Re:Conversational Programming

>Does G-code Generator work roughly the same way as Conversational
>Programming by the big boys like FANUC, etc., and therefore can be
>used as a demo. for such without having to pay big bucks?

Glad to see this topic again, I haven't beaten this drum for a while :-)

Most of the conversation approaches are aids to generating gcode- you still
need to load a gcode file, and run it.

I like instead the approach of Acurite in their MillPower control. There is
NO Gcode involved. None. You have a screen that lets you build a parts file
by placing common objects- lines, circles, pockets, holes, etc, to build
your part. When its complete you push the RUN button and it runs the mill.
Only one program is involved to do both the code generation and macine
control.

I wrote a similar program a few years ago to run my Sherline. It was done
in Visual Basic and used a custom .dll a friend hacked up for me. But
microsoft 'fixed' that ability in win98 and my .dll wont work. See
http://plsntcov.8m.com/CNH.htm for a description.

I started a new version to interface to the Master5 .ocx. I have not worked
on it for a while since Master5 and its follow-on mach1 are a fast moving
target. I have also spent the past year building a new house and shop and
moving, so time to program has been limited, but I will complete that move
this week and hope to get back to this program.

I also plan to try the new Gecko 'smart box' control as soon as I can get
one. I think this will be the ideal solution, using windows for the gui
parts and the black box for the real time parts.

ron ginger