How do I do a manual tool change?

What does it have to do with my question here?

Thanks a lot for the link Andy, gonna dig into that tonight then! .. to call that a "few" is a stretch tho, haha. I have a feeling that whoever wrote that documentation spent much more time and more effort to make that text than it would take to just improve the software and just implement these features in an easier way so we all don't have to do the same programming task on our computers million times (for million users), to make them accessible to non Linux programmer people, like myself. I'll eventually learn this and figure it out, but maaaan, that so inefficient...

been trying to setup a simple basic probe on GMOCCAPY and turned out it requires a flight to the moon and back to have that basic function working. I am heavenly shocked how this software doesn't have simple probing functionality even, and expects you to code it yourself. Having a trillion errors, docs are awfully written, wrong paths everywhere. I guess gmoccapy author assumes that everyone knows certain things, like folder paths, especially when he puts incorrect non existing ones into his docs. Anyways, that's a disaster. Do you guys think switching to Axis GUI is gonna make it simpler and more straightforward and refined? Haven't tried it yet.

 You must copy the following files to your config directoryFirst make a directory python in your config folder from your_linuxcnc-dev_directory/configs/sim/gmoccapy/python copy toplevel.py to your config_dir/python folder. Copy remap.py to your config_dir/python folder Copy stdglue.py to your config_dir/python folder.From your_linuxcnc-dev_directory/configs/sim/gmoccapy/macros copy on_abort.ngc to the directory specified in the SUBROUTINE_PATH see  RS274NGC Section . From your_linuxcnc-dev_directory/configs/sim/gmoccapy/macros copy change.ngc to the directory specified as SUBROUTINE_PATH see  RS274NGC Section . Open change.ngc with a editor and uncomment the following lines (49 and 50):

This part alone should have anyone worried. "your_linuxcnc-dev_directory" , "config-dir"... seriously, ffs....

Seriously considering selling all linux setup and going back to mach4+pokeys57. Counting time alone I am already $1000+ in loss just setting that all up just by hours of struggle alone.

For Axis you might also have a look here: 
In the comments of the video you find the link to the files: www.talla83.de/linuxcnc/WZ-PROBE.zip
The only thing I had to do is cancelling the TLO a bit earlier than in the original file:

Instead:
I hat to do:

Otherwise I got the message that the file exceeds Z limits...

 I have a feeling that whoever wrote that documentation spent much more time and more effort to make that text than

Linuxcnc brings the advantage of maximum adaptability. I always look at the manual from this point of view. It is not about showing a way, but to enable the user to implement his own way. Without a lot of training or programming experience, it's difficult (that's how I feel, too). But hey, there is fortunately this forum, Youtube and other sources of information. I am glad that there are people who develop and document such a powerful free tool like Linuxcnc in their free time.

Best wishes

Jan

Thank you very much Jan, going to give this a shot tomorrow (5am here). Pretty desperate at this point already. Did not expect this.

Spent the whole day already simply trying to solve stupid problem that shouldn't even exist - simultaneous Wi-Fi and mesa board connection - doesn't work on default settings. Kinda solved it but still very shaky. And yeah, I youtubed and googled the sh&t out of everything before even coming here. Not really well documented on internet aside from original source, seems like not many people are even using this, especially gmoccapy that I chose. Going to switch to Axis tomorrow and start over.

Usually a good documentation should allow a user without deep HAL programming knowledge to use given software. Not the case here, as documentation is pretty useless - you cant just copy paste any blocks or use basic logic, you absolutely need to learn all that deep coding first, in which case might as well have no documentation at all, as it all renders it completely useless. Once I learn syntax and understand the architecture, I wouldnt care less about those instructions. Documentation for GMOCCapy is so huge, and badly written, that I feel that that person should have just spent all that time working on the software instead, apparently huge amounts of time spent on writing that, which serves nearly zero purpose - basic functions work out of the box as is, and for everything else you can consider that documentation non existing.

I'm sure you're going to rewrite that documentation so it will be really good after you're done, right?

Also Wi-Fi and mesa board works on default settings, well at least I haven't changed the default settings for mine and it works.
Could it be that the problem exists between your screen and chair?

the problem between screen and chair happens for all of us. I don't have that now, all I have is a limited knowledge of heavy coding like that. I expect from software to offer basic stuff like that without user having to code that from what it looks like worse than from the scratch even. Because we all know it is always easier to code from the scratch than to try to find sense in someone else's mess.

As far as rewriting, as I already said, that time could be utilized into making a better code and not into writing 1000 page poems of how to work around that mess by coding stuff. Good code needs the minimum of documentation.

I am still suspecting that going to gmoccapy was a mistake in a first place, which is why I will try the default UI for linuxcnc today, the layout and tools there seem waaaaay more logical and clean. I only chose gmoccapy because I have a large touch screen there.

AFA that wifi issue goes, google that and you will easily find out that it is a known problem without any workarounds really. despite setting 10.10.10.10 for the card, the wifi would immediately become non responsive once mesa is connected.

You have to keep in mind that i am on rpi4 and not on a full computer, that doesnt make the setup simpler, as you can imagine. But I wanted a clean setup where the whole brain is attached behind my monitor and the only wire to control section is LAN cable. Going to put my whole saturday to the drain today probably to do another attempt to make that tool change work.

It is absolutely ridiculous that linuxCNC wont just simply let you jog and reset the tool height manually, thats literally two line of code to enable that, 1) stop disabling manual jog during tool change and 2) enable Z zeroing. How hard can that even be? And guess what I have seen people reporting that and requesting that feature since 2012(!!!) to no avail. Yes you are gonna again say its free, but ffs guys, even if its free it doesnt give it a right to be so half assed and not add basics like that for nearly 10 years. I personally absolutely dont mind paying for software, I actually prefer that. Sadly I did not find any linux based software I could buy.

I know some of you are probably immortal and have endless time in their life, and dont get me wrong, I do enjoy tinkering and I am a maker, but when it comes to some stupid and ridiculous things where I am forced now into working with such half assed things, that can't be any further from creative fun I like having when tinkering.

man, I was wrong about that semi auto tool change.... It is insanely not straightforward and even the file from your link says that it will need manually measured zero at first, which kills the whole point of everything. It makes much more sense in this case to just electrically isolate a vise and probe into the stock to set new zeros, but as crazy at it sounds, seems like in 10+ years nobody has done such a basic thing even in linuxcnc community. Or maybe just not shared, as I cant find any tutorials or hints at all.