[Cruiser]

I have the first working rendition of the macro for the auto tool setter button of the Mach main screen new lock down version. I won't go into a lot of details right now, but I will attach the file.
It will need to be unzipped and stored in the macro folder or folders especially within any special set-up macro folders such as in my case the Smooth Stepper macro folder.
Briefly ! Once it is in place, open Mach, go to operator then open button editor, then click the auto tool setter button and it will open in the editor. Note that all you will see is a message to the effect of Not available yet or such. Then, open file and go to stored copy of the new Hidden Script file and open it into the editor. Look it over and read the Notes and study them some. This is the important part that I learned the hard way, You must close the editor with the X button and when it asks if you want to save the file click YES ! Apparently this is the only way to get the file to store within the button script ! Its late and we can cover the specific edits required for your machine set-up later, and you will need some form of an electronic tool setter probe anyway to make it work.
Good nite !
And be sure to thank VMAX for his help getting this going !

[Cruiser]

I have put together another zip file which includes the above macro, original file by author "unknown", and my write up, with what I could think of as "pertinent information. I am not sure yet as to how complete it (my write up) is and it is to be considered a work in progress, and more features may be added. Also please note that this is set up as I have my machine setup and for the most part I believe very close to the way IH sets up their mill systems in Mach. I tried to note all the specific areas that need to be considered critical for operation and safety but I may have missed something somewhere. The macro works perfectly in my machine now and I am very happy with it and the repeatability with the Minear probe is showing in the neighborhood of .0003" which makes me very happy.

[EvanVH]

Very cool Don Thanks a lot



Evan

[Cruiser]

Here is a quick note, In the heat of last night I probed my solid carbide probe tool and left it where it stopped and re-ran the same setup in the cool of this morning and only saw the offset change by .0005" ! What with expansion and contraction with the whole machine I would say that is very Good indeed, assuming of course that I am seeing a true representation of what is going on. I have had the opportunity to do the same thing to large vertical turning centers and see well into .016" change in the same circumstances. I bet that if I went out there and reran the probe it would go back to where it was before this mornings probe. This is getting very interesting ! I got something to do, so, later !

[Cruiser]

I did some more testing yesterday and the probing v/s TLO stayed within .0003" all day ! The biggest jump was that first one in the morning. Then, I decided to try using g53 in the macro, it didn't work as planed and I crashed the probe. Not hurt, but it was shocking. Just need to keep all the smart ducks in a row and have the dumb ones for dinner ! My solid probe is a carbide shank from a broken end mill that I ground a cone end to a radius. It is hard as hell so the grub screw doesn't get a solid purchase allowing it to slip inside the holder. In this instance it is a good thing, as it helps save the probe. I might advise to keep plenty of those plastic hubs as spares just in case of an experiment gone awry. they seem to take the brunt of the impacts and spare damage to the delicate innards. The code works good, so I think I'm going to leave well enough alone for now. VMAX suggested to put a query & response into the macro for the instance of the tool not being called up by M6 (which is needed to fill register) but I simply don't know which duck that is right now or if he was the one for dinner. I like that idea and am looking for the info, when found that may be next.
One note tho, and those of you may know already but if your using a solid plate type probe, SLOW down the Feed rate !

[Cruiser]

I figure'd that someone would have tried it by now and said something !

[Randall]

Cruiser that little button for tool set drove me crazy about 3 months ago I cant wait to try it.
Randy

[Cruiser]

I made a couple of simple changes to the macro, I will post it later today if I get a chance. Just keep in mind that it requires a clean WPO! One of the changes was to reset g54 to zero before doing its routine.