Hi,

I have added lots of scripts to the screen set in my Mach4 but I feel like I need to update to a newer version because my current Mach4 sometimes dives about 10mm into the part and crashes (on start). No matter what I tried just didn't help and I feel really desperate.

1- So what is the best approach on updating Mach4?

2- Can I keep and use my custom screen set in the newly installed Mach4? Or do I copy and paste all the script into the new screen set?

Please note that I don't have any ATC hardware in my mill. I only do manual tool change.

Best,
Suat

If you did not give your screenset a unique name then it might get overwritten.

About your bit diving into the material.
Does your gcode file have tool number information?

Hi,

I have lines like this:

N25 T3 M6 D3 H3

But removing M6 or D3 H3 doesn't work.

The problem is you are telling the software to use tool information.
If you did a tool touchoff then opened the file with the tool information and ran it the Z position will not be correct.
Removing the tool information  and not doing a touchoff will not fix the problem.

Here is my suggestion.
Close Mach4
Make a gcode file without the tool information.
Start Mach4 again and do your setup.
Try the file without the tool information first.

I tried to run some of my gcodes to figure in what situation the Z axis plunges into the material. It did it again but I could not reproduce the same thing.

However I noticed that Mach4 changed some tool heights in the tool table. Now I have zeroed everything in the tool table.

Are you suggesting I only need M6 (removing T# and D# H#)? If so I'll try that.

Thanks

Ah how silly I am. Program won't stop on M6 without T because Mach4 thinks I still have the same tool.

It really sounds like you are trying to run before you walk.
Put the different tools in different files.
Yes it can be done in one file but tools are different lengths.
That is what the tool table is for.
Each tool has a different length and it is set accordingly.
The H# selects the length from the tool table.
If you did not set it correct the machine has no idea how high it needs to be.

Hi,
to answer the question about updating.

If you download a new build of Mach4 then you'll also get a new copy of wx4.set, wx6.set etc and all the standard screen sets. If you have an existing
copy of lets say wx4.set and you have been adding and editing bits of it then it will get overwritten and all your edits will be lost.

What you need to do is your current screen set, whatever it is called, you need rename it to give it a unique mane. Then when you update to a later build it will be left
alone, and you can carry on using the same scree set but in a later build.

Craig

It really sounds like you are trying to run before you walk.
Put the different tools in different files.
Yes it can be done in one file but tools are different lengths.
That is what the tool table is for.
Each tool has a different length and it is set accordingly.
The H# selects the length from the tool table.
If you did not set it correct the machine has no idea how high it needs to be.

I think there is a misunderstanding. As I said in my initial post I do all the tool change manually. Because I change tools manyally I never open the tool table. By manually I mean:

Say I use 4 different tools in one gcode file:
- I ran the code, on T1 M6 (and whatever the D and H is) I adjust the Z axis and zero. Hit start, machine goes and does the job as expected.
- When the code comes to M6 T2 I do the same again: I change the tool, adjust Z then zero, hit Start and boom. it crashes.

I did this millions of times on Mach3 and never faced a problem like this.