[QuinnSjoblom]

Thinking about switching my mill turn machine over to mach4 from mach3. Right now I'm just starting to get comfortable with vb scripting in mach3 and have zero experience with lua, but if im gonna switch and start learning, I wanna do it now so I have the added capability later. First I want to take a look at what I will have access to in mach4 scripts to see how it compares to mach3. Been looking for this list and havent found it. Seems odd they don't put it in the mach4 scripting manual.

Separate question, in mach3, is there any way to set steps per unit of the spindle within a macro? There's access to xyzabc, but not spindle. It's gonna be a huge headache for me if I don't have access to this once I add my servo driven bt30. The turning spindle is also servo driven and I need to change steps per unit in the spindle swap macro. Kinda hoping mach4 will have it if mach3 doesnt.

[ger21]

Seems odd they don't put it in the mach4 scripting manual.

Mach4 is nothing at all like Mach3.
There's no list because it doesn't work like that. Screen elements are referenced by name, not by a fixed number.
Sorry, but I don't know enough to be able to explain it very well.

Don't have an answer for your other question, either.

[QuinnSjoblom]

Mach4 is nothing at all like Mach3.
There's no list because it doesn't work like that. Screen elements are referenced by name, not by a fixed number.
Sorry, but I don't know enough to be able to explain it very well.

Don't have an answer for your other question, either.

Ok, hopefully that means everything in the screens is accessible through scripts. I'll keep digging and try to find some examples. I'm assuming the names of things need to be written a specific way, so there must be somewhere to find the specific naming to use it in scripts. Maybe can just hover over it in the screens and get a pop up of the specific naming or something.

[ger21]

Ok, hopefully that means everything in the screens is accessible through scripts.

Mach4's scripting is far more powerful than Mach3, so you should be able to do whatever you want. The hard part is figuring out how.

I'm assuming the names of things need to be written a specific way, so there must be somewhere to find the specific naming to use it in scripts.

No, names can be whatever you want.

In the screen editor, you can assign functions to the screen elements. If you add a button, you can choose a list of functions for that button. With an LED, you can select it's function from a list. But there's also a screen script where you can add custom functions.

Again, Mach4 is nothing at all like Mach3. Absolutely zero transfers over, so forget everything about how Mach3 works when you're working with Mach4.

[QuinnSjoblom]

Mach4's scripting is far more powerful than Mach3, so you should be able to do whatever you want. The hard part is figuring out how.




No, names can be whatever you want.

In the screen editor, you can assign functions to the screen elements. If you add a button, you can choose a list of functions for that button. With an LED, you can select it's function from a list. But there's also a screen script where you can add custom functions.

Again, Mach4 is nothing at all like Mach3. Absolutely zero transfers over, so forget everything about how Mach3 works when you're working with Mach4.

Ok, sounds like it adds some huge capability if I can figure out how to use it. When I build my next machine, I don't think mach3 is gonna cut it. It will be a mill turn much more complex than my current one. Main turning spindle which doubles as C axis, sub turning spindle also with C, these 2 spindles can move independently or simultaneously as Z which handles part transfers as well as tombstone supported by both spindles. Bt30 milling head moves in x and y as well as articulates in B to give both axial and radial tool access to both turning spindles. All tools, milling and turning go in bt30 holders. Bt30 needs to be able to orient and lock to handle the turning tools. Tool changer will be preloading type, possibly belt with 40 tools or so. Needs to cycle to next tool while current tool is running. Pretty involved machine, very similar to a doosan puma mx except my turning spindles move on z instead of being stationary. Physically capable of simultaneous 5 axis, but i don't expect to be able to program that. 3 + 2 will do everything I need.