Anyone messed around with adjusting wincnc window sizes?

[Mark Bolton]

I have my Wincnc backed up and am going to play around with adjusting window sizes. Namely the history window. It opens so small that you can never even see the file names in the history list so when running repetitive files we are always going file, open, then selecting file, then start. Even though I know the last file run will be the top one in the list I never like to click on it when I cant see the actual file name and location. I havent looked in the scrnini yet to see how the indvidual windows are setup and arranged but thought maybe some would have a heads up. Ive been reading a bit found on google search but not a lot with regards to specifics.

[Jim Becker]

Mark, I believe there's at least some guidance in the WinCNC manual on this if I recall and I have at least looked at the INI file out of curiosity. Gary has experience for sure in this area, if I'm not mistaken. I'm guessing that a big part of it is having a grid for planning things out so you can easily be consistent in the coordinates to locate stuff on the screen. At some point, I'd at least like to "button-ize" a few things that I find myself wanting to use frequently without typing G-code or using a drop-down menu. I'd also love to be able to understand how to change a couple buttons on my remote for more convenience "at the machine". So much to learn!

And all that drivel gets me subscribed to the thread...

[Mark Bolton]

Mark, I believe there's at least some guidance in the WinCNC manual on this if I recall and I have at least looked at the INI file out of curiosity. Gary has experience for sure in this area, if I'm not mistaken. I'm guessing that a big part of it is having a grid for planning things out so you can easily be consistent in the coordinates to locate stuff on the screen. At some point, I'd at least like to "button-ize" a few things that I find myself wanting to use frequently without typing G-code or using a drop-down menu. I'd also love to be able to understand how to change a couple buttons on my remote for more convenience "at the machine". So much to learn!

And all that drivel gets me subscribed to the thread...

Jim, I have had pretty easy time re-assigning and assigning buttons on our remote (the XHC) its pretty straight forward to me and after having the pendant (I bought the generic and set it up myself) I really love the convenience.

My issue is with many of the non-resizable windows and when you have dozens (or hundreds) of customers many of which have sub folders covering various aspects/phases of their projects, many of the windows become pretty much useless in that you cant see the entire file/folder string, or even the end of it that shows the actual file name.

I have read through the manual several times today but that jargon is far above my pay grade.

Mapping the pendant is pretty simple and as you say, super handy, for automating repetitive tasks.

Ive been extensively editing my post and actually saving multiple posts for various types of jobs as of late which has been a MAJOR increase in throughput. The window issue was me getting too big for me britches I think.

[Gary Campbell]

Mark...
Are you running these files from a folder located in the root of a local drive on the control computer as WinCNC recommends?

[Mark Bolton]

Gary,
We run our files all resident on the CNC machine (computer). For files that are generated elsewhere (office computer, laptop) they are sync'd to the CNC machine in job folders (via network or cloud). I have had the conversation with Wincnc and SS about the fact that Wincnc recommends having a single folder on the desktop of the CNC and running files from that. Issues with larger files and so on not being in the root folder or even worse if you were pulling them from the network (which we do not do).

May be an interesting thread or addition to this thread is how others, or large shops, handle the file management with large and multiple jobs running at the same time (a given day on the machine may run parts for several different jobs) and also when dealing with dozens, or hundreds, of customers or large jobs like a hotel or large home. Surely large shops load their files into a que on the CNC from the office via network? I can imagine the operator just has a list in a queue and as the files are run they are possibly purged from the CNC control PC? Or perhaps purged at the end of the day in the event a part is botched and the operator has to go back and re-run a part?

My approach has been to have a folder on the CNC PC and within that folder there are individual job folders with the name of the job. On the office machine where most design work is done there is the same setup. A company folder with sub folders for each job, and they may contain sub folders for deeper segments of that specific job. When we run the code for a given part of the job that .tap file is saved to the CNC pc in its job folder. The .tap files are never saved on the office or laptop machines. So typically a path on the CNC PC may be something like C:\Users\(User)\CNC\Jones

I havent come up with a way to effectively label files that will get piled into a single folder on the desktop when you may have a project with dozens and dozens of different segments of a job, perhaps a large home with 8 baths, a couple media rooms, kitchen(s), and so on. So we have always just setup the job folders and save the .tap files to that job on the CNC PC.

Beyond that, even if we were to save everything to a single folder and include some details in the file name, my history window in WinCNC would still be to narrow left to right to see a long file name. Perhaps something like jones_3rdfloor_bath5_medcab_right.tap . I dont have WinCNC infront of me to look at how many characters are visible in the history window but Id guess it would be somewhere around 30? So using the file name it would be something like

C:\users\(user)\desktop\cnc\jones_3rdfloor_bath5_m edcab_right.tap Which would be chopped of in the history window at C:\users\(user)\desktop\cnc\jon

The C:\users\(user)\desktop\ portion alone chops off 2/3 of the visible characters in the the file address in the WinCNC history dialogue.

I can get creative with abbreviations and shortening file names for sure.

I had asked on another forum about how other shops handle file management and archiving files but never thought to ask how they actually handle managing the .tap/gcode files. It would seem a PITA to load them to the CNC PC in their respective job folders/sub folders, then have to have that folder open, a root desktop folder open, drag the .tap file to the desktop folder, go into wincnc, open the desktop folder, select the file, run it, then go BACK to the desktop folder, and drag the .tap file BACK to the respective job folder, then go to another job folder and start over?

I guess maybe I have been lucky but I havent had any issues even with monstrously huge 3D files running from the job folders resident on the CNC PC but Im of course re-thinking.

Sorry for the length.

[Gary Campbell]

Mark...
I think you may have crossed up the file location. To the best of my knowledge, the preferred location is a folder on the root of a local drive, not the desktop, which is a few folder levels lower.

So with your example of "

C:\Users\(User)\CNC\Jones", mine would be: "

C:\NC Files\Jones

That said, many job shops, especially those that process a large number of files that are required to be organized will always run into this issue and gets worse with every folder level that is added for organization. I have increased the sizes of some of the screen elements to increase the sizes to allow more visible text, but it wont solve all issues

[Mark Bolton]

That makes sense. Id suppose there would be no issue with having the root folder in a shortcut to the desktop to speed up access. So its your feeling that you should be moving any files to be run on the cnc to that root folder. So as a question to that in your own experience, who generally populates that folder in a situation where someone else is, or may be, running the machine? And then what happens? Does the operator run a file and then delete it manually from the control PC once they have offloaded and all looks good?

I realize its a completely subjective question and many different shop handle it many different ways. I know I'll never get it right straight out of the gate but Im trying to streamline the process and I guess Im seeing that the dedicated folder may actually be the better option in that whoever the operator is looks in that folder and just starts running down the list. The office can dump to that folder via network and if they have access they can even re-arrange the file list based on priority.

[Gary Campbell]

Mark...
Yes, I send all cutting files to that folder. Whether they come from my office via LAN or my shop design computer via thumbdrive. I also have a "Saved Files" folder inside the NC_Files folder that has a number of folders in it with cutting files for projects I do on a regular basis.

[Mark Bolton]

So when you run your repeat parts do you run them directly from the saved files folder or do you continually move them to the main folder and then back to the saved files?

[Brad Shipton]

I followed this thread and your discussion on the woodweb. I do not have much to add as far as the window sizes in WinCNC. I have sub-folders. When I open a folder I sort them based on date, and usually the one I want is very near the top. This works fine for the small shop, but likely not great for you.

I think one of your underlying hurdles is your part and assembly names. I see you mention you use the customer name in your naming. That works well at the time, but in two or three months it is hard to recollect what you had in that job. In the mechanical world part labels is a huge problem because their part count is far larger than ours, but you might get some good ideas from their catalogs. Many of the smaller companies use labels that reflect part dimensions. Larger companies have solved the problem with bar codes and replacing people with computers. For a typical cabinet I devised a naming scheme where the completed assembly reflects the cabinet size and the part labels include their rough size and a prefix A, B, C, D... The letters are standard for each cabinet and if I remember to put the stickers on then I know exactly where they are suppose to go. The part labeling is all done within the software. Using some standardized naming scheme might make it easier to access files in the future. The nested files are still useless, but the part files can save a lot of time.

[Mark Bolton]

I followed this thread and your discussion on the woodweb. I do not have much to add as far as the window sizes in WinCNC. I have sub-folders. When I open a folder I sort them based on date, and usually the one I want is very near the top. This works fine for the small shop, but likely not great for you.

I think one of your underlying hurdles is your part and assembly names. I see you mention you use the customer name in your naming. That works well at the time, but in two or three months it is hard to recollect what you had in that job. In the mechanical world part labels is a huge problem because their part count is far larger than ours, but you might get some good ideas from their catalogs. Many of the smaller companies use labels that reflect part dimensions. Larger companies have solved the problem with bar codes and replacing people with computers. For a typical cabinet I devised a naming scheme where the completed assembly reflects the cabinet size and the part labels include their rough size and a prefix A, B, C, D... The letters are standard for each cabinet and if I remember to put the stickers on then I know exactly where they are suppose to go. The part labeling is all done within the software. Using some standardized naming scheme might make it easier to access files in the future. The nested files are still useless, but the part files can save a lot of time.

Thanks a ton Brad. Your one that I always have my fingers crossed will chime in. Im probably over thinking the root folder issue Gary mentions in that you have a folder on your C drive (or main drive) with subfolders (like Gary's "saved files") and run directly from that.

I will honestly say that I have been running files now for 2+ years that are saved from the office computer to a OneDrive folder (cloud) and then accessed from the CNC PC. It doesnt run the folder from the cloud but when you click the file name it downloads the file to the resident folder on the PC and then it runs. Even with them not being on the root (the one drive folder is several layers down from the root) I have never once had an issue with a sheet cut (nested) or a massive 3D file.

I have since gone the route of the NC folder as Gary referenced though I am still running from customer specific sub folders within that main root folder.

We will almost never have a need to run an average job a second time and even then it would not work to run the entire sheet. If we had a single part that slipped on the vac we would just re-run that single part manually nested in the next job.

The long part names with job names are far less of an issue when they are in job-name specific sub folders. Part of my conundrum is coming up with a system that works for having someone (other than me) running the machine. I have dabbled with this in the past but am just now pushing myself over the cliff of allowing someone else to have that control. Makes me feel like I need to have plenty in the bank for tooling and perhaps enough to cover a crashed spindle lol.

Im paying out slack very very slowly.

Ill be spending the night reading, and re-reading, the part naming and so on. Part of my file naming system has just been something I have made a habit from dealing with multiple customers and multiple jobs running in sequence over the years. Likely best to take a hammer to many of those habits.

Thanks so much for taking the time....