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Author Topic: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?  (Read 1602 times)

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How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« on: December 19, 2020, 03:30:43 AM »
I need to install the C axis on the lathe.
i added DRO in the screen and it works fine.
I can't figure out how to enable graphics so I can preview the route.
thanks for the advice.
Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2020, 09:56:02 PM »
Bump. Anyone?
Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2020, 11:20:04 AM »
Can of worms that I don't know if it will work.. you can wrap the path around an axis in Mill and I think I did it for the A .. Lathe.. Well I don't think I ever added that code :(  Can it be done. Yup the issue is time! Is this a one off machine or for something that will be used many times over?

Thanks
Brian
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Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2021, 11:15:38 AM »
I use the C axis for a few things, it would be nice to have but I can live without it.

Offline SimonRafferty

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Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2021, 01:04:32 PM »
I've not played with it yet - but since you can draw on a screen panel, I had wondered about making my own tool path display in Lua?

I also have a C Axis and (once I build it), live tooling.  There isn't much support for either, natively, in Mach4 (it's a bit unusual on 'hobby' machines) - but it strikes me, the tools are probably there to implement a solution.

It will have to wait for my next spell of time off (between films) though.

Si 
Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2021, 04:53:54 PM »
Si, I could expose the OpenGL context and let you go nuts in the toolpath. Or I can make a way to dead data out one move at a time ... just thinking
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Offline SimonRafferty

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Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2021, 05:07:59 PM »
Thanks Brian,
My first thought on how to approach it was to open the G-Code file and parse it line by line.  Then it's just a case of join-the-dots in 3D, mapped to 2D.  I'm guessing there's a counter for the current line being executed somewhere to allow it to update on the fly.

In that case, the latter would be more useful.  I've not actually tried drawing - but I've seen a couple of things other people have, so I think the basic commands are there.  It ought to be a simple line drawing (not a Rembrandt  ;)).

I'd give this a pretty low priority in your schedule - I have a feeling you've got quite enough to think about without my random tangents!
Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2021, 06:29:58 PM »
The issue with reading the Gcode file is that one line of Gcode could make 100’s of moves. We keep all that in the display.dat file. It really is not that bad to get the data :)
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Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2021, 07:22:53 PM »
Mine was a simple request, not a priority.
The main problem is that the Mach4 lathe program does not know the Cartesian coordinates G112 / G113.
This can complicate / limit the use of Axis C.
Re: How to display C axis in Lathe graphics?
« Reply #9 on: January 02, 2021, 07:42:01 PM »
We talked about adding the G112/G113 . But lathe is 7% of what the software gets used for and I would think 2% of the 7 would ever do live tool milling on a lathe. Now I do have a soft spot for a lathe like that ! The Mori I ran when I worked for the university had this and I mostly remember it ;) it sure would be cool! But I think more people need laser. 
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