mach3 newbe with no clue help

[fordfreak05]

i just bought a x2 mill , i downloaded a the free mach3 for now, i have or was sent from whom i bought mill a xlm file with the machine profile., i was told i could just load that in and machine would be ready to use . i have been trying to load it and trying to figure out what to do for 5 hours and i am nowhere any advice this is the first time i have even looked at mach3 so i know nothing and never ran cnc , so learning from scratch per say , thanks jason sand lake mi

[ger21]

Start watching all the tutorial videos.
ArtSoft USA - Videos

[fordfreak05]

i watched first video i have mach installed my computer passed, i dont know what pins go to where all i have is the profile that i was suppose to be able to just load , i do no know how to read the profile myself it has motor 0,1,2, i got them working but i still have to guess on a lot of it like e shut off pin. witch i would think if your machine came with the xlm profile there should be a provision to put that in right from the start i did finally get my motors to move but no limits and such., lots of learning and watching to do..

[ger21]

Originally Posted by fordfreak05 witch i would think if your machine came with the xlm profile there should be a provision to put that in right from the start

There is. You add the profile name to the desktop shortcut by right clicking it and choosing properties and adding it to the shortcut target.

C:\Mach3\Mach3.exe /p profilename

[fordfreak05]

O.K. it moves goes and home now., but when using the arrows it goes past my table and switches ., or is this normal ? i would think your limits would not let it only go so far, i have watched 3-4 videos , hard to understand some things but he and i both know that,. after the one vid with road runner i loaded the g code and it was not good, head went up , another servo made noise as it was at limit, yes i have watched some vids twice and prob will again..

and it seams that my free download is a little diff from what the video guy is using im missing the bar above the machine coord's.

it will be a slow long learning process

[ger21]

If you have limit switches, you need to make sure they are set up and working correctly. If not, you'll need to set up softlimits. If you don't have home switches, be aware that you'll need to reference the machine to a repeatable location each time you use it, or the softlimits may not always work correctly.

When you load your g-code, it might be a good idea to look at the program limits on the toolpath screen. The limits should tell you if the g-code will move outside of your limits.

The version of Mach3 you see in the videos is several years old, which is probably why it looks a bit different.

[fordfreak05]

i only have home switches .. soft limits are set also. well there in the spot there suppose to be.
im on my lap top right now not looking at mach. im about to watch the interface video

[ger21]

Originally Posted by fordfreak05 i only have home switches .. soft limits are set also. well there in the spot there suppose to be.

If the Softlimits are set correctly, and turned on, then you shouldn't be seeing any crashes.

If you can post your .xml file, I can take a look at your settings later tonight.

[fordfreak05]

how do i post xlm? i tried to attach it said error

[fordfreak05]

X2Mill.zip

[ger21]

The softlimits are turned off in the .xml
Click the Softlimits button to turn them on.

[fordfreak05]

so i have to have the soft limits switch lit up for it so work then . , now the motors just go slow to almost the limit. slowly getting it .,