More TouchDRO UI Tweaks - I want your feedback.

ycroosh

Active User
H-M Supporter - Commercial Member
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Apr 4, 2013
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Hi folks,
A few days ago MidniteMachinist asked for a Kellering function, and after some noodling, I came up with a reasonably usable (IMHO) implementation:

radius_cutting.png


Most of this is a standard Radius cutting function, but there are a few twists:
1. If you set the sweep to 90 degrees and use "Center", the cut will be full 90 degrees. If you use "Tangent", it will stop when the cutter touches the 90 degree "wall". Example below shows full external cut, and tangent internal cut.
radius_result.png

2. Position Reference is usually "Center", but now all of the sub-datum pattern functions can start with the first hole at the designated position.
3. By default the current spindle position will be used, but you can select "Origin", which will use the 0/0 point, or "Custom", where you can enter an arbitrary position. (Custom is not new, just visible by default now)
4. This is what errors looks like now (some logic still needs tweaking, obviously...):
radius_cutting_errors.png


I redid other dialogs:
hole_grid.png


hole_circle.png


The graphics change based on the machine type and selected projection plane. For example, this is the same function on a lathe (in Z/X plane):
hole_circle_lathe.png



I implemented the radius cutting function differently from other DROs. From what I've seen, it's a modal function that doesn't add the cut locations to the sub-datum list. I don't like that, so my version adds the coordinates to the list. This gives more flexibility.
The downside is that after you're done, you will need to delete a few hundred sub-datum coordinates. I don't like this either, so I redid the sub-datum list.

sub-datum_list.png

In the screenshot above, you will notice little colored flags/tags. Under the hood, each time you generate a bunch of sub-datums, TouchDRO assigns a group ID to them. Groups get assigned random colors at loading time. This way you can visually see which coordinates are related. When you activate a coordinate that is part of a group, you now get the "filter" icon in the upper right corner. When you tap that icon, it will turn green and filter the list (and the graphical view) just to that group. This way you can loop over the group if needed. When you're done, you can hit the delete button, and it will delete just the visible items.
This feels "ergonomic" enough to me, but I've been working on this the whole week, so I'm probably biased.
I'd love to hear your feedback/suggestions.

Regards
Yuriy
 
Dear Yuriy,
Since this latest update (4 Nov), I can no longer use Touch DRO. When I start teh Touch DRO app it appears as though it starts to load, then I get an error message ""TouchDRO has stopped" Open app again". When I try to re-open I get into an endless loop.
It worked fine last week before this latest update.
The above updates look excellent, and I would love to give them a try, but I can no longer open the app!

Running Plus version as a beta tester on a Samsung Galaxy Tab S2. I have tried shutting down the tablet completely and starting afresh, but to no avail. I needed to use the DRO today, but I was dead in the water!

FYI when the release prior came out (1 Nov?), all of my axis "readouts" shrunk significantly. Previously the green readout numbers were large and "filled" the available space, whereas at the second to last update they shrank to approx 50% of their former size.
 
Dear Yuriy,
Thanks to you and your support, I am now back on line and have TouchDRO working again after a factory reset. Thank you for your fantastic support.
Here is a photo of the screen where the axis readouts etc no longer fill the screen, and are therefore displayed smaller the axis button used to be the same size as those along the bottom, but now they are much smaller. There never used to be a blank area between the tacho axis and buttons at the bottom, and the axis displays were “full width” to the RHS of the screen.
IMG_3162.jpeg
 
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