I want to be able to enter XY positions so I can move the Maslow to a reliable starting point without have to use the somewhat clumsy jog arrows.
I have attempted three methods of entering XY coordinates to position the Maslow.
The first allows the entry of X and Y values, but it is relative to the Home position as defined by the user, which is not what I had in mind. It also requires the Number pad to accept -ve values which has the potential of affecting other parts such as reversing Z or XY jogging.
The 2nd also requires change to number pad to accept -ve values, but it takes its position from the centre position (0,0).
The 3rd is frustrating. It attempts to use the Bottom Left position as defined in the maslow.yaml file. After multiple iterations with copilot have got it to a position where (0,0) uses the BL position, BUT it is offset 300mm in the X direction. So from (0,0) when moving to the right position must be > 300 before the Maslow moves. Copilot assures me this is not a software problem but a firmware or mechanical problem (call BS) any ideas @bar (#696)
Ian Abbott wrote:
I want to be able to enter XY positions so I can move the Maslow to a reliable starting point without have to use the somewhat clumsy jog arrows.
I have attempted three methods of entering XY coordinates to position the Maslow.
The first allows the entry of X and Y values, but it is relative to the Home position as defined by the user, which is not what I had in mind. It also requires the Number pad to accept -ve values which has the potential of affecting other parts such as reversing Z or XY jogging.
The 2nd also requires change to number pad to accept -ve values, but it takes its position from the centre position (0,0).
The 3rd is frustrating. It attempts to use the Bottom Left position as defined in the maslow.yaml file. After multiple iterations with copilot have got it to a position where (0,0) uses the BL position, BUT it is offset 300mm in the X direction. So from (0,0) when moving to the right position must be > 300 before the Maslow moves. Copilot assures me this is not a software problem but a firmware or mechanical problem (call BS) any ideas @bar (#696)
Try entering
G53 G0 X Y Z
G53 tells it to operate in machine coordinates
Then G0 tells it to move
David Lang
@bar I want the ability to move the Maslow independently of the Home position to enable accurate and consistent positioning prior to setting Home etc.
For the 1st 2 options #691 and #693 both require addition of Ā± key to numpad which has the potential to reverse action for XY and Z movements as an unintended consequence, so are not suitable.
#696 incorporates David suggestion to use G53 G0 X Y, where X and Y values are entered into text fields on a popup. The focus (0,0) is the centre position, requiring -ve values to get to go down or left of centre. I have successfully tested by pasting -ve values into the fields.
At the moment cannot enter -ve into fields directly (keystrokes trapped) but that will be incorporated with pending changes.
Thank you, David, for a much simpler solution
I think that this is an excellent identification of something that we need. Iāve run into this too especially when cutting full sheets. Iāve already laid out the parts to fit on a sheet so I want a quick way to define the home position as (0,0) in the center of the sheet.
I am a little worried that this might be adding a button which could be confusing for folks. The fact that there are two different coordinate systems in gcode (work coordinate offset and machine coordinates) is something that I think most users wonāt need or want to know and having a button for it on the home screen sort of implies that itās a basic feature.
Iām wondering if there is a simpler way to get the same benefits?
What if we made it so that right clicking on the āHomeā button would take the machine to (0,0) in the center of the sheet. From there it would be easy to jog to any exact coordinate using the arrow buttons?
What do you think?
Bar wrote:
I think that this is an excellent identification of something that we need. Iāve run into this too especially when cutting full sheets. Iāve already laid out the parts to fit on a sheet so I want a quick way to define the home position as (0,0) in the center of the sheet.
I am a little worried that this might be adding a button which could be confusing for folks. The fact that there are two different coordinate systems in gcode (work coordinate offset and machine coordinates) is something that I think most users wonāt need or want to know and having a button for it on the home screen sort of implies that itās a basic feature.
Iām wondering if there is a simpler way to get the same benefits?
What if we made it so that right clicking on the āHomeā button would take the machine to (0,0) in the center of the sheet. From there it would be easy to jog to any exact coordinate using the arrow buttons?
What do you think?
please no to different types of clicks, itās hard to do on touchscreens, not
easy to discover, and may conflict with right click behavior of browsers.
I would have a move-to button that pops up where to move to, and that popup has
a selection of the coordinate system
defaulting to āG54, relative to homeā or something like that
showing 'G53, absolute machine coordinates)
additional G5x coordinate systems if they have been defined (unusual)
I think itās important to list the G5x coordinate system because anyone playing
these games will need to learn about that to be successful.
I would also have the popup include a link āwhat does this meanā that goes to
some page that explains the G5x coordinate systems.
David Lang
At the moment the home button takes you wherever you have defined home to be, and I think it would be confusing with left and right clicks. Is it time to add an advanced functions button and a new menu? Maybe thatās where Test & Set Z Stop should be also
Ian Abbott wrote:
At the moment the home button takes you wherever you have defined home to be,
and I think it would be confusing with left and right clicks. Is it time to
add an advanced functions button and a new menu? Maybe thatās where Test & Set
Z Stop should be also
Z Stop is used much more commonly, so should not be hidden in an advanced menu.
any time you do the rehang dance, you also need to set Z stop
and I think it would be smart to have setting Z stop also set Z home, if you hit
z stop then z home, Z=0 is the sled all the way down. but if you hit z home and
then Z stop, Z=0 is some randome place (the delta between Z home and the prior Z
stop
The current setup popup is getting a lot of buttons in it, many of which are
only used only for calibration/rehang, but some that are used at other times
that may need to be split elsewhere.
David Lang
I do think it is a basic function, and once people realise the underlying coordinate system is centred on the middle of the work area, but you can offset (in effect) by defining the Home position it becomes intuitive to understand Maslowās location. Since you have put limits on the work area, (very nice incidentally, stops Maslow falling off the edge) if someone puts a value outside the work area limits, Maslow only moves to the preset limit.
I think the home button as is is very useful once you have set up a job as it is where the gcode moves from. I think a move to button would be ok.
I wonder if this will help with my attempt to cut with graphics already transferred to the material. My goal is to cut out shapes that line up with artwork on the surface of the material.
Side note: I am still not sure if I will be transferring preprinted vinyl or reverse printed sublimation ink prints. Has anyone tried this yet? Hand painting is not an option for me as I have arthritis in my hands.
What if we go somewhere in the middle and have a ācenterā button on the home screen which sends the machine to the (0,0) in machine coordinates. That seems quick and intuitive and fits in with the existing controls for moving the machine
Registration with this is a bit hard but I think what I would do is to have the machine all set up and have it drill holes that you could put pins (wooden dowels?) in to match up with holes that you print circles and then cut by hand on the printed material. I might have the machine do an extra set of holes at the far end of the work piece with no dowels to make sure the scale is the same.
You would then have to ājogā to where you want to preset. I would like to be able to set where I want to go.
I think a home button, center button and goto button that opens up a dialogue with a toggle for machine coordinates or home coordinates would work.
wouldchuck wrote:
Registration with this is a bit hard but I think what I would do is to have
the machine all set up and have it drill holes that you could put pins (wooden
dowels?) in to match up with holes that you print circles and then cut by
hand on the printed material. I might have the machine do an extra set of
holes at the far end of the work piece with no dowels to make sure the scale
is the same.
you can use the maslow to drill holes for pins, or cut slots for bars so that
you aboslutly know where those pins/bars are in machine coordinates, then nest
your workpiece against that.
or you can just fasten down some material to nest your workpiece against and
then (on scrap) experimentally find where you want to cut before doing it on
your real workpiece.
David Lang
Bar wrote:
What if we go somewhere in the middle and have a ācenterā button on the home
screen which sends the machine to the (0,0) in machine coordinates. That seems
quick and intuitive and fits in with the existing controls for moving the
machine
we should have a way of undoing āset homeā that eliminates the G54 home
coordinates, resetting everything to machine coordinates.
While you could do that, then go to home, then set the x distance, jog to it,
set the Y distance, jog to it, having a popup where you can set coordinates and
go to them really is FAR simpler.
David Lang
If it was going to be a thing, I think Iād call it āFrame Centreā rather than just Centre for disambiguation, and I think in a power user menu would make sense.
Possibly there could be a set of ātravel toā options like āFrame Centreā, āWorkpiece BLā, etc, possibly also with what that is relative to the current position?
I know memory is limited, but Iāve wondered recently if we should have popup-triggering-buttons like āunderstanding Zā and āXY co-ordinate explanationsā that each just have an explainer diagram, maybe a little text too.
Thank you. That makes sense. Actually I have done something similar with my wifeās cricut to cut vinyl in sections with holes and then line up the sections with pegs / anchors. This allows me to create final products larger than the limited size of the cricut. 
How about a Utility button to open another pop up, you could also put the Apply Tension and Release Tension in this in addition to the Goto XY and keep the Setup for the functions related to initial setup and changes to configuration and default values.
What about extend and retract? Those seem like they are useful in both cases