PathPilot 2.x and PathPilot Simulator

[gradient]

Tried to install PP 2.0 to Microsoft Hyper-V but no luck. Couldn't get it to bood from actual USB stick and could not manage to make a bootable iso from the stick. I did manag to boot PP 2.0 to a very old, unused laptop via the distribution USB stick to do simulation there. Problem is, I don't know which file to change to convince PP to ignore the controler. PP 1.9.13 works by changin the file
/home/operator.config_file.txt. PP 2.0 doesn't seem to use this. Anybody have a clue as to what to change in PP 2.0 for the simulation to work on a laptop.

Thanks in advance

[gradient]

Has anyone tried to run PathPilot under Microsoft Hyper-V?

How about running PP 2.0 natively on a PC in simulation mode? (no hardware connection). I got PP-1.9.13 working in simulation mode on a stand-alone laptop by making the file modifications mentioned elsewhere on this site but haven't been so lucky with PP-2.0. Looks like it has to do with convincing PP that the laptop is running Virtual Box. I looked at the operator_login script but wasn't able to convince the program to run in simulation mode for the mill. Any help would be appreciated. It's really nice to be able to try my home-brew g-code programs at home before crashing the real mill at work.

[Steve303]

I think you can install PP2.0 on a PC without a MESA card and run it in sim mode by ctr+alt+s as the PC boots.

[gradient]

I think you can install PP2.0 on a PC without a MESA card and run it in sim mode by ctr+alt+s as the PC boots.

Steve303, Thanks for the input. Just tried ctrl-alt-s during boot and I still get the error message "NO ETHERNET LINK DETECTED. CHECK CABLING BETWEEN CONTROLLER AND MACHINE" at the PathPIlot splash screen. The only choice is Cancel and OK. Cancel reboots PathPilot and OK just gives the same message again. Maybe my system didn't install correctly if you all know this should work.Regards,

[syscore]

How about running PP 2.0 natively on a PC in simulation mode? (no hardware connection). I got PP-1.9.13 working in simulation mode on a stand-alone laptop by making the file modifications mentioned elsewhere on this site but haven't been so lucky with PP-2.0. Looks like it has to do with convincing PP that the laptop is running Virtual Box. I looked at the operator_login script but wasn't able to convince the program to run in simulation mode for the mill. Any help would be appreciated. It's really nice to be able to try my home-brew g-code programs at home before crashing the real mill at work.

I was running PP 1.9.8 in a VM under parallels (on a mac) and was able to install PP 2.0, but I had to create an ISO file from the USB Drive it shipped on and then install it from that. Once you get it installed, PP 2.0 runs even smoother under sim mode than 1.9.8 did. I think they tweaked a couple of things. First, the zeroing (referencing) seems better. I had to turn off the homing switches before, but now it works correctly right out of the box. Also, the mill lathe selection screen appears when you start it up each time. All of the functions work, including the update over the internet, so now you don't have to fool around with mounting USB drives on your VM. It has been quite handy being able to experiment with the conversational tabs in my office, as well as testing Fusion 360 code.

[Steve303]

Steve303, Thanks for the input. Just tried ctrl-alt-s during boot and I still get the error message "NO ETHERNET LINK DETECTED. CHECK CABLING BETWEEN CONTROLLER AND MACHINE" at the PathPIlot splash screen. The only choice is Cancel and OK. Cancel reboots PathPilot and OK just gives the same message again. Maybe my system didn't install correctly if you all know this should work.Regards,

I just gave it a try and it works when I ctrl-alt-s just before selecting machine.

[gradient]

I don’t really understand the point in trying to run PP without any hardware. Simulation mode only happens if PP is operated within a VM environment.PP tests if it’s running in a VM environment otherwise it expects the hardware to be present. If it cannot find a MESA card it looks on the Ethernet port. If your not in a VM environment or there is no hardware then it figures there’s nothing to do so it bombs.In PP 2 ‘~/operator_login’ has been changed considerable and most of the work is now done in ‘~/tmc/python/pathpilotmanager.py’. If you look at this file around line 204 there is a function call to ‘vm = vmcheck.cmcheck()’ where variable ‘vm’ then is tested in the following lines. You can change this code to spoof the vm check & get what you want.Just edit ‘~/tmc/python/pathpilotmanager.py’ and save the results. When PP starts it will automatically compile ‘~/tmc/python/pathpilotmanager.py’ incorporating your changes.

rdsi, thanks for the information. My desire to have PP run without a VM in native mode with no hardware is so I can check out my g-code in simulation at home on a cheap laptop that is not useable as a windows machine. The disk is too small to install Windows and VirtualBox and PathPilot. I know I should probably use a larger device but it's what I have laying around. I managed to install PP 2.0 on said laptop and by editing the ~/operator/tmc/python/vmcheck.py code to always indicate that VM is true, it works. Not sure if this change carries through rebooting. Its probably not the best way to do it and I might try the ctrl-alt-s just before the machine selection to see if that works for me too. Have to say, the whole thing works just like on the Tormach Mill at work, even dropbox and updating on-line. Speed is similar.

[syscore]

Now that you are in, change it so that it boots to the desktop (doesn't start PP right away).

[gradient]

Now that you are in, change it so that it boots to the desktop (doesn't start PP right away).

Syscore, good advice. Already did it and made a launcher icon to start it up in the fashion of PP_1.9.13. Had to do a sudo apt-get gnome-terminal install to do it the same way as in 1.9.13 but it all works well now.

[ally-g]

rdsi, thanks for the information. My desire to have PP run without a VM in native mode with no hardware is so I can check out my g-code in simulation at home on a cheap laptop that is not useable as a windows machine. The disk is too small to install Windows and VirtualBox and PathPilot. I know I should probably use a larger device but it's what I have laying around. I managed to install PP 2.0 on said laptop and by editing the ~/operator/tmc/python/vmcheck.py code to always indicate that VM is true, it works. Not sure if this change carries through rebooting. Its probably not the best way to do it and I might try the ctrl-alt-s just before the machine selection to see if that works for me too. Have to say, the whole thing works just like on the Tormach Mill at work, even dropbox and updating on-line. Speed is similar.

I use my old xp box in much the same way as what you are doing.Any chance you could post up the lines you changed to get this working as I have tried but failed.It is way above my pay scale.Thanks

[gradient]

I use my old xp box in much the same way as what you are doing.Any chance you could post up the lines you changed to get this working as I have tried but failed.It is way above my pay scale.Thanks

ally-g, Before choosing the hardware type, I used control-alt-x to get a command window. Then I edited the file vmcheck.py in operator/tmc/python. On line 17 I found the statement: if 'VirtualBox' in result:Just comment it out by adding the # character at the beginning of the line. This will skip the check for VirtualBox and always set the self.running_in_vm to true. You can also do the same thing to the if statement on line 29. One caveat though, I believe this file gets overwritten each time you boot so you might want to edit the file that generates this one. Others have commented on this in these posts. Sorry, I don't recall the exact message in which I saw the reference to that file. Probably the easiest way is to start from a fresh install of PP2 and follow the advice of Steve303 so that when you boot up and the message pops up asking you to pick the machine you want to use, first hit control-alt-s then select the machine. control-alt-s apparently sets up the simulation mode for you and has the advantage of latching this decision so you don't have to do it each time you boot up. You may have to use ADMIN NETWORK on the command line of PP2 to convince it to connect to your Ethernet network. I only needed to do this one time. Once you get PP2 running in simulation you can do all updates via Ethernet ( I think there are now 2 new updates). I recommend setting up and using Dropbox to move files on and off the simulation. Much nicer than a USB stick.Good luck, hope this helps.

[ally-g]

Thanks for the reply.I had restored an image onto a usb stick so I could boot from it to play around with and not have to alter the setup I already have.During my efforts to get it to work I must have altered something permanently causing all the failures.Once I had made a new image and used the cont-alt-s method all went according to plan.With my lack of linux knowledge I would be totally lost without the help of this forum and the people willing to share their expertise.Thanks to all.

[bradlyw1]

Can anyone help me hack into Pathpilot V1.98 ? I am trying to change the Axis[3] Scale. I ordered the Motor and stepper driver from Tormach to hook up my 4th Axis to my PCNC1100 3. Tormachs 4th Axis does not have good clearance with Tool changer on my Machine, they have a 90:1 gear ratio and I cannot find that gear ratio anywhere. changing the Axis[3]Scale I can have any ratio I want. Tormach is not willing to help. they suggested asking here on CNCZone. Thanks, Bradly

[Clive S]

Can anyone help me hack into Pathpilot V1.98 ? I am trying to change the Axis[3] Scale. I ordered the Motor and stepper driver from Tormach to hook up my 4th Axis to my PCNC1100 3. Tormachs 4th Axis does not have good clearance with Tool changer on my Machine, they have a 90:1 gear ratio and I cannot find that gear ratio anywhere. changing the Axis[3]Scale I can have any ratio I want. Tormach is not willing to help. they suggested asking here on CNCZone. Thanks, Bradly

Have you tried changing the SCALE=500 in the Axis[3] section of the ini file

[mountaindew]

Last paragraph of article on cutting tool engineering site.

In addition to the software updates mentioned above, Tormach is introducing its new ‘TRY PathPilot’ virtual CNC simulator. This cloud-based program, available for free to anyone with an Internet connection, allows new CNC users to learn programming in PathPilot’s environment and try it, before you buy it.
In addition, Tormach CNC machine owners can use this new software to program remotely from anywhere and upload their virtual PathPilot code to their local controller, and start making chips once they return to their Tormach CNC machine. Educators utilizing Tormach CNC machines in STEM programs will now have the ability for students to complete curriculum programming outside of the makerspace lab.
.

https://www.ctemag.com/products/path...ackage-upgrade

[ShortTrack]

Hello all;

Well, I was trying to make it through 2018 without needing any help. I was sooo close...

So far, I have the virtual box set up. Question 1: Why 32 bit as opposed to 64 bit?

Though my real problem is this: The VirtualBox on my Win10 machine will not boot from the PP 2.0 USB, and I never had a PP disc. I had the same problem on the "real" controller. Do I use "Plop" as described by Steve303 and Mooser here & make a second PP USB to use for the VirtualBox?

Thanks in advance & Happy New Year.

[kstrauss]

Tormach's use of G38.6 has been discussed on the EMC developer's list. The idea is to have a way of moving the probe away from contact while ignoring possible bounce in the probe signal.

[TurboStep]

Tormach's use of G38.6 has been discussed on the EMC developer's list. The idea is to have a way of moving the probe away from contact while ignoring possible bounce in the probe signal.

That's interesting.... We discussed G38.6 back in 2017 when I couldn't detect any difference between this and a normal G01 move:

https://www.cnczone.com/forums/torma...ml#post2055640

The response from Tormach was:

"You will find that a G01 move will abort if the probe trips before the move completes. Some passive probes can be “bouncy” as they back away from the work piece. That’s why G38.6 came into existence."

But if I remember correctly, this was not what I found. G01 was immune to the probe triggering. I've since been ignoring G38.6.
However, back then I was using PP1.9.11 and now with PP2.x.x G01 does abort if the probe triggers whereas G38.6 continues.
Time to modify my probe routines or perhaps that should be a
Step

[ShortTrack]

Well, that was fun...



For some reason, "Plopping" my system as described above just didn't work for me. Plop kept saying no bootable device.

Since I never had a PathPilot CD, but did manage to get Tormach's V2.0.0 USB to boot on a third machine, here is what worked for me:

1) Downloaded Clonezilla-live-2.5.6-22-i686.iso
2) Downloaded YUMI-2.06.1a.exe

3) Used YUMI to make Clonezilla bootable on a small USB - only needed about 250 meg on the USB

4) Fired up my Tormach controller (PathPilot v2.1.6). I came armed with my bootable USB.
5) Booted the Tormach controller into Clonezilla and sucked out an image of the whole disk. I had a 64gig USB, but it only used 4.75 Gigs

6) Went back to my desktop, Started VirtualBox, booted into the same Clonezilla USB,
7) Had Clonezilla copy the image into the Virtual Box.

Took a few hours to figure it out, second time around should be about and hour.
Sadly, it took me over a day messing with "Plop" before I decided it would never work, and should go the ISO direction.

Stubborn, I suppose.

Hope this is of some use to others & Happy New Year!
-ST

(Can't preview this post because Chrome is saying there is suspicious code on this page whenever I "preview post", so hope formatting and links are OK)