[MillworkMike]

Thanks Guys!!

Gerry I will purchase today!! :-) Thank you!

[MillworkMike]

PM sent Gerry.

[cd_edwards]

Can you give an example of using the new Auto-Zero m881(?) macro? I'm not sure I follow what it would be used for.

[ger21]

Not sure what you mean by new, as it's been in this screen since day one.

The M881 is the Initial auto zero, which is used prior to doing a tool change. The M881 uses both a movable plate and a fixed plate. The Z axis distance between the two is stored, so that after a tool change, the new tool can be zeroed to the fixed plate only, without any user intervention.

If you're not changing tools, then you only need to use the Simple auto zero.

[cd_edwards]

I was on your website and noticed the m881 replacement auto-zero macro.

[MillworkMike]

Hey Gerry... I have the screenset installed and everything seems to work great so far! This weekend I will setup a fixed plate and start playing with the Auto Zero feature.
I have one question though.... I zero to the top of my table and not the top of the material like everybody else seems to do... Is this going to cause me any problems when using the Auto Zero??
What will I need to do different?? Should I just zero to the table before loading my material and just make sure my clearance plane is high enough to clear my material?? Thanks

[MillworkMike]

Or... can I just add the thickness of the material to the movable plate thickness??

[ger21]

probable best to set the clearance plane higher. So, you use the bottom of your part as Z zero? Are your cuts then positive?

[ger21]

I was on your website and noticed the m881 replacement auto-zero macro.

There's an explanation there with the download link. If you'll be changing offsets, then download that on and use it.

[MillworkMike]

probable best to set the clearance plane higher. So, you use the bottom of your part as Z zero? Are your cuts then positive?

Yes they are positive... I use AlphaCam and everything is figured from the bottom of the material/top of the spoilboard. Basically Alphacam ask how much material do you want to leave and not how deep do you want to cut.
I plan on mounting my fixed plate a little higher then the top of my material which is 3/4 MDF 99.9 percent of the time. So if I set my clearance plane high enough to clear both material and fixed plate... I should be safe??
How should I do my initial z zero?? Moveable plate on the table or to the top of the material?? If I go to the top pf the material do I add the material thickness to the movable plate thickness?? Thanks.

[MillworkMike]

I was just looking at a few things in alphacam. I think can change it and have zero at the top of the material on my machine at home.
What was described in the previous post was how I was taught to use alphacam when running our machine at work.
I think it has to be that way because of the machining parameters and tool settings for the ATC... Idk.
So Ive always ran my home machine the same way... never really thought abt it much until now.

[ger21]

I use AlphaCAM at work as well, but we set Z zero to the top. Or more specifically, we'll set the bottom to -0.75.

If you set Z zero to the bottom, then you zero off the table, and set the clearance plane to AT LEAST the plate thickness + material thickness + some clearance amount, or the fixed plate amount + some clearance amount. Whichever is higher. Be very careful and play around a bit to see what it's doing.

What i do, in ordeer to work similaraly to how i do at work, is set Z zero to the top of my part. But, I zero off the table, and use a material offset of 0.75, which sets Z zero .75" above my table. That way I can cut .745 deep and never cut into my table, regardless off the material thickness. this eliminates issues with thickness variations.

[MillworkMike]

Perfect! It all makes sense now! I guess I was just doing it like I knew how and never thought abt it much.
Do you measure each bit and enter the length on you machine at work or does it have some sort of touch plate that automatically calculates the lenth?? Im assuming it has ATC...??

[ger21]

Measure each tool. It's a Morbidelli with a carousel ATC.

[MillworkMike]

Ok same here... We or I measure each tool! We have a Holzher cosmec conquest 510... 2001 model!!
I thought it was just because it was an old machine that I had to measure each tool.
Anyway... Thank you for your time! Hopefully I will not have to bother you anymore. Thanks.

[rbjem]

Wow, finished reading through the thread, and the posts most pertaining to my question were from yesterday!!! Your previous post answers my main question, but I want to take it a step further.

I currently zero my Z axis the old school method; using a piece of paper. I have made most of my files zero off the top of the stock and then zero off the table to cut it out. I do this because my stock is varying thickness of up to 3mm, so I cannot reliably zero from only 1 surface (unless I want to change sacrificial boards much more often).

Say I measure my stock thickness and enter it into the material offset box, can I add a variable in my code that will read the material offset that is entered and offset automatically without having to remember to enable the material offset button for the few tool changes where I want to zero off the table? Maybe make it act like a tool length offset?


Also, if I want to make modifications to your screen (small changes like add a button or two) will the basic screen set suffice, or will I need the Photoshop files as well?

[ger21]

Say I measure my stock thickness and enter it into the material offset box, can I add a variable in my code that will read the material offset that is entered and offset automatically without having to remember to enable the material offset button for the few tool changes where I want to zero off the table? Maybe make it act like a tool length offset?

You could probably write an M code macro to do that. Something like this. This would read the material offset DRO. Move the Z axis to zero, which is the top of your stock, and set the Z DRO to the material offset (which makes Z zero the bottom of your stock). Then move up 3mm for safety (just in case).
So you'd just need to call the M code before the appropriate tool path.

MatOffset = GetUserDRO(1815)
Clearance = MatOffset + 3
Code "G0 Z0"
While IsMoving
Wend
Call SetOEMDRO (802, MatOffset)
Sleep (250)
Code "G0 Z" & Clearance
While IsMoving
Wend

Also, if I want to make modifications to your screen (small changes like add a button or two) will the basic screen set suffice, or will I need the Photoshop files as well?

That depends on exactly what you're doing. You don't need the PS files to edit anything, if you know what you're doing.
Basically, this screen is actually 7 identical pages, with the tab sections the only difference between them. If you want to edit the toolbar or anything outside the tabs, you need to do it 7 times. The PS files make that easy, as the tabs are on separate layers, with the layers being in order. So, you just turn off some layers, and export. repeat 6 more times.
If you don't need to edit the background images at all, then you shoudn't need the Photoshop files.

[rbjem]

Thanks for that code! It will make my life a bit easier.

I just installed your screen and noticed one thing, when you close gcode from the X button to the right of the open gcode button, it does not remove the name of the last file from the bottom of the screen. This might be slightly confusing if you have the toolpath display disabled as it will appear that gcode is still loaded up. However if there is no code to run nothing will happen, so I dont see it as a safety hazard or anything. Not a big issue, just thought I'd mention it.

Also, I am having an issue with displaying the screenset on my 1024x768 monitor. When I maximize Mach3 the bottom info bar (work offset, gcode name, reset led) is hidden beneath the windows start bar. I have all the display options turned off and have experimented with turning them on and off, restarting in between. I havent been able to see the WHOLE screen.

I have this issue whether maximized and when the window is restored and then adjusting the position and size to fit properly, the bottom is still cut off.

I did find a workaround by setting the windows start bar to autohide so that I can see the bar at the bottom of mach3. I can live with this, but thought you may have run into this before and could shed some light on it.

[ger21]

I just installed your screen and noticed one thing, when you close gcode from the X button to the right of the open gcode button, it does not remove the name of the last file from the bottom of the screen.

I never noticed that, and your the first person to bring it up. Displaying the filename like I do required a bit of a hack to strip out the full path info and make it fit in the space, so the label is only modified when the file is opened with VB code in the open file button. (If you open from the file menu, the filename won't be displayed.)
I hadn't planned on anymore updates, but If I do, I'll have the close button clear it.

Also, I am having an issue with displaying the screenset on my 1024x768 monitor. When I maximize Mach3 the bottom info bar (work offset, gcode name, reset led) is hidden beneath the windows start bar...........................I did find a workaround by setting the windows start bar to autohide

It was designed this way. Run it maximized on a 1024x768 monitor. From page 3 of my manual:


For best results, the 2010 Screenset MUST be run on a 1024x768 monitor (with taskbar set to Auto-Hide)

[alufly]

Is there a way to access the Mach 3 steps per unit calibration utility ?