Adding Tabs next to Preview/DRO without Glade

I want to add some tabs next to the Preview/DRO tabs...but I don't think I want to use Glade. Is this possible?

I would like to add a bunch of buttons tied to MDI commands to run simple positioning programs. I also need to be able to have the ability to edit and add files easily, preferably by just editing a couple of coordinates in a subroutine or .ngc file. I have figured out how to do this using the pyvcp panel on the right side, but I need more real estate for all the buttons I need. I would also like the ability to have multiple tabs.

I know tabs can be done in Glade, and I would not be against using Glade, if I can figure out how to edit and add buttons easily....at the machine. I really don't need the Preview and DRO tabs, so I am trying to use the available area. Hopefully I haven't missed something obvious in the documentation and examples.

Thanks!

tabs are available in pyVCP.:
www.linuxcnc.org/docs/2.5/html/hal/pyvcp.html#_containers

Adding pyvcp panels to the DRO tab area is not supported out of the box. You may be able to add the support using a .axisrc extension but finding someone to figure that out for you may be difficult.

How are you managing to add pyVCP buttons 'at the machine' - I don't think i'm fully understanding you.

Chris M

Chris,

That is what I was afraid of. As I stated, I really don't need the Preview tab as all I am doing is an XY positioining move on a table. It appears that you can only go so big on the side mounted pyvcp panel, so I was hoping to use the area that the Preview tab has available to it. If I should choose to go the Glade route, how can I change the default tab view to 'my tab' instead of Preview? Also, how can I change the default view in the Preview tab to 'z' instead of 'p'?

What I meant by adding buttons 'at the machine', I meant now I can use copy and paste in my custom.xml file to create buttons and change text along with creating my subroutine file and adding to the .hal file. I am sure that there is some really neat ways of doing this, but not being a programmer, this is what I came up with. This machine is going to be used along with a touch panel in a small production enviroment, so I need to be able to add/change buttons as needed.

I may have to go with adding tabs on the right side. Thanks for your help!

Where can I learn more about the Limit 3 Hal module? Not sure that I understand how I would get my motion control without Axis.

Thanks John, I think I will stay with the method I have as that did not make any sense to me. I am finally starting to figure out some of this programming and not sure that I want to take the time right now to start over.