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Who I am...
« on: May 24, 2006, 08:45:32 PM »
I don't know if any of you know this but I am going to start learning the source code for Mach3... I will be helping Art with coding LCAM and Mach3. I think it is going to take me about a year to learn Mach's code (There is a TON of it) so we are in hopes that I can take some load off Art and get Mach to be the best it can be!

So here is the short version about the other guy:


I went to school to be a machinist after working in the family shop building and fixing parts for the local farms and forestry people. We also built race car parts for NHRA spec cars and so on… But we didn’t have CNC so that is why I went to school for machine tool at the Tec Collage (Central Maine Technical Collage).  After that I needed more… So off to engineering school (University of Maine) I went! I didn’t really have the money to go to school so I had to work designing and building wood equipment for a local shop and also ended up teaching machine at the university. I LOVED designing and building machines at the shop because there was CNC in the shop! We also had to work on all the CNC’s and retro the machines. Paul Wilson was the shop owner and a GREAT guy (Much like Art) who was willing to teach me everything that he knew about anything (more CNC and Cam)! After I got done my mechanical engineering degree I took a job at a wood mill as the mechanical engineer. The mill is owned by Irving Forest Products and has an output of about 1.5 million board feet a week! That was a fun job but I only had the AH-HA mill at the house and no other CNC’s to play with . As luck would have it the University Of Maine was looking to get a new economical development tool off the ground and needed someone to start it up! I was off like a rocket! Tom and I took it from me building everything in a very small shop to a 30,000 SqrFt shop with 20 people. We design and build equipment, build prototypes and about anything that will help the people in the state.  The AMC http://www.umaine.edu/amc/ is where I learned about some software called Mach1.. I had using EMC but I know NOTHING about Linux. So when I saw his software I was thinking it was at least windows… But when I saw Mach2 I was hooked! The VB was a TON of fun and I just kept working learning VB code at night. I then started to make up the Newfangled conversational set to help the people in the shop.
In the process of learning VB and bugging Art I became friend with him (He should have told me to go away  )  He kept telling me that VB was No C++ so I HAD to learn C++(Way to go Art <G> )… LCam is where I have been learning C++ and it is just a ton of fun!

So that is just a little about the other guy…

Thanks
Brian
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com

ynneb

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Re: Who I am...
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2006, 03:23:29 AM »
I guess we should also post the introduction that Art made about you, and dismiss any doubt that you are some crackpot who has descided to blow his own trumpet. :)


 
Quote

Hi All:
I have seen, and sometimes get questions about what will happen to Mach3
should my health deteriorate, ( perhaps suddenly by an unforseen interaction
with a bus :) ). This is a valid concern for many, and then theres the
question of what will happen if I suddenly decide I am burnt out by this
very demanding project.

    In that vein, and because it gets too hectic here to do many items I
have always meant to do, I have transfered a copy of the entire source code
base to Brian Barker. Brian has been invaluable for a very long time, is
very knowledgeable about Machining practices, and is becoming a very good
programmer. Over the next 12 months, he will move up to a co-developer
status in Mach3, and
we will both control and keep the source code moving along. This will
increase the rate of development and allow for alot more toys and functions
to be added and maintained.

   We'll discuss it more as the he moves fully into a developmental role in
Mach3 , but for those worried about source code control and potential loss
of access to it, I thought it pertinent to let you know that the Source code
for Mach now resides both in Canada and in the US.  We have many things
planned for the next year, and we're pretty phsyc'd about some of them. It
should be an interesting year.

  So I welcome Brian into the programming loop in Mach3, his support over
the past many months has been incredible, the Web Forum is now over 700
people due mainly to Brian and Benny, I dont get there much unless one of
them asks me to look at something, so they are truly responsible for helping
hundreds past their problems. This dedication to detail and users has
convinced me that Brian is well suited to the task of Maintaining Mach long
after I have dried up and disappeared. (Or had that argument with the bus
:-) )

 It will of course take several months to bring Brian up to snuff on Mach
internals,they are very complex in their interactions, but you can expect to
see his mark in development later this year for new features , his high
level of knowledge in professional Machining centers will undoubtedly clean
up alot of sub-par performance issues for the big steel.

   Part of this is my desire to see Mach3 live on long after I burn out. It
has been my baby for a few years, and I have a strong desire to see it live
on as long as possible. I dont want a Ahha-like development to stop its
usage just due to my being unavailable. (not that that will happen, but you
know how bus drivers are.. :) ) , so to ensure all of you (us) have software
available to us in the long term, this move is a no-brainer. It will benifit
us all.


Thanks,
Art
www.artofcnc.ca
« Last Edit: May 25, 2006, 03:25:31 AM by ynneb »

ynneb

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Re: Who I am...
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2006, 03:29:13 AM »
BTW, Congratulations Brian, and thanks Art for the fore thought of an insurance policy for every one.
Re: Who I am...
« Reply #3 on: May 26, 2006, 04:50:37 AM »
Its great ;D to hear there are people like you exist in this world today.
It seems everytime we need to upgrade something in our workshop it is always out of reach because of cost.
For instance we have been looking at retro fitting a vertical lathe to CNC (1941 vintage) for a specific a job but normal avenues were out of reach $ wise ???. After researching and reading the different topics in the forum we have decided to go ahead and purchase the license for Mach 3 and convert.
Good luck, don't burn out, my respect and good wishes to all the team.
Best Regards
Burgs
Re: Who I am...
« Reply #4 on: August 04, 2006, 08:04:27 PM »
A few people wanted to see the new baby :) Here she is.... Her name is Samantha Ann Barker

Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com

Offline John S

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Re: Who I am...
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2006, 02:38:38 AM »
At least she's better looking than you !

John S.
Re: Who I am...
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2006, 09:18:48 AM »
You know it! She looks more like my wife ;) just not as tall...
Fixing problems one post at a time ;)

www.newfangledsolutions.com
www.machsupport.com
Re: Who I am...
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2006, 03:04:53 PM »
Congratulations Brian, shes a lovely little lady, the swating guys away countdowns starts now... give it a good 15 years at the most.

NO, seriously... congratulations!

Offline Glenn

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Re: Who I am...
« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2006, 03:11:35 PM »
Welcome, little Samantha Ann!
You're a Doll!

     Glenn
       
Don't assume anything.....it'll make a Manager out of U and Me!

ynneb

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Re: Who I am...
« Reply #9 on: August 06, 2006, 02:38:49 AM »
Good going you stud bull you.
What a complete cutey.