Tool Change Macro

[TomS]

You revert the the work offset with a G54, with no arguments, after the tool change. I'm surprised that Mach3 doesn't automatically go the G53 location when called without a macro.

Thanks Jim. I've tried a couple of macros I found on-line but couldn't get them to work. I'm going to try the one RJ suggested. Hopefully that will work.

After reading a lot about tool change position someone mentioned using G28 and modifying it's parameters to position the spindle where you want it for a tool change. I use CamBam, as you do, but don't see where to add it to the Mach3 post processor. Is this an option? If it is, can you point me to where I can find script language?

Thanks

 

[JimDawson]

In CamBam scroll down to the bottom of the post processor edit selections, the last section is Tools, Tool Change. You could edit that to produce any code you want. You could insert a G28 command in there.

 

[TomS]

I found quite a bit of info on a couple of other machining forums, including specific computer language, but none of it worked. I've got a few paying jobs lined up so I'm going to step away from this for a while. Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[stuartw]

you shouldn't need to do anything complicated. I remember editing the m6 tool change macro which is empty by default. I am in the process of moving to mach4 but if you think it would help, I can try and dig out the m6 macro code I was using.

 

[TomS]

you shouldn't need to do anything complicated. I remember editing the m6 tool change macro which is empty by default. I am in the process of moving to mach4 but if you think it would help, I can try and dig out the m6 macro code I was using.

Some of the info I've found says you can only set the tool change location by editing the M6 macro language yet there are others that offer up post processor language changes. Not sure how to make sense of this. If you have macro language that has worked I'll gladly give it a try. Thanks.

 

[stuartw]

Here are the two macros I remember editing. I got this code off the internet somewhere, it's not mine but I may have modified it. The script should take care of any tool offsets you have set. I am sure I did not modify the post processor to make this work.

One other point worth mentioning, use caution if you're editing the post processor and the macros. things like having Z safe and other move operations in both places can cause movement that's unexpected.

So my suggestion is if you're modifying the macro do not modify the post processor & I think the macro is probably the place you should make this change.

sorry, one other thing. I found the yt videos that finally helped me make sense of it. I would add it here but I remember seeing a post about not posting yt videos, feel free to pm me and I will send you the links.

 

[TomS]

Here are the two macros I remember editing. I got this code off the internet somewhere, it's not mine but I may have modified it. The script should take care of any tool offsets you have set. I am sure I did not modify the post processor to make this work.

One other point worth mentioning, use caution if you're editing the post processor and the macros. things like having Z safe and other move operations in both places can cause movement that's unexpected.

So my suggestion is if you're modifying the macro do not modify the post processor & I think the macro is probably the place you should make this change.

sorry, one other thing. I found the yt videos that finally helped me make sense of it. I would add it here but I remember seeing a post about not posting yt videos, feel free to pm me and I will send you the links.

Thanks I'll give it a try tomorrow.

 

[Boswell]

Well, I thought it was a Mach3 setting I used, but when I looked into it, I had made the change in the post-Processor for the CAM system I use (Bobcad). This has worked well for me.

 

[TomS]

Well, I thought it was a Mach3 setting I used, but when I looked into it, I had made the change in the post-Processor for the CAM system I use (Bobcad). This has worked well for me.

Thanks. I tried modifying my post processor and the M6 macro. Tried some new macro language today and still haven't found anything that works. I've got one job in a holding pattern and two waiting. I'll come back to this later.

 

[stuartw]

Well, I thought it was a Mach3 setting I used, but when I looked into it, I had made the change in the post-Processor for the CAM system I use (Bobcad). This has worked well for me.

I thought about doing it this way, but I like being able to walk up to the machine and issue gcode into the midi screen to do simple operations without bothering to setup the job in cam first. Either approach is fine though depending on what you want to do.