Thread: Smoothstepper USB

Mach3 screens

Sorry mate but keep us updated on it, as I may get one soon as well as long as they works with the G540

Should work no worries with the g540 or any step/dir pulsed system. I like the idea of it that you can connect/simulate 2 parallel ports which should allow me to get a move on and work on my pendant.

Daniel

Hi Bob,
I am running a 12 inch touchscreen on my console and built my screens for this in Screen4 - 800 by 600 res. I don't use bitmaps for the screen design as I don't have the patience to sit down with these things for hours - feels like I am at work when I do.
Screen4 is quirky but you get used to it.

I wanted a really large window of the toolpath and I brought a lot of the features in the other screens to two new screens. I have a set up screen and a run screen and have retained all the Mach3 screens so I didn't loose anything.

You can drop some VB code on buttons and run other functions - touchplate, camera offsets, etc. You will probably find this quite useful.

Something I found really useful is that you do not need to see functions on the screen for them to work. An example is the arrows that are on the MPG can be placed on the screen you are building but outside of the viewing area. Because they are part of the screen they still work. It leaves more room for other things this way.

As usual I am waffling so have fun with your screen building.

Hi Bob,
Forgot to add that I run a heap of shortcuts to various functions and operate these from switches on the console. The switches work through a key emulator and you can program this for specific key strokes.
Here is a quick tutorial that probably took me a couple of hours to figure out.

In screen 4 create a button.
Properites are
Run
OEM Code Function 0
G-code Function Script Function
Check VB script function edited in Mach3
Assign Hotkey by pressing keys - In this example alt/z
I then move that button outside the viewing area of the screen.

Save and then load the screen into Mach3.
Hit Operator and Edit button script in Mach3
Click on the button you want to add code to - trick here is you have to go to a higher resolution to actually see the button as it was moved out of the standard viewing area.
A VB editor pops up and here is an example of moving to X zero and Y zero but checking that Z is above Zero before moving.

Sub Main()
Z% = GetOEMDRO(802) 'Returns current DRO value for Z axis
If Z% <= 0 Then 'Check to see if Z axis is below or equal to zero
Begin Dialog ZeroToolCheck 170, 50, "Z is below or on the surface of your material."
Text 35,8,150,8,"Continue with the move?"

OKBUTTON 35, 25, 30, 12
CANCELBUTTON 85, 25, 30, 12

End Dialog

Dim Dlg1 As ZeroToolCheck

Button = Dialog(ZeroToolCheck)

If Button = 0 Then Exit Sub 'Dialog returns -1 for OK, 0 for Cancel

End If
Code "G90 G0 X0Y0"
While IsMoving () 'Makes sure move is completed before next instruction
Sleep 100 'Reduces CPU usage
Wend
Code "G90"

End Sub

As you will know a message window pops up and asks if you want to continue because Z is below or at Zero. This has saved my bacon a couple of time because if I had moved the cutter would have gouged the job.

Ha, if you thought I was waffling last post then this one tops it off. That aside I thought this sort of thing would be right up your ally.

Boy have I been having some fun with screen4

I have got real draw pro and feeling my way around with it at present, it is very good so far but I have a lot to learn yet and I have the time.

Thanks for the info about controls not necessarily being visible and still active. I have a pretty simple screen at present and I will do some testing before I get busy on the real version.

I am restricted to 1050 by 500 pixels because that is what the notebook displays, it's small

Will definitely work with the 540 too Sean

My first feeble attempt at a screen. The size is 1024x520 pixels and it works a treat so far.

Most of the controlling is done via the shuttlepro so the screen has just enough info to work well.

The object is my signature graphic and I used the screen with the smoothstepper to cut it out..... Works GREAT!!!

Hi Bob,
You are getting there.
I like the big toolpath screen.

Hi Bob I like the clean crispness of it, Mach 3 is so busy some try to do too much with screens and graphics I have seen .

This is going to be a continued story, I can feel it already

Still coming to terms with the screen4 commands and it is surprising how powerful that program is. I made some changes to it already, the DRO font and changed a couple of Leds too!

I can't see the point of having too much there, I do most of the homing with shuttlepro there is lot of stuff in mach that I just would not need

The worst of this is the knowledge is only useful to Mach3. You never know you could end up bringing in a few bob by offering custom screen services.

If you want more screen to play with then you can get rid of the Mach3 menu bar. I do this but be careful as you might need it one day to do some motor tuning or add ons. What I have done is add two buttons with a hot key each and placed it off the viewable screen area - again.
One tuns the menu off and the other turns it back on. That way you can never loose it.
To turn the menu off it is
System Function - OEM Code
OEM Code Function - 348
G-Code Function - None
Check hotket and assign something eg alt/control/m

To turn the menus back on same as above but OEM code 349
Make sure you have both buttons done before you do this else you loose the mach3 menu bar. You can then do your keyboard alt/control/m or whatever to turn it off, etc.

Just a suggestion the timer and the feed rate override might be good to have on the screen.

Keep those screens coming.

Told you it was a never ending story

I have done some more to it and I will continue to do it as time permits

I have put the start of the Zero button for the macro script on there.

I got the ER11 Collets and the three nuts this morning and they fit the spindle like a champ so I am really happy with that. The 6.5mm is fairly close to 1/4in and that will be what the spindle will have fitted most of the time anyway...