Control Software 'Toolbar'

[nat_wheatley]

How do I get the icons to reappear at the top of the control software console? I recently downloaded 3.6.10, they were there initially, but I've done something to turn them off. Not sure how to get them back on. Thanks.

[adrianm]

If you right click on the menu bar you should get a popup menu that will have "standard" and "customize" on it. If you click "standard" that should get the icon toolbar back.

[bill.young]

Nat,

Put your cursor in the blank part of the top menu bar, to the right of Help, and right-click. You should see two options...Standard and Customize. Click Standard and it should return.

Bill

[bill.young]

Adrian beat me to it!

[nat_wheatley]

Got it. Thanks guys.

[Gary Campbell]

Anyone else have their icon dissappear and then have the icons linked to totally different custom files? There are gremlins in my machine.
Gary

[nat_wheatley]

I am noticing that the program is playing the hiding game again, at times, during startup. This did go away for some of the versions, but is back in 3.6.10

[Gary Campbell]

Also am experiencing numerous "lost comm" dialogs that force a shut down. Sure wish I had my "ol Bot" back. Its getting harder every day trying to make a living with these erratic behavior traits. We Link users are in a much smaller box than those who dont need to use the new software versions.

[dlcw]

You are right Gary. It is getting harder and harder to make a living with this thing. I just cut a job and parts were left out and others were cut the wrong size. In addition, SB Link printed part labels for cabinet numbers not even in the cut job. I'm fairly sure this is a SB Link issue, but with Shopbot control software being so erratic and inconsistent I just don't know anymore.

I'm not sure what to do.

[ken_rychlik]

I want the link, but I'm hiding in the corner and watching. I miss my old bot too.

I may have to keep doing it all in V carve.

Actually the sb3,6 stuff looks kind of like there is some vectric in it. I really don't need the fancy stuff showing me where the tool is. I just want it to cut and stop ignoring me. I have a wife for that. lol

Kenneth

[gene]

Exactly what is the benefits of upgrading? I am using an older version and it works for me. SO FAR no gremlins in my bot ( but i do weekly sacrifice a box of KFC chicken on it.)
When i want to cut it does everything i tell it to. Lately when i bring it up the #4 reset will have to be pushed several times but after that all is ok.

[thewoodcrafter]

Gene,

If you are using the S.B. Link you have to use 3.6.? to read the Thermwood G code.

More commands are available, has a little map of where the tool is.

But upgrading may not be wise with all the problems that are being reported.

I am using 3.6.5 without any of these weird problems.

[dlcw]

Roger,

I just left a long post for someone yesterday about different versions on different machines. It is interesting that you are able to run 3.6.5 on your machine and when I tried to run that version, my whole system chocked, puked and then died. I went back to 3.6.1 and life was good. Ted put a release together for me to "fix" a problem with pausing an SB Link file during drilling (traced it to a Shopbot control software problem). The machine would have a brain-fart if you paused during drilling. I tried the version he sent me and things seemed to be ok. Then 3.6.10 came out with those fixes in it and I upgraded to that version and my setup choked and puked again. So I went back to 3.6.1 and things seem to be ok again.

I'm not sure what is happening because the only thing none Shopbot I've got is a second solenoid on my Shopbot air drill so I can control the drill turning on and off with output 5 where output 6 is used to plunge the drill (air compressor sizing issue). Other then that it is a stock PRS Alpha. Very frustrating.....

When will the planets align :-)

[thewoodcrafter]

Don,

Yeah, things work fine.
I thought about upgrading to 3.6.10 but you guys scared me out of that.

These problems just have to be from differences in the computer mother board.

I just bought a new Dell laptop powerful enough to run E-Cabinets hopefully beyond 6.0. I use it to run the ShopBot. I stayed with XP.

[rb99]

For the guys who are serious about the SB Link and have orders and a bit of cash flow to justify it, I would like to suggest they get a computer pre-built and pre-loaded directly from Shopbot.

Shopbot reports none of their computers are experiencing any of the 3.6.1X problems, so they would know what motherboard, graphics card, ram etc. works with their machines and their software.

Shopbot probably does not do this now, but if you guys really need this to work, I bet they could get a decent PC preloaded and tested for very reasonable price to keep you guys in business.

(Or at least publish the tested hardware configuration)

My 2 cents...

Cheers,

RIB

[thewoodcrafter]

That sure sounds like a good idea to me Richard.

I am surprised ShopBot does not offer a computer with the machine.

[rb99]

I guess they have not needed to as PC's are everywhere and dirt cheap. But with these gremlins it seems like it might be a good work around...

[adrianm]

I've got to say I'm running 3.6.10 and I'm having no problems at all with it other than issues that are present in all versions of the software as far as I know.

I'm running on a pretty low spec machine for nowadays. It's got an intel celeron 2.5ghz with 512mb of ram (it was 1gb but one stick went faulty and it seems fine on 512) running XP SP2.

It's not connected to a network and as such runs no anti-virus software etc. I transfer all my files by USB drive which I connect and disconnect before running the SB software as the process of recognising a new USB device does interfere with the bot connection.

I've stripped out all non-essential services (printer spooler, themes, messenger, network discovery etc etc) and there are only 12 processes running when the machine is at the desktop. The only non-Windows processes I run are the drivers for mouse/touchpad and the Logitech control pad that I use to jog the bot around.

I've disabled automatic indexing of the discs, power management and anything I think might take CPU cycles away from the PC's primary task of running the Bot.

The optimisation document that the Mach3 guys provide could be worth a look for people interested in getting their PC's down to basics.

http://www.machsupport.com/downloads/XP_Optimization.txt

I've gone a bit further than that and left some bits still on (like sound) but it's a good stable base to start from.

[ken_rychlik]

I don't think a pc will fix most of the issues. My pc was doing strange stuff and at Ryan's request I mailed them the slow old pc. 800 mhz, 256 ram

Guess what, at their place on their machines, they can not duplicate the problems. my pc worked fine for them.

So at least in my case a pc would not help.

I think the differecne is in the WAY they are testing them. I don't think they are running them all day and I'm pretty sure they don't have a shop full of sawdust either.

It still does not explain why the machine ran fine with the 3.5.20 though. Either the software is bad or the 4g board can't handle the software. Either way I think the software is the place to look for a solution.

My 2 cents.

Kenneth

[mark_stief]

Hey guys I don't know if this fixed all my problems yet but yesterday we deleted everything in the computer that had any thing to do with shopbot or its drivers and reloaded back up with 3.6.10 and everything ran great we were thinking after so many upgrades things were just getting screwed up seems to be running a whole lot better now just my 2 pennies

[navigator7]

I'm scared.
Can anybody describe what "SB Link" means?

I get the impression a machine must be connected to the internet to work.

I'm considering buying an SB. I use Mac.
I've run a 3D printer on my Macs via Bootcamp and everything was hunky dory.
I don't want to use anything Windoz that has to be connected to the internet.

Tell me you can run an SB without a link to the world?

[ken_rychlik]

No worries Chuck. The link if for ecabinets. It is a design program for cutting cabinet parts. You have to use the newest version of the shopbot software to run that "cabinet link" It is a key you put in your pc to allow it to work on the files.

No internet connection is required for your pc at the machine and it is discouraged to do so. A dedicated pc that only runs the machine and nothing else is best.

The older versions of the software were more stable and most folks are still using that from what I understand.

Although there are issues with the new software shopbot has to run their machine, you don't have to use the newer versions until the kinks get worked out. I am confident that will happen, but it is just frustration in the mean time.

Kenneth