step configure wizard

Please tell me how to make custom INI and HAL files using the AXIS GUI so that I can go in and change things in the Step Configure Wizard without all the loss of my previous work?
Thanks

You cannot make changes in the INI file without Stepconf overwriting them.
You can add HAL commands that stepconf will not overwrite by putting them in a file called 'custom.hal'
What kind of changes in the INI are you talking about?

Chris M

I want to Thank everyone for all their help. Sorry for taking so long in getting back. The lathe that I am building is from scratch and I have no background with the CNC lathe or its needed functions. So as I build this up, my needs come one at a time, so as an example when I set up the step.config with the Gecko drives and then ran the axises they were rotating reverse of the command. So I had to go in and invert the direction bits which corrected the problem. But as you know, it changed the following lines of code that I need to maintain in the INI file (this is really not too inconvenient because of two lines of code but the HAL file starts to have alot of personal changes that I have to key in from saved copies). In the INI file, I simply type under [Display] Lathe=1 and under [Trajectory] No_ Force _Homing=1. But once again, because I have a second parallel port and have assigned different pins for extra functions, I lose that information and I can' t tell you how many times I have put the letter "o" in for the number "0", which is a pesky problem for me. I should go get my eyes checked! Or they should move those two keys further apart!

Anyway, I had a feeling that a custom HAL file could be created but here's where my understanding of it fails.

When I go into the file folder right underneath the EMC2 Icon on the desktop, this is where, of course, these two files reside and also, the empty custom HAL file along with a few others. EMC2 is using those two current files and they are named, ".INI" and ".HAL" and these are the active files. If I drag the .INI and .HAL files into the custom folders which it states in these folders that this information will not be overwritten. So that means that I can use the prevously mentioned files for modifing the machine (any time I make a change in config) and then overwritting my .INI _Custom and .HAL_Custom files with key strokes. Here is my problem. How does EMC2 know that I do not want to use the default files but I want to use instead, my protected Custom files? Do I make these changes to my Custom files with key strokes and then delete the default file folder? Or how do I change the path? If I do delete the default folders, or change their name (I don't know if that will even work) will going back into config start a new file with the config settings representing my changes and then, of course, once again correct the Custom HAL file by key strokes? It's the HAL file changes that is causing me all the problems of keying my parameters back in and then making mistakes like using the letter o when I should be using the number 0 and on and on!

ok a few things first:
you should be able to invert the direction pins on the parport page to change directions of the axis
if you set the 'Axis Configuration' to' xz(lathe)', stepconf will add the [DISPLAY]lathe=1
nothing you can do about the NO_FORCE_HOMING you'll have to add it manually.

ok about custom HAL file

stepconf will always make and use the standard INI and HAl file
but what you can do is ADD a custom HAL file.
the custom HAL file is read after the original HAL file is finished.
so add the the commands for example the second parport signals to the custom Hal file.
Stepconf will not alter the custom HAL file.
Not perfect but much better.
I hope you are using a current version of stepconf.

Cheers Chris M