Yes. That would work too. Excellent. I have another idea regarding WCS. I'll see if I can get you some sample code over on github later.
Update to the latest version. Peter changed the probing routines so they will set the current WCS. In your case you would now: Home Switch to G55 Probe Easy You'll just have to mentally keep track of what WCS you are in. We've had a chat about adding a WCS display. But for now, if you cant remember, you can always re-issue a G5x command or issue a $G command which will tell you your current WCS.
@sharmstr @David the swarfer @Alex Chambers @Aeneas New in v1.0.308: Added a little button top, left of the DRO. Shows current WCS. Clicking it opens a menu where you can switch WCS v1.0.307 also fixed the Probing macros to set zero in the "current WCS" (it was forcing G54) Thanks for all the brainstorming all!
That's great. I love the WCS display and ease of switching. I did run into a problem when using this version though. After homing, switching to G55, then moving to that zero, I ran a cutpath. The job ran ok initially, but I got GRBL error 25 - A GCode word was repeated in the block. The job continued until I acknowledged the error message, which gave me a message about loss of position (the same one that you get when you hit a limit switch) and then stopped. It is possible that the GCode is the problem, but I used version 1.0.307 and it ran fine. I've also used the code in other versions, with the only change being that this one uses the new WCS.
I've pulled the latest update for now while we investigate - that may be a bug. Please reinstall v1.0.305: Release 1.0.305 · OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL for now
@BruceA and @Aeneas - please update to v1.0.309 to resolve Also available from Release v1.0.309 · OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL Let me know if you see any gcode errors again, fixed a bug, did a couple test files succesfully on my end.
That did the trick. Kudos to you. I did watch the video about EMI and ordered and got some ferrite cores, so all my cables have a core at each end! Thank you for your extraordinary help. Bruce
Hi Devs... any chance in adding a confirm RUN popup? Run is so close to the OPEN dropdown... just after loading gcode... my mouse moved and BAM!!! Broken endmill
Peter will have to make a final decision on that, but based on past experience, I dont think that will make for a popular change. You can probably switch the position of the the run and stop buttons with a macro. I can help with that once I'm back at my dev box. Edit: Added macro code here: Getting started with Javascript Macros in CONTROL / Library of Macros created by the community Make sure to add it as a javascript macro and if you want enable "run macro on startup". I did some limited testing at my dev box (not my machine) so be sure to test it before relying on it
Run is disabled until GCODE is loaded. From the open button, your mouse would move downward away from the Run button to reach the Open Gcode menu item (the button just opens a menu) After clicking the item in the menu, the windows file browser dialog opens up. On here, you'll have to move your mouse even further down to select a file in the window By the time you either double clicked the filename, or clicked it once and moved even further down to click OK, the mouse is very very far from the run button. And only then does the gcode get loaded up and the Run button enabled. My point here is, I don't quite believe that was the cause of your accident... Its too far away. What maybe rather happened, is that your other hand hovered over the keyboard and hit the Run shortcut key? You can customize key assignments from the WIzards and Tools menu if it was. That's just a guess though - I am merely saying - pay close attention to what happened, as I don't believe the position of the Run button was your cause. Moving it with the Macro now will make you feel safe, possible falsely so, and you end up breaking another endmill or worse as the actual cause for the accidental start was (in my opinion) something different, and could happen again
Two times, small pieces of plywood get stuck between the X-Axis gantry and supports for the table and I try to home the machine. I think the alarm went off and I turned it off. When I try to jog the Y-Axis gantry off the home switch, the alarm went off and I turned it off a few times. The machine is at the woodshop at the program for mentally-handicapped people. The lead screw for the X-Axis gantry runs under the table. How can I fix the problem?
I feel like we've had this convo before but couldnt find it. Is there a reason we allow closing of the probe dialog when the overlay is clicked (clicking outside of the dialog)? The issue is that the jog type doesnt reset to incremental if this happens. Honestly, I've never had a problem with it and only bringing it up because of a macro I'm working on. Maybe there's an "onclose" that would catch that. I dunno. I set data-overlay-click-close="false" for my macro so not a big deal for me. Just curious.
Will fix Probe dialog: jog mode not resetting if closed by overlay · Issue #228 · OpenBuilds/OpenBuilds-CONTROL
I am not sure I am understanding the tool change workflow. I understand that you prefer the workflow of separate files to a pause on M6=>tool change macro workflow. Given that Fusion is suspending the M6 functionality for hobbyist, that seems reasonable. The question I have is that I would need an offset for the WCS Z=0 (the surface of the workpiece) and whatever touchplate I'm using for the tool. I don't see a button for that or a way of doing that. Am I missing something? Just so I'm clear, my workflow in bCNC would be to 1) zero the surface of the material I am cutting into, 2) probe the offset between my material surface and the tool touch off, 3) touch off each tool and adjust the tool offset so that the tip of the tool is always at the work z=0. I am expecting in this software to zero the work surface prior to the first tool file, probe for a tool offset, and repeat the probe for a tool offset at the beginning of each file without having to re-zero the workpiece (which has been carved away by the previous operation).
Run first file. When it's finished, swop tool, rezero Z, and run the second file. Rezeroing can be manual, or with the probe If you are removing your probe location, change your workflow to have the origin to probe from on say the Spoilboard instead
I don't understand. I can't rezero on the material for the second tool path because the material has been cut into and there is no longer a flat surface to measure off of. But I also can't simply change the workpiece origin to the spoil board. I'm cutting into material, I need to know where it is and how deep I'm cutting into it.
Pretty standard thing to do. Set origin in your CAM to bottom of material. The CAM knows how thick your stock is.
or use a scrap of the material that is the same thickness to set Z after the first cut. or zero Z to the table, give G1 Z(thickness of material) then setZeroZ or set your origin to a part of the material that is never cut.
Ok. I don't agree that's "standard", but that is neither here nor there. The question is does this software handle tool setting, whether by TLO or modifying the WCS, natively or by macros, the way bCNC, cncjs, UGS, Carbide Motion, UCCNC, Mach3/4, do? I'm gathering the answer is "no". It's essential for my shop and workflow. I'm sure a macro can be written, but I don't see any guide or reference on macro creation, eg. what variables and functions are available or what the namespace for current states like the machine coordinates for current WCS origin are, or how to persist the current tool position and spindle state, or what functions to call a pause and resume. Perhaps there is documentation somewhere? Regardless, I like the interface; and with development on bCNC and cncjs both apparently dead, I look forward to seeing your development. Perhaps its not ready for a small production shop like mine yet, but I'll keep checking in. Thanks for the quick response.
From our perspective, TLO is overcomplicated compared to simply rezeroing. Small production houses often realize that small changes to old workflows result in improved efficiency, less chance of error See Getting started with Javascript Macros in CONTROL / Library of Macros created by the community
also, ordinary Gcode macros can be written to probe and set Z zero or set the tool offset. In this regard you may be happier with bCNC as your GUI. (this is what I use on my machine) However, do keep in mind you are using free software developed for a cheap 8 bit microcontroller. Expecting Siemens/Fanuc/Haas etc functionality is perhaps asking a bit much since the processor has very little RAM and even less of it free once GRBL is loaded. Yes, there is a bright 32bit future in the form of the GRBL-hal project, meanwhile we have to rely on the GUI we choose (also free) to give us what we need to add on to GRBL (I think of GRBL as a RISC processor using simple commands to do complicated things) . OBControl is designed to be simple for the beginning user to use and learn on/from. It is expected that power users will move to UGS or bCNC at some point. Personally I loved Candle until I needed to use more than 1 WCS, then I settled on bCNC, which was before OBControl even existed.
Yes, thank you. I’m familiar with GRBL and have used it for years. I also have participated in open source development and understand how it works. However, I will note that bCNC, CNCJS, and UGS all find ways to deal with the limitations. Yes, I see that. I believe that was the gist of my previous post. As development has been stalled on bCNC and CNCJS I was interested in following a new and active project. I understand now that it is not intended as a serious competitor for the other existing open source GRBL based systems. That isn’t clear from the Openbuilds product page, but you’ve made it clear now. I will follow your advice and return to CNCJS. My skills with REACT JavaScript are not as strong, but I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to brush up on that to help on that project. Again, thank you for the clarifications.
I have two quick questions. Is there a way to change the key binding to rotate the 3d view? The mini wireless keyboard I have doesn't have a "middle click" so I don't have a way to rotate the 3d view that I know of. Is there a way to see what the maximum extent is that the program will run to? i.e. to see the min/max x, y and z values that will be hit?
Not built in, but using Javascript macros (below), set to Autostart, you can set the Three.js Control.mouseButtons assignments manually: For example Code: controls.mouseButtons = { ORBIT: THREE.MOUSE.LEFT, ZOOM: THREE.MOUSE.MIDDLE, PAN: THREE.MOUSE.RIGHT }; See Getting started with Javascript Macros in CONTROL / Library of Macros created by the community
I'm having some issues that are possibly related to OpenBuild Control. I have 6 identical parts to cut on the lead plasma table, made the G-code in openbuilds cam, made the first 5 parts with zero issues and now it has seemingly gone mad. I literally changed nothing at all but suddenly the head goes all over the place, by starting the cut it generally goes to the right position but then starts going all over the place in X Y Z before I have to abort before it self destructs. After aborting it also won't go back to the correct zero point. Though when I set a zero point, move the head away it will return to the zero. Restarted everything several times, tried different codes, but nothing works.Looking at the path during the cut in control, it also goes all over the place. So Control knows it's not on path. Also since the issue it also never turns on the plamsa torch.
