[anarchos]

The new trajectory planner that has been added to linuxcnc (v2.7+) was actually funded by tormach.

That's great news, I had no idea that Tormach had funded the new TP. Unfortunately I heard that the new TP has been held back from 2.7...I wonder how different Tormachs LinuxCNC is going to end up from the main branch.

[samco]

It is in 2.7 as we speak... (next release version...)

That's great news, I had no idea that Tormach had funded the new TP. Unfortunately I heard that the new TP has been held back from 2.7...I wonder how different Tormachs LinuxCNC is going to end up from the main branch.

[samco]

Important User Concepts

[anarchos]

It is in 2.7 as we speak... (next release version...)

I thought that too but one of the guys on the IRC channel was telling me it had been decided to hold it back a release. Maybe I misunderstood.

[keen]

How many of us like to check our CAM software generated toolpaths via a copy of Tormach Mach3 on our windows office/home computer before loading it into our Tormach. I do this to check a few things on my window 7 office/home computer.

Can we load a version on Path Pilot that will run on a windows computer?... or what else needs to be done?

Keen

[daniellyall]

I would like to know that too, how different will it be to 2.7

[CadRhino]

Wow tormach is swamped with orders. I guess it wor cost me $100 to upgrade

[daniellyall]

I just hope it works for all other wise they will need to employ more linux blocks

[widget_maker]

How many of us like to check our CAM software generated toolpaths via a copy of Tormach Mach3 on our windows office/home computer before loading it into our Tormach. I do this to check a few things on my window 7 office/home computer.

Can we load a version on Path Pilot that will run on a windows computer?... or what else needs to be done?

Keen

You could run VMWare on a windows machine, then Linux as the OS under VMWare?

[daniellyall]

ok would that run a machine ok had a look at the sight what vmware would you use.

I would like to try the new version 2.7 when it comes out but don't have a spear computer that I can convert

[wtopace]

You could run VMWare on a windows machine, then Linux as the OS under VMWare?

I doubt you would be able to pass the hardware pci-e card through to a Linux VM in VMware (or any other hypervisor). Although I haven't looked into what exactly the pci-e card does, keep in mind that once virtualized, anything "real-time" most likely isn't going to happen.

Virtualized machine controllers may not be the best idea.

Edit: VMware Workstation is probably what you would want to try if you were going to do this.

[mountaindew]

Although I haven't looked into what exactly the pci-e card does, keep in mind that once virtualized, anything "real-time" most likely isn't going to happen.

From what I read the pci card is equal to a parallel type port and the machine is connected to it.
The pictures don't show this port on back and leave me guessing also.

Keen!
I don't understand what mach does with tool paths that you would need to load g-code and look at it!
What do you do with it?
md

[shred]

I see that the 3M support site (3M Touch Systems Support 3M US: Electronic Solutions : 3M United States ) has both 32 and 64 bit Linux user mode drivers and a configuration utility for my touch screen. Any idea what flavour/version of Linux Tormach is shipping? Would you be willing to share what you did to get your screen working?

The newest version of that driver works a bit better (the Aug 2014 one for 32-bit Linux-- the OS is Ubuntu 10.04 LTS) and for USB screens is fairly straightforward involving a bit of mucking around in the OS internals with sudo (not described in the readme, but works), running programs and install scripts, but the biggest problem for that is java is not installed on the controller so the calibration tool won't run. I copied the calibration over from another Ubuntu system versus install java on the controller.

I gave up on trying to make a serial connected touch monitor work. There's pages of "how do I make this work?" on various Ubuntu forums...

[shred]

Keen!
I don't understand what mach does with tool paths that you would need to load g-code and look at it!
What do you do with it?
md

You can make sure it's cutting the right shapes, but also keep an eye on the trajectory planner, which can be important in LinuxCNC-- If you let it run wide-open for maximum cut speed, it can cut corners in quite significant ways and muck up fine engraving. Make friends with G64

The screen on the Path Pilot does show the commanded path and also the path the machine took which is nice for comparing. I haven't tried running it in a VM but it might be valuable for this kind of thing.

[kstrauss]

My touch monitor is rather old so I'm willing to replace it. Is there one that "just works" with Ubuntu without having to muck about?

[keen]

From what I read the pci card is equal to a parallel type port and the machine is connected to it.
The pictures don't show this port on back and leave me guessing also.

Keen!
I don't understand what mach does with tool paths that you would need to load g-code and look at it!
What do you do with it?
md

Hi MD. Well its sounds that I might be alone in checking my code on the office computer before loading into the Tormach control. Why? Well I do run the code first with my Bobcadcam simulator, but I usually also run the first few lines on my office computer via mach3 to check tool entry/heights etc - clamp clearance etc. am I alone in doing this?
Keen

[SCzEngrgGroup]

By far the best tool I've seen for testing G-code is CutViewer mill. It will run the code, and give you a 3D animation of the machining process, and a 3D model of the machined part you can even measure for correct dimension. IME, if the part comes out right in CutViewer, it will cut right on the machine. It's about the best $200 I've spent.

Regards,
Ray L.

[kstrauss]

By far the best tool I've seen for testing G-code is CutViewer mill. It will run the code, and give you a 3D animation of the machining process, and a 3D model of the machined part you can even measure for correct dimension. IME, if the part comes out right in CutViewer, it will cut right on the machine. It's about the best $200 I've spent.

Regards,
Ray L.

It looks nice! Unfortunately it is now $250 but with a free 30-day trial. See Purchase Cutviewer

[SCzEngrgGroup]

It looks nice! Unfortunately it is now $250 but with a free 30-day trial. See Purchase Cutviewer

Still worth ever penny... I bought it probably 3 years ago. Stan the author (somewhere in Eastern Europe, I believe) provides outstanding support as well. Every time I've found a bug, I've had a fixed version in under 24 hours!

Regards,
Ray L.

[SomeWhatLost]

I don't get why I would need this?
Mach3 works perfectly for me...
well if you don't count that one time it decided to rapid my tap down into my freshly (and quite nicely I might add) tapped hole...
or that other time when it missed some steps while rapiding to the next cut location for some odd reason... I am sure it had a good reason, I am just not sure what it is...
or that time xxx
but other than that it has been perfect...

and who needs soft limits anyway? only takes a second to re-ref... or if you just measure your part before throwing it on the mill you would be fine...


of course I will probably end up just upgrading to path pilot anyway... why not? seems the cost of entry is just an adapter card, and DVD shipping... and it is always fun to play with new toys on the mill...
and if it can be plugged into the network, and get code that way, that would be a huge plus... I am running out of flash drives... keep leaving them in my pockets and laundering them...
fwiw, most flash drives do not really seem to appreciate being laundered as much as you would think they would...