[ubergeekseven]

There is much more code than I thought at first. You must have didn't some time in this. Now I wish I stayed home today. I won't stop thinking about trying this until I can.

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[dharmic]

Yeah threw another couple hours at it yesterday - as well as the probe tips. But I'm happy with it now.

FWIW once I'd run this, I then jogged to just over my tool setter probe (the simple puck with the alligator clip) and ran a G31 Z-100 F20 which stopped on top of the puck. I took the -ve Z reading and set that as my gauge height. Now I can load a tool, run the auto tool length (whose macro was the basis for this!) and now Z=0 will put the tool tip on the A axis.

Just be careful - if you're like me and normally run Z=0 at the top of the workpiece, you'll need to remember that the "+ve Z = safe to travel" mindset will not work here.

[RCaffin]

if you're like me and normally run Z=0 at the top of the workpiece, you'll need to remember that the "+ve Z = safe to travel" mindset will not work here.
Um ... why not? (I am assuming that +Z is still upwards.)
Or are you thinking about sideways collisions?

Cheers
Roger

[dharmic]

Yep - normally I have Z touched off at the highest part of the workpiece, so any sideways move with Z not negative is safe - worst, it'll scratch as it kisses at z=0.

With this setup, Z = 0 at A axis, so sideways (well, Y front to back moves) will collide if Z < radius of the workpiece.

Obvious when it happens, and a warning against complacency of assuming Z safe heights instead of perhaps specifically setting them per setup.

[RCaffin]

Ah - A axis. Right!

Cheers
Roger

[ubergeekseven]

Yeah threw another couple hours at it yesterday - as well as the probe tips. But I'm happy with it now.

FWIW once I'd run this, I then jogged to just over my tool setter probe (the simple puck with the alligator clip) and ran a G31 Z-100 F20 which stopped on top of the puck. I took the -ve Z reading and set that as my gauge height. Now I can load a tool, run the auto tool length (whose macro was the basis for this!) and now Z=0 will put the tool tip on the A axis.

Just be careful - if you're like me and normally run Z=0 at the top of the workpiece, you'll need to remember that the "+ve Z = safe to travel" mindset will not work here.

Sorry I was wrong. I actually never pressed ok, only hit enter on the keyboard after entering the diameter. It moves after hitting ok. Hitting enter closes the form and then nothing.


I started playing with this and I am not sure what I am doing wrong. When I call the macro I get prompted for the radius, I corrected this to say diameter in the code because it looks as though it divides the entered number by 2, I enter the number and press ok. Nothing happens, so I reset because I cannot move and the script never completes.

Is there a way to step through and debug in mach? I cannot figure out what is happening. Seems to run right up until the diameter is entered.

thank you for the help and any more you can provide.

[ubergeekseven]

Yeah threw another couple hours at it yesterday - as well as the probe tips. But I'm happy with it now.

FWIW once I'd run this, I then jogged to just over my tool setter probe (the simple puck with the alligator clip) and ran a G31 Z-100 F20 which stopped on top of the puck. I took the -ve Z reading and set that as my gauge height. Now I can load a tool, run the auto tool length (whose macro was the basis for this!) and now Z=0 will put the tool tip on the A axis.

Just be careful - if you're like me and normally run Z=0 at the top of the workpiece, you'll need to remember that the "+ve Z = safe to travel" mindset will not work here.

Ok, I have your script working perfectly now. You reference the auto tool length macro in the post. Which one are you using? I am trying to find the one you mentioned, but I'm not sure which. So many that people post out there.


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[dharmic]

Apologies for the misleading prompt - it started as radius but then I realised I was doing the mental divide-by-two from what came off the micrometer and that there was a thing called a computer sitting in front of me capable of doing that complex math I just forgot to update the prompt.

What was causing the stall? I do find if I hit <Esc> on the keyboard instead of <Enter> from the MDI window to allow jogging instead of g-code entry, it can stall motion and cause all sorts of confusion.

Tool probe macro came with the machine. Essentially it's a G31 to current Z minus 100mm, could use the Approach routine for that. Then it backs off 5mm and sets Z to whatever is set as the gauge height + 5mm.

[ubergeekseven]

It didn't really stall or stop my controller. It just didn't do anything and I just got the reset button and started over. Not the full program. Didn't think of hitting escape. I'll try that. I know it works during the routine.
My probing routine is from CNC router parts and sets zero. I'll look around for a tool probing routine. I'd like to add it to my m6.

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[dharmic]

Sorry, to be clear, my issue with no movement usually came from me having hit escape beforehand. It put it in some kind of panic no-movement state. Hitting it again clears that state from what I've seen but leaves things a little messed up if you've already started the macro.

My probe routine also sets z=0, it doesn't play with tool length offsets or anything like that. Doesn't seem like there's a lot of point in a machine without toolholders.

[ubergeekseven]

oh. I see now. Yes, hitting esc does do that, hitting enter did a similar thing. But, this morning I tried both to verify and this time enter actually worked. No idea how it had 2 different behaviors. It does not matter though, I just need to hit ok instead of any keys.

what does ve stand for?

I guess I was thinking that the touch off with the tool would set the touched tool length so that z0 would account for the difference. If I were using the table, when receiving an M6 it would move to my tool change position and wait until I ran my auto zero with the new tool and then go back to the next path.

Your script is great and I really thank you for helping with it. It makes me feel that I can at least actually know where my center is. Before, it was much more work when putting my 4th back on the table. I had the math written out so that I could just enter my numbers after attaching it and it was pretty good. But being able to verify the location after the math makes me more comfortable with it.

[dharmic]

ve?

Happy to share - turns out I needed it myself last week so thank you for promoting me to write it up.

Agreed, makes thing a lot nicer and more comfortable putting the 4th into play!

[ubergeekseven]

In this context, I attempted to search and found nothing. You reference several times through the thread as well as in the code. I just do not know what it means.

"+ve Z = safe to travel"

[dharmic]

Ah: shorthand for positive +ve, negative -ve etc.

[ubergeekseven]

sorry, im trying to figure out what ve is. You are obviously much more schooled in mach3 than I am. What does ve stand for? again, sorry I am such a noob.

[dharmic]

Per my last post mate. Nothing to do with Mach3 and I'm a n00b there too. +ve, -ve are pretty common abbreviations where I've come from.

[ubergeekseven]

Ok. I just don't know what the abbreviation is for. It could be anything, vegetable elephants for all I know. Thanks for responding though.

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[dharmic]

I just told you twice man. Nothing to do with Mach, it's in a comments. "ve" is just the sound at the end of "positive" or "negative". +ve is shorthand for positive. -ve is shorthand for negative. "ve" doesn't appear on its own.

Your eyes and brain are stuck in the wrong gear now, that's happened to me enough times so I get it. Forget about it, it's just a comment. Come back and read this post again tomorrow after a break. Then have a look at the source code again. And you'll go "Oh. is that all?"

[ubergeekseven]

You're right. Over thinking it. I'll just think of it as positive and negative. It works and that's all I really need. Now that you've blatantly stated it 3 times, I get it.

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[ubergeekseven]

I just told you twice man. Nothing to do with Mach, it's in a comments. "ve" is just the sound at the end of "positive" or "negative". +ve is shorthand for positive. -ve is shorthand for negative. "ve" doesn't appear on its own.

Your eyes and brain are stuck in the wrong gear now, that's happened to me enough times so I get it. Forget about it, it's just a comment. Come back and read this post again tomorrow after a break. Then have a look at the source code again. And you'll go "Oh. is that all?"

I can't believe how stuck I was in that. Just needed to tell you that. It's weird how I could not get it and how incredibly simple and straight forward the 3 replies were. Every time I think about it I feel dumb now.

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