hello lads, i'm new in retrofiting in general but i kinda like the idea of cheap cnc machines.
i've got the idea for a polar milling program/cycle in the past days and after some thought i do think this can go somewhere.
i do know how to program in heidenhain, fanuc and sinumerik and after learning about mach and its fanuc similarities, i got some hope. didnt imagined that mach doesnt have conditional deviation.

my ideas stop here. if anyone know something to make this project work, do tell me   

Hi,
Mach4Inductrial has MacroB, ie conditional Gcode.

You can acieve the same thing using macros, VB with Mach3 or Lua in Mach4.

If neither of those solutions appeal then shell out big dollars for a Heidehan. Sinumerick or Fanuc.

Craig

VB with Mach3

could you give me some example please?

did the conditional jumps myself using VB on mach3.
they work like they would in any other machine. heres the syntax:

M1000 - EQUALS
On gcode:

Code: [Select]

M1000 P#1 Q#2 R100VB script:

Code: [Select]

If Param1() = Param2() Then
Code( "M98 P" & Param3() )
End If


i did all of the conditional comparisons: Equals, Diferent, Less than, Less or equal, Greater, Greater or equal
the macros are attached to this reply.

Hi,
good work, it takes a bit of thinking about to generate the workarounds but it does work.
MacroB conditionals are pretty primitive whereas the conditionals in VB and Lua are much more advanced,
DoWhile, DoCase,For loops etc.

Terry, aka BR549, had a mastery of using simple constructs that allows quasi MacroB conditionals in Mach3.

Craig