[Art Ransom]

Went through all the install steps and confirmed that all the files were in the right place. Running Mach 3 version 2.60 and port 2 pin 3 active low. When I touch plate to tool the LED for port 2 pin 3 lights up. When I click on Auto Tool Zero I get Not yet Implemented. When I click on Return I get Safe Z turned off. Ignoring SafeZ move. Assuming the test light is the block next to Tool Change lable, it does not turn on. What next? I have been runing jobs with the MachBlue screen and haven't found any other problems.

[GaryCorlew]

Copy the script from back a couple of pages (high lite it and then hit control c) go into mach3 hit operator then down to edit button script then click on auto tool zero button click once inside the box that pops up then hit control v to paste the code in then just save it and it should now work, you may have to exit out of mach and restart it. If that doesn't work you may have to go into config then general config and select run macro pump

[erniebro]

Art-

I think we are on different pages....

1) Did you assign your input pin to the probe function? Go to the "Config" menu, "Ports & Pins" and scroll down until you see the "Probe" signal. Enter port 2, pin 3, active low as shown in this picture-


2) If you have done everything correctly, when you ground your touch plate the "TOUCH TEST" led should turn green:

[BobWarfield]

This function is so slickly done, and probing is so built into the g-code language, that I wish Artsoft would just build it into Mach 3. It wouldn't be hard for them to do so, and it would ensure everyone automatically has most of the setup work done.

Just my 2 cents,

Bob Warfield

[Mike Stevenson]

Bob, I agree with you 100%.



Probing should be much easier with Mach3.

[erniebro]

I've had a couple of requests for modifying the button scripts of the probe panel and I don't really want to get into the modifying business.. However, here are a couple of hints-

Mach3 has a built in editor that allows you to view, edit and debug the Visual Basic script associated with any button. Go to the menu "Operator", "Edit Button Script".


After you select this menu entry, the mouse cursor will change to a hand cursor. Move the hand cursor to the button you want to view the script for and click on it. If the button has a VBScript associated with it, a window will open up and display the program. Here I've clicked on the "Y+" button from the modified Mach3Blue screen.


Let's say you want to have the Y DRO set to the thickness of your touch plate (.0635") after you run the "Y+" button. Just insert the lines circled in red and you will get that functionality. The "SetDro(axis, value) function lets you set a DRO to a value. Mach3's axis values are XAxis = 0, YAxis = 1, ZAxis = 2. So in the example above, the "Call SetDro(1,0.0635)" line sets the YAxis Dro to .0635.

If you wanted to do the same thing for the "X+" axis, just open the script and add the same lines, but change the SetDro call parameter for axis to 0 instead of 1- eg. "Call SetDro(0,0.0635)"

After you make changes, close the editing window and save the script. It's probably a good idea to make a backup copy of your Mach files before you start experimenting so you can restore it if you screw up.

An interesting thing about programming in Mach3 is that many Mach operations that you can call from your VBScript take time to accomplish. For example if you make a GCode call to move your gantry, it may take many seconds for the gantry to move. The VBScript interpreter doesn't know about these delays and will immediately execute the next line of your script without waiting for the operation you specified to finish. Sometimes it is important for the last operation to complete before you start the next. To ensure that this will happen you have to tell the VB interpreter to pause or to wait for the gantry to stop moving. You can see examples of this in the above program. For instance, if you want to wait until the gantry repositions you put in the "While IsMoving() WEnd" code which will loop continuously until the gantry stops moving. The DRO's take a finite time to reset so you need to insert a GCode command to pause- "Code "G4 P0.25" which pauses for 1/4 of a second before continuing.

If you want to delve deeper into VBScripting, there is a nice Wiki here- http://www.machsupport.com/MachCusto...itle=Main_Page that has more programming information.

Scripting is a very powerful feature of Mach3, but it can also be frustrating if not outright dangerous. You can do serious damage to your machine and/or yourself with malfunctioning scripts. I hope I haven't opened Pandora's box here....

Have fun with this, but be careful.

-Ernie

[CNCSCHOULTZ]

Ernie

This centering probe is cool I'm using it. The only thing thats holding me back is the feed rate for finding the pipe edge. It is 4 inches/min and as I'm using mm/min. Can it be reset and so how must i go about to do so.

Johann

[erniebro]

Johann-

In the script shown above, change the line towards the top:

Code "F4"

F4 specifies a feed rate in your current units. Just edit that line in each of the button scripts to the speed you prefer. Too bad the whole world hasn't standardized on metric yet....

-Ernie

[Switcher]

erniebro,

Great post.


.

[blackbeard52]

When I click on Auto Tool Zero I get Not yet Implemented.

Ernie
I think Art is in a different area for probing...I dont think the Auto Tool Zero has any script in it as yet. I have disabled mine because I cant really find a plausable use for it since your modification.

Bob

[blackbeard52]

Art
I think you need to be using the area pictured in the attachment. Click in the center of the arrows to do an automatic centering.

Ernie correct me if I am wrong

Actually I just copied the script from the centering circle and posted it to the auto tool zero....

Bob

[Art Ransom]

The MachBlue setup on Mach site has a different Program Run screen from the one on CNCZone. Duh!
When I go to the link on CNCZone it doesen't download BlueProbeVer3.zip but BlueProbeVersion3[1].1.321C02.efw. Went to my system in the house and found a copy of BlueProbeVer3.zip and brought it to the shop and ran it. Everything is running great!

[erniebro]

Here is a diagram of what happens after you run the X+ or X- probe buttons. For example lets say you put your touch plate on the left edge of the piece you want to line up on. If you start out with your tool on the left side of the plate and click on the "X+" button, the probe command will move the tool to the right until it touches your plate. At that point the X DRO value will be X1. The actual edge of your work piece is at X1 + d/2 + T. If you approach the workpiece from the opposite side, the tool will stop at location X2 and the work edge is at X2 - d/2.

There is some confusion about GCode offsets, tool numbers, tool compensation, etc. The scripts I wrote for the probe buttons do NOT change tool compensation or GCode offsets. I leave that to the reader...

I personally don't use GCode offsets in my general work because they are way too confusing. The GCode interpreter doesn't know where your work is and you have to construct your cut path lead in in such a way that compensation gets applied to the proper side. (rant on)These days the CAM software like Cut2D, etc. is so much easier to use than hand coding GCode I don't know why you wouldn't use it to compute properly offset paths.(/rant off) If you are clever enough to compute your own GCode, you can mess with offsets. For the rest of us, stick to a good CAM program that does the hard computations for you.

I hope this helps...

-Ernie

[erniebro]

Here's a little more clarification for how to set the DRO after doing a probe. If you want to set up your DRO so that it reads 0.0 when your tool is centered over the edge you do the following calculations:

if you probed from the left using "X+" button change the X DRO value after the probe to 0.0 - T - tool radius. For example if you are using a .25" end mill and your plate is 0.0635" thick, enter -0.1885 in the X DRO (0 - .0635 - (.25 / 2))

if you probed from the right using "X-" button change the X DRO value to 0.0 + tool radius. Using the example from above, you would set the X DRO to .125

[BJenkins]

Hi Ernie,

That did it. I finally got it. I simply did not know where to make the tool radius adjustment.

Note: If you select a minus in the DRO for example -.1885 there is a minor glitch. After typing in -.1885 Mach shows it as +.1885. The trick is to ignore the + and enter it anyway and it then shows -.1885. I am using version 2.63.

Thank You,
Bill J.

[cwdance1]

I realy like the new screens but I do have a small problem with the script you wrote. I put in a Z offset number then hit the Z button. The head moves down and touches the plate I made. Then nothing happens, no offset is entered into my machine and the head does not move up like it says in the instructions. Did I do something wrong? Your help is greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Terry

[erniebro]

Did you press the return or enter key after you typed in the offset amount?

[cwdance1]

I can't say for sure but I will try that. I know when I hit the Z button the number I entered for the offset disappears. Thanks for the quick reply and I will try it when I get home tonight.

[cwdance1]

You know some times I feel so stupid. Thanks hitting the enter key is what I was missing. If I told you what I do for a living you would realy laugh at me.

This is the best mod I have added to my machine.

Thanks
Terry

[erniebro]

How do you think I knew the answer so quickly? I've had the same problem. I don't know how many times I've changed values in the motor tuning dialog only to have them "disappear". Just another one (of many) of those user interface annoyances that make you realize it's not a perfect computing world yet....

If anyone from Artsoft is reading this- it wouldn't be all that hard to add auto completion when you click out of a text/numeric entry field. Much of the rest of the computing industry has figured this one out....