K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...


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Thread: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

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    Default K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    I've officially lost my mind, and started a brand--new KFlop-based CNC mill controller app. I wrote the first one about 3-4 years ago, right after I bought my first KFlop. It's been wonderful, but there are many things about the code, and the architecture, that are far from ideal. So, I've decided it's time to start over, and hopefully do it right this time. So far, I've been trying to get a handle on the functionality to be included, and come up with a VERY rough UI concept mock-up, focused on making sure I have the right functionality, ignoring appearance for now, before getting into the nuts and bolts of coding.


    Below is what I have so far. A tab-based main window, with a few tabs for logical operation groups: Machine and job set, running the job, tool library management, and tool setup for each job (mapping tools to ATC slots, doing logical-physical mapping of tools, flagging tools that must be manually loaded, etc.). The Timers page will keep track of job run-times, spindle on-time, and other similar things I find handy when doing a production run.


    Comments?



    Regards,
    Ray L.


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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Looks fantastic to me, great job.

    One of my main complains with the KMotionCNC screen are those jog buttons - I've made my own GUI that's cut down on that, but it's only really applicable for the machine it's driving (i.e. not a general purpose CNC GUI)

    One suggestion though: PLEASE include an option for a metric tool setup. Having to convert my steps/mm and the like in the tool setup screen into inches seems amazingly archaic in this day and age!!


    Very much looking forward to seeing this progress...



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Quote Originally Posted by embraced View Post
    Looks fantastic to me, great job.

    One of my main complains with the KMotionCNC screen are those jog buttons - I've made my own GUI that's cut down on that, but it's only really applicable for the machine it's driving (i.e. not a general purpose CNC GUI)

    One suggestion though: PLEASE include an option for a metric tool setup. Having to convert my steps/mm and the like in the tool setup screen into inches seems amazingly archaic in this day and age!!


    Very much looking forward to seeing this progress...
    Thanks. Metric/Imperial is certainly an easy enough thing to support, on a tool-by-tool basis if nothing else.

    I have no plans to include on-screen jog buttons. I've always found that to be, by far, the least convenient and functional possibly way to move a machine. A CNC machine without a pendant is little more than a very expensive paperweight to me.

    Regards,
    Ray L.



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Is there any way that you could make it so you dont have to use a mouse? I really like how the eddingcnc gui is designed to replicate a professional machine but their control boards are really expensive and dont have anywhere near the options that kmotion does



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Quote Originally Posted by Feist92 View Post
    Is there any way that you could make it so you dont have to use a mouse? I really like how the eddingcnc gui is designed to replicate a professional machine but their control boards are really expensive and dont have anywhere near the options that kmotion does
    Many years ago, when I was using Mach3, I thought a touch screen would be a great way to control the machine. So, I did a custom screen set that was almost entirely touch-controlled. It was a disaster. Touchscreens and wet/dirty fingers do NOT go well together. Doing any ikind of data entry with a touch-screen keypad is simply awful.

    Regards,
    Ray L.



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Ray,

    This is looking great, wow it would be really nice to have the front end look similar to MACH4. Mach4 will the basic seem to work, fails to have many plugins that really make it fully functional. KmotionCNC seems extremely stable and with a super GUI front end it would be just amazing. I just love the fact when I tell my machine to do something in KmotionCNC it does just that none of the strange unexpected moves I often get from Mach3. The KFLOP is just very stable and predictable and the motion is smooth and much faster than the parallel port.

    Russ



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Quote Originally Posted by CNCMAN172 View Post
    Ray,

    This is looking great, wow it would be really nice to have the front end look similar to MACH4. Mach4 will the basic seem to work, fails to have many plugins that really make it fully functional. KmotionCNC seems extremely stable and with a super GUI front end it would be just amazing. I just love the fact when I tell my machine to do something in KmotionCNC it does just that none of the strange unexpected moves I often get from Mach3. The KFLOP is just very stable and predictable and the motion is smooth and much faster than the parallel port.

    Russ
    Exactly why I switched, and ditched M3ch3, three years ago. It's never once screwed up, where Mach3 was ALWAYS doing bizarre things on its own. The last few days I've had to work with Mach 3 again, to get my old knee mill running again so I can sell it. It has been incredibly painful! Mach3 really is a turd.... Mach4 might be ok if it's ever really read for prime time, but I half expect it will just fade off into the sunset, as there are other options coming on-line soon (like GrBL on RasberryPi), and Mach4 seems to be getting no traction at all.

    Regards,
    Ray L.



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Quote Originally Posted by SCzEngrgGroup View Post
    ...... Touchscreens and wet/dirty fingers do NOT go well together.
    Regards,
    Ray L.

    Really, I have no issues at all with RESISTIVE touch but CAPACITIVE is a disaster.

    Cheers
    Bengt



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Make it bulletproof and sell it to Novakon to offer as an alternative to a mach3 setup?

    Tim
    Tormach 1100-3 mill, Grizzly G0709 lathe, PM935 mill, SolidWorks, HSMWorks.


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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Hi Ray,
    Looking very nice and clean. Is this a altered KmotionCNC screen or totally new? To me this was the only reason i waited so long to use KmotionCNC , was the screen layout. I have since dove in, bugged Tom for help and started learning how to change KmotionCNC screen layout. Wish i would have done it a long time ago.
    Again, nice work Ray.

    Troy

    www.tsjobshop.com, www.homecncstuff.elementfx.com


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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Quote Originally Posted by Need TECH Help! View Post
    Hi Ray,
    Looking very nice and clean. Is this a altered KmotionCNC screen or totally new? To me this was the only reason i waited so long to use KmotionCNC , was the screen layout. I have since dove in, bugged Tom for help and started learning how to change KmotionCNC screen layout. Wish i would have done it a long time ago.
    Again, nice work Ray.

    Troy
    Completely new, written in c#.

    Regards,
    Ray L.



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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    BTW Here is one of the best control panels for KMotionCNC that I've seen. Alexander does such excellent work.



    Regards

    Regards
    TK http://dynomotion.com


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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    This is looking real good. I have about had it with Mach3 too. I have my kflop up and running with Mach3 and the only thing holding me back from switching to kmotion is I need to make a new pendant. I have a vistacnc usb pendent that works in Mach only. Any plans of releasing it?

    Everything in moderation, including moderation.


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    Default Re: K-Flop-Based CNC Mill Controller App, v2.0...

    Ray,
    Did you ever finish the Kmotion front end. I have the latest release 4.34H or something, and while the software itself is stable the front end even with the latest split screen buttons and stuff is still very old school. Your approach appears to much more appealing. Dynomotion has done a great job on the hardware and even the kmotioncnc software does what is is instructed so that makes it a great foundation for a pretty front end.

    Russ



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