Re: Teach-in was Re: CNC UI (V hj vs. conversational prgmmg)]

Alan wrote:

>Well, maybe there's some hope for the joystick yet! About
>the "teach" operations, you think that's valuable?

Yes. VERY. It's like Fred was pointing out in his post. You make the
first part CAREFULLY. Then you "optimise" for the production parts
based on what you have learned.

It would be REALLY easy for a MaxNC or CncPRO to add a basic form of
teach-in. Just write the MDI commands to a file as they are
processed! Not the best, by a long stretch, but a WHOLE lot better 'n
what we're workin' with now! Adding the Dancam/plot functions could
really help. All the "math" is already in the control. It's just not
being used in this way.

It's like the adage I throw out here from time to time, "If your only
tool is a hammer, then everything looks like a nail". We have to
conceptualise outside our "available" tools.

Ted Hall(inventor/developer of the shopbot) has said,"Early on, We
decided against G codes". They took a "new" look at the problem.
(personally, I don't think there's anything wrong with gcodes; just
in the way we perceive using them)

I believe that one of the reasons shopbot has sold so many machines
is their attention to the user needs. Simple for beginners, but with
shortcuts and power for advanced users. For example, their "CC"
command "cut circle" has the option of "tabbing" the part(raising the
cutter slightly for a short distance repeatedly through the move to
leave the part attached to the material by "tabs").

Now we would/could do this in CAM(vector), but there it is, on/at the
control! I hope Ron G or Art fenerty or anyone else writing a control
looks at their S/W. manuals available online at:

http://www.shopbottools.com

If you know the syntax, you just put in the code; if you don't, a
conversational input is easily available (on an as needed, where
needed basis) You "slip" from one mode of interaction to the other,
effortlessly. Nice. Easy. Powerful.

Lots of power user stuff combined with newbie usefullness, IMO.

Yes, Alan, I do believe teach-in is a "missing link" in the home
machinist shop environment "chain".

Ballendo

P.S. Given the choice, I program (computers,not CNC) in BASIC.
Powerbasic.(compiled) Part of the reason is a stubborn resistance to
the "dumb compiler, obtuse language" direction of C . Several years
back, the computer world had the chance to make the compilers'
smarter, so the programmers could be dumber. But the "white shirts"
intervened, and protecting their jobs, created the "syntactical MESS
we call C++.

My powerbasic compiler lets me work at a BASIC (pun intended) level
which anyone can master and understand at a glance, BUT it also
SUPPORTS me at a very high level (inline assy, pointers, dynamic
memory allocation, etc.) when/ if I need it.

This is what I think the IDEAL CNC control should do also. The high-
end machines of industry are getting close to getting this right. We
just need to bring it on down to our "pocketbook" level, IMO.