ver 1.9 help?  Thanks for the reply!

Sid

Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #5 on: March 23, 2006, 12:46:39 PM »
Oh, i knwo what your doing, your changing the home position, what you want to do is leave that homed position there, go into the offsets tab and hit fixture 1 and reference them.

You can set up multiple fixtures that way,
so when your coding, add a G54 for fixture 1 at the beginning of the file before you do any moves. Only set up the x and y axes this way though. use tool offsets for Z


Jon
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #6 on: March 23, 2006, 12:52:30 PM »
Thanks Dude!   8)
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #7 on: March 23, 2006, 06:32:30 PM »
when using offsets its good practice to use g54,g55....ect for all of the coordinates Ie. x,y,and Z ect.. that way if you machine is biggenough to set multiple offsets you can just use the next coordinat system.

Of course on the other hand you could just leave g54 zero and then the next coord will have a different number. The only problem arrising from this is if you break or reset a tool you have to make sure to always use g54 as the pick-up. otherwise you have a difference that could crash the machine.

These are not big issues until you start running a tool changer.
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #8 on: March 23, 2006, 11:06:25 PM »
Hey Miljnor-  can you possibly post an example of what you mean by use G54, G55 for all coordinates.  Do you mean somehow write the offsets into your code?  I'm sorry if this si a stupid question- just trying to learn as much as I can as fast as possible!  Thanks!

Sid
Re: Where are work offsets saved?
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2006, 12:02:15 AM »
Basicly in the offsets settings and whatnot you can set multiple 0,0s using 'fixtures' G54, G55, G56 etc. so in the code, if you have a 0,0 thats 2" from x home and 3" from y home, you set the fixture zero there then when you write your code, you call it up by putting G54 or whatever fixture it is in there.

Heres an example of a part I made, I just threw in a few extra fixtures, these extra fixutres could be anywhere on the bed of the machine. so you could cut 3 parts in the run of one program.


Jon