Programming Mach3 screens

**Smiler** · 15-01-2009

Originally Posted by Lee Roberts

Did you ever get anywhere with programming your own mach3 screen Jeff?

Well, yes and no. I haven't done anything more on the video zero'ing, I think I can modify the code for my touch probe to do what I need. However, I have been dabbling in modifying the default Mach screens and it is quite easy to do if not without glitches.

When my program calls for a tool change, the router could be in a very inconvenient place to actually change the tool so I wanted to have the router retract to Z0 (machine coords), move to a default point, wait for a tool change, return to where the M6 was called and then continue on. It turned out to be fairly easy to accomplish and I also added a manual button on the program run screen to change the tool manually if the machine is in a stop or idle condition. Mach needs a better screen designer desperately, Many times I had written code into a button, saved it, only to find it hadn't saved and the old code was still there or worse, nothing at all.

I'm having lots of fun getting further into Mach, it's a very powerful and flexible program.

Jeff.

**Robin Hewitt** · 16-01-2009

I have one of those cheap digital microscopes, the one with the focus ring. It has a very positive clip mount which I could put on as a permanent attachment.

It will superimpose a 640x480 24 bit colour windows bitmap but I'm having trouble making the background transparent. Cross hairs aren't a lot of good if you can't make the background transparent

The image pops up in a seperate window which would work fine positioning with the pendant.

This is the date off a 5p coin taken from a safe distance...

**Smiler** · 16-01-2009

That's a very crisp image Robin, never thought of using one of those microsopes:o

Mach superimposes the crosshairs on your video, you can also superimpose the tool diameter you will use too so you can calculate the offset. It's quite a clever system and would benefit from automating like the touch probe edge/centre-finder.

How much did you pay for the microscope if you don't mind me asking?

Jeff.