Unless I'm missing something, I don't know what the problem is.

You can write your own Macro for an M6 tool change. This moves your axis to whatever position you like for a convenient tool change. I've ticked the "Stop spindle, wait for Cycle Start" button on general config. I change the tool then click cycle start and the machine then moves to where ever you want it and carries on. You can use the standard M6 code.

This means I have to be disicplined and write the G Code to take account of the tool change, and it is obviously not as flexible as just jogging to a convenient spot and then hitting a return button and carrying on.

You could write the Macro to remember where the axis was, move away a reasonable distance, wait til you changed the tool and then move back to where it was. I'll write one and post it if you like.

I realise I can write a macro and insert G codes into the post, but I'm a n00b and haven't got that far up the scale yet

This means I have to be disicplined and write the G Code ... obviously not as flexible ...

Ah, there you go. I thought the idea of these computery thingies was to make life simpler for wetware like us. I appreciate that some will see this as losing skills, but that's how progress occurs.

However, what you're missing is not that we're required to be disciplined (which I think is a good thing, and I will be one day) but that Mach used to do this and now it doesn't. It's like someone has whipped out the form editor from Visual Basic - technically you can still create dialogs the hard way, but..

not sure if this is the place for this but... here goes nothing...

I've noticed it stated in a few other threads that Art is spending more of his time on the Yahoo group these days...
How can I put this delicately without causing offence or upset? which I sincerely don't want to do but if this is true... WHY? isn't this the Artsoft forum and isn't this thread a perfect example of where we could do with an answer or help from the top man?

The problem with a macro is that the position that you use to zero the tool at will be different for each job.
It's very convenient to just move the tool over on the jog buttons, change the tool and then move over to a bit of the job that's still at zero. Zero the z axis, jog it up a little then press the start button to continue.

By the way I us an ER collet chuck so I can't really use a set tool height with each tool and use tool offsets (I don't know how to anyway  )

I've not yet had time to check if my mill still does this but it def used to.

Kind of agree with you Stirling.

Steve

The Yahoo group was here long before this forum. Art and a few others prefer the Yahoo group and tend to use it more, personally I like the forum much better but maybe I am just weird

Hood

BTW what versions are you guys using? I have 2.57 on the mill and I can feedhold, move the tool away by jogging or MPG then press start and it will pop up a prep move box and then when OK is clicked it will go to that position using the safe Z then press start again and it continues.
Hood

An update - I visited Art on the paradise resort of Yahoo and he's now fixed this. (R2.62b.000). It's not entirely clear when the M6End macro changed but it now appears to be back the way it was. Good to know we were'nt going crazy and imagining things after all 

Cheers

Ian