I’m having a hard time finding a list of shortcuts. IE: Program start, Feed hold, program stop, jog increment changes, etc. I can’t find any easy way to add my own. Any advice?
Thanks! I saw that video, but it doesn’t explain how to map a key to a particular function, like “JogIncrement” or “Program Start”. I could map it to a signal…but I don’t need to do that.
Hi corbin, that video contains how to add the supported functions. What you’re looking to do starts with that same approach but I believe you’re going to have to write signal scripts that call the particular function on a signal state change - i.e. get hands dirty.
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Here are a couple to look at:
The first one is mine. I’ve added a few functions besides just jogging, so let me know if you have any questions. The second one is the most step by step description of everything needed to connect a key to a new function in the screen.
Jim
Awesome Jim, thanks! Conceptually, it looks like I would use the Keyboard plugin to add the mapping to a signal, then add some code in the screen script to handle the signal and do what I want. Not as easy as I was hoping, but easier than writing a custom plugin (which I have no idea how to do, but I think it is possible).
Thats right, you go keyboard plugin, to mach4 input signal, and then in the screen code signal to function call.
You can load my screen ( stored here https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xB6J0RZIU1j8g951NkP-8HXC1swC2C-B?usp=share_link) if you want some examples. Its pretty easy once you see a couple examples.
jim
Just to follow up: yeah, this works fine! I’ve also been told I can use a “listener” in lua to handle keystrokes. I’ll have to look into how to this, but for now it is working the way I want.
I only wish to know how to re-assign the space bar to control feed hold.
Thank you
Thats not too hard to do. I this video I show how to assign things to keys (and also reference a couple of other good screen editing videos): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87unMhKO7u8&t=27s
And if you go here, you can download my current screen and load it and see how I assigned a couple of function keys to STOP and Feed Hold. The keyboard plugin does let you use spacebar, so you don’t have to change much to do that.
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1xB6J0RZIU1j8g951NkP-8HXC1swC2C-B?usp=drive_link
I’ve just switched from Mach 3 to Mach 4. Mach 4 kind of blows. LOL. My bluetooth mouse died in the middle of a cut and there’s no shortkey for FEED HOLD. What the heck. Avid should really fix this in whatever amendments they made to the Mach interface. It was pretty bad. My machine was running around freely. There was no keyboard command to stop it. I could have used the E-stop, and ruined the operation, losing steps, wasting plywood, etc. I had to run around my house frantically searching for a USB mouse to plug in. LOL. I’m gonna have to dig into these videos and “get my hands dirty” to access one of the most basic functions of the software. Very poor design.
The other thing I absolutely hate about Mach 4 is that they’ve eliminated the “reverse run” feature. I used this feature constantly. Now I basically have to become a programmer to restructure the g-code…to once again…access what used to be a basic function…built into the core interface…that I used constantly!
I used the function for cleaning up cuts. It was particularly good for plastic cutting. If you hit the material in two directions it would often eliminate the need for sanding.