MadModder

The Shop => Software Tools => Topic started by: awemawson on February 28, 2017, 04:14:37 PM

Title: More MACH3 help sought please
Post by: awemawson on February 28, 2017, 04:14:37 PM
How do you resume a program execution mid way after an issue?

Tonight I was cutting a large sign on the plasma table, it was perhaps 70% done, and the Hypertherm plasma cutter reported problems with consumables and stopped the job. I made a note of the program line number, changed the consumables and carried on. It finished the job ok EXCEPT it omitted cutting out the centre of a letter 'R' .

Now I got round it by realising that it must have been about to pierce just before the error, and it had made the move around what should have been cut out without the torch firing, so I was able to locate the height sensing G code just before the missed pierce, and edit the file to delete from the end of the set up routine at the front of the program down to this point. Then also delete from the next 'torch off' to end shut down sequence. Hence making a diddy bit of code just representing the missing 'hole in the R'

OK I got away with it, but there must be a more elegant solution to start MACH3 at a particular point in a program, and stop it at a chosen point.  :scratch:

Any experts care to comment ?

Title: Re: More MACH3 help sought please
Post by: PK on February 28, 2017, 04:48:48 PM
Caveat: This works using the standard screens, you may need to add/copy some buttons to yours.

Click on the G-Code window and scroll to the line you want to start at. As you do this, the tool path preview will update. This is helpful if you forgot to note the line number when you stopped.
Click <Run from here>
Click <start> you'll get a dialog prompting you to confirm a rapid to the position defined by the PREVIOUS line of GCode.
Click <start> and you're away.

After a few nervous attempts, you'll quickly learn to pick rapid moves, with Z up, as starting points.

PK
Title: Re: More MACH3 help sought please
Post by: awemawson on February 28, 2017, 04:57:47 PM
Ah ha - -so yes my screen doesn't have the 'run from here' button - I really need to knuckle down and learn to modify my screen set - it looks like lots of useful 'standard' MACH3 stuff has been stripped out. For example there is no 'learn' button which would be handy.


.... time ... time .... Lord grant me TIME .....    :lol: