New Ideas for UCCNC features?

[ger21]

G41/G42
Rotary axis feedrate compensation

[ger21]

G41/G42
Rotary axis radius feedrate compensation
User LED's

[Greolt]

I don't think I am likely to get this but would REALLY like it.

Vectric software (Aspire) has the ability to save a toolpath (gcode) directly to Mach3. Mach3 must be running.

So my usual workflow at the machine is to create the toolpath in Aspire and load it directly to Mach3. Then any adjustment or tweek of toolpath is done and again loaded directly to Mach3.

No saving the toolpath and then going to Mach3 and loading said toolpath.

Now I know the first thing I will be told is that I should not have Aspire running at the same time as Mach3. Don't bother. I have been doing it this way for a very long time without a hitch.

Vectric software has this ability built in. It relies on a couple of registry entries that as far as I know Mach3 does no longer load at install. I have a registry file that restores those missing entries.

Because this relies on Vectric and Mach3 doing their part it is unlikely the same feature can happen to UCNC.

But MAYBE, JUST MAYBE I could edit the registry entries to trick it into opening the file in UCCNC instead of Mach3.

Any ideas?

These are the registry entries that need to be added now that Mach3 no longer makes them on install.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Mach4.Document]
@="Mach4.Document"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Mach4.Document\CLSID]
@="{CA7992B2-2653-4342-8061-D7D385C07809}"

And this is the relevant line in the Vectric Mach3 post processor that would seem to point to those registry entries.

DIRECT_OUTPUT = "Mach|Mach4.Document"

Most likely I am just off in fairy land and this can never happen, but I thought I would put it out there.

[Greolt]

Sorry double post

[cncdrive]

I don't think I am likely to get this but would REALLY like it.

Vectric software (Aspire) has the ability to save a toolpath (gcode) directly to Mach3. Mach3 must be running.

So my usual workflow at the machine is to create the toolpath in Aspire and load it directly to Mach3. Then any adjustment or tweek of toolpath is done and again loaded directly to Mach3.

No saving the toolpath and then going to Mach3 and loading said toolpath.

Now I know the first thing I will be told is that I should not have Aspire running at the same time as Mach3. Don't bother. I have been doing it this way for a very long time without a hitch.

Vectric software has this ability built in. It relies on a couple of registry entries that as far as I know Mach3 does no longer load at install. I have a registry file that restores those missing entries.

Because this relies on Vectric and Mach3 doing their part it is unlikely the same feature can happen to UCNC.

But MAYBE, JUST MAYBE I could edit the registry entries to trick it into opening the file in UCCNC instead of Mach3.

Any ideas?

These are the registry entries that need to be added now that Mach3 no longer makes them on install.


Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Mach4.Document]
@="Mach4.Document"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Mach4.Document\CLSID]
@="{CA7992B2-2653-4342-8061-D7D385C07809}"

And this is the relevant line in the Vectric Mach3 post processor that would seem to point to those registry entries.

DIRECT_OUTPUT = "Mach|Mach4.Document"

Most likely I am just off in fairy land and this can never happen, but I thought I would put it out there.

Sending data from one application, one process to another one can be done with inter process communication (IPC) on Windows.
This can be realised with using Sockets or Named Pipes.
From your description Aspire seems to need to see that registry entry to be able to communicate with Mach3 I would say it communicates with names pipes,
because for communications via sockets the CLSID would not be needed, but socket and port number.
I have had some experience with both sockets and named pipes coding, so probably we could sniff what exactly Aspire is sending and what way it is sending,
but there are some issues about implementing this:

1.) I do not have Aspire. (Maybe could install a demo?! Do not know yet, have to check if a demo is available and if so then this feature is available in the demo?)
2.) If I understand things correctly Aspire is looking for Mach3's CLSID in the registry, I don't know if the key it is looking for is user setable in Aspire? If not then we could only make this work if we change the mach3 CLSID in the registry which could very likely cause problems for the Mach3 installation, so it is something we don't want to do.

[ger21]

Probably easiest to just get in touch with Vectric and ask them how it works.

Here's what the Vectric post processor guide says:

pp.jpg (73.82 KiB) Viewed 19575 times

[Robertspark]

graphical screen editor?

MachScreen type of drag and drop stuff (or better, it was a bit clunky and limited by Mach3....)?
http://www.kd-dietz.com/klausphp/pages/eng/machscreen/description/ms_description.html
.... or maybe ask if Klaus is interested in moving to uccnc from m3?

Or can someone let me know how they edited theirs with a tutorial or youtube clip?

Thanks

Rob

[cncdrive]

Rob,

There is a graphical screen editor built into the UCCNC.
Open the General settings page and press the Edit screen button.
You can also attach the screen editor to open with hotkeys, just attach that button code to a hotkey.

The screen editor is the small floating window and what screen item you click/select you will see the properties of that object in the screen editor window.
Then you can resize, move the objects with your mouse or you can rewrite properties of the object in the screen editor window.

The thing which seems to be often hard for people to figure out (however it is documented:) is how navigate between tab pages when in screen edit mode,
to do that hold down the SHIFT key and then left mouse click on the tab page you wanna go.
The SHIFT key is needed, because without that the tab page object is selected when in screen edit mode, if the Shift key is pressed then it overrides that and navigates instead.

You can also add new picture images and then attach them to render on your backgrounds or buttons, LEDs etc.
Just open the images tab page on the screen editor window and add a new image and then click on the image number so an openfile dialog will oepn and you can select the filename of the image to load.
Then you can attach the image to your objects, for example to a button with changing the picturenumber property which is a number to your newly loaded image number,
then the image will render on your button.

And you can add new objects, copy existing objects, there are buttons for this on the screen editor window.

And finally save your screeneset with the save ... button on the screeneditor window.

[Derek]

There is a graphical screen editor built into the UCCNC.

You should sticky this along with instructions. I'm sure it's not the last time it will be asked:)

[Robertspark]

.... it's like most things.... when you've been use to doing it one way and then need to learn another it can be a new experience..... the "enter" key got me too on the profile creation.... but figured it out after a few goes....

I'd suggest setting up a few YouTube links or idiot tip stickies in a section so when we get people like me asking daft stuff in the future it's easy for someone to link to the sticky in the tips section (easy to find amongst all the waffle)

Rob