Controls

Command Buttons Tutorial Home Controls Tutorial

Push Buttons

Controls are QPushButtons that can be placed anywhere you like. Use the Name from the list below for each control widget objectName. Replace the (0-8) with the joint number or axis index. More controls are in Tools.

Control Push Buttons

Control Function	Object Name
Open a G-code File	open_pb
Edit a G-code File	edit_pb
Reload a G-code File	reload_pb
Edit Tool Table	edit_tool_table_pb
Edit Ladder	edit_ladder_pb
Reload Tool Table	reload_tool_table_pb
Save	save_pb
Save As a New Name	save_as_pb
Quit the Program	quit_pb
E-Stop Toggle	estop_pb
Power Toggle	power_pb
Run a Loaded G-code File	run_pb
Run From Line	run_from_line_pb
Step one Logical Line	step_pb
Pause a Running Program	pause_pb
Resume a Paused Program	resume_pb
Stop a Running Program	stop_pb
Home All Joints	home_all_pb
Home a Joint (0-8)	home_pb_(0-8)
Unhome All Joints	unhome_all_pb
Unhome a Joint (0-8)	unhome_pb_(0-8)
Zero an Axis	zero_(axis letter)_pb
Manual Mode	manual_mode_pb
Flood Toggle	flood_pb
Mist Toggle	mist_pb
Clear Error History	clear_errors_pb
Copy Error History	copy_errors_pb
Clear Information History	clear_info_pb
Show HAL	show_hal_pb
HAL Meter	hal_meter_pb
HAL Scope	hal_scope_pb
Help About	about_pb
Quick Reference	quick_reference_pb

Note

You don’t have to use any of these controls; Flex GUI is flexible.

Note

Touch-Off buttons require a Double Spin Box named touchoff_dsb

Note

Tool-Touch-Off buttons require a Double Spin Box named tool_touchoff_dsb

Touch-Off Spin Boxes

Touch Off Value         touchoff_dsb
Tool Touch Off Value    tool_touchoff_dsb

E Stop and Power

The E Stop push button Open/Closed state text can be set by adding two string type Dynamic Properties open_text and closed_text. The text in those two properties will be used if found. See Dynamic Properties

The Power push button On/Off state text can be set by adding two string type Dynamic Properties on_text and off_text. The text in those two properties will be used if found. The default text is Power Off and Power On.

Note

To have two words be above and below insert a n between the words.

This is how the above looks in the GUI

LED Buttons

Important

This is implmented in version 1.2.0.

Some push buttons can have a LED to indicate on and off states. The LED is added to the push button with a Bool type Dynamic Property called led_indicator.

LED Buttons

Control Name	Object Name	Function
Save	save_pb	NC Code Save Button
Reload	reload_pb	Reload NC Code from current file
E Stop	estop_pb	E Stop Toggle Button
Power	power_pb	Power Toggle Button
Run	run_pb	Runs a loaded NC file
Pause	pause_pb	Pauses a running NC file
Manual Mode	manual_mode_pb	Puts the control into Manual Mode
MDI Mode	mdi_mode_pb	Puts the control into MDI Mode
Flood	flood_pb	Turns on the flood cooland
Mist	mist_pb	Turns on the mist coolant
Probe Enable	probing_enable_pb	Enables Probing and disables other controls

Adding the Bool type Dynamic Property led_indicator to one of the above control buttons will add the default LED to that button. Each control button can have different options.

LED Button Dynamic Properties

Property Name	Type	Function
led_indicator	Bool	Creates a LED
led_diameter	Int	Sets the Diameter of the LED in pixels
led_right_offset	Int	Sets the offset from the right edge in pixels
led_top_offset	Int	Sets the offsset from the top edge in pixels
led_on_color	Color	Sets the color of the LED when on
led_off_color	Color	Sets the color of the LED when off

To change the LED default options they can be set in the INI file. See LED Defaults

Tip

A space after the button text gives more room for the LED

Coordinate System Controls

A QPushButton can be used to clear the curren cooridnate system by using 0 as the index or any one of the 9 coordinate systems with (1-9).

To clear the G92 coordinate system use 10 as the index.

Coordinate System Buttons

Control Function	Object Name
Clear Current G5x	clear_coord_0
Clear G5x Coordinate System	clear_coord_(1-9)
Clear G92 Coordinate System	clear_coord_10

Options

The QPushButton options are toggle-type buttons; press to turn on, press again to turn off. They are normal push buttons but Flex automatically makes them checkable.

Options

Function	Widget	Name
Flood Toggle	QPushButton	flood_pb
Mist Toggle	QPushButton	mist_pb
Optional Stop at M1	QPushButton	optional_stop_pb
Block Delete line that starts with /	QPushButton	block_delete_pb
Feed Override Enable/Disable	QPushButton	feed_override_pb

Axis Index

X 0
Y 1
Z 2
A 3
B 4
C 5
U 6
V 7
W 8

Jog Controls

Jog Controls Tutorial

Jogging requires a Jog Velocity Slider and Jog Mode Selector. If either is not found, Jog Buttons will be disabled. This type of jog controls provides a button for each axis and jog direction.

Jog Widgets

Function	Widget	Name
Jog Plus Axis (0-8)	QPushButton	jog_plus_pb_(0-8)
Jog Minus Axis (0-8)	QPushButton	jog_minus_pb_(0-8)
Jog Velocity Slider	QSlider	jog_vel_sl
Jog Velocity Label	QLabel	jog_vel_lb
Jog Mode Selector	QComboBox	jog_modes_cb

Note

Jog Plus/Minus buttons use the Axis Index. So Jog Y Plus is jog_plus_pb_1.

Note

Jog Mode Selector reads the ini entry [DISPLAY] INCREMENTS and if not found, only Continuous will be an option.

Jog Selected Axis Controls

To add Axis style jog controls where you select an axis then the plus/minus buttons jog the selected axis add a QRadioButton for each axis and a QPushButton for Plus and Minus. Axes are 0-8 for X, Y, Z, A, B, C, U, V, W.

Jog Selected Widgets

Function	Widget	Name
Axis Select (0-8)	QRadioButton	axis_select_(0-8)
Jog Plus	QPushButton	jog_selected_plus
Jog Minus	QPushButton	jog_selected_minus

Overrides

Overrides Tutorial

A QSlider is used to control the following functions and the corresponding label shows the value of the slider:

Overrides

Function	Widget	Object Name
Feed Override Slider	QSlider	feed_override_sl
Feed Override Percent	QLabel	feed_override_lb
Rapid Override Slider	QSlider	rapid_override_sl
Rapid Override Percent	QLabel	rapid_override_lb
Spindle Override Slider	QSlider	spindle_override_sl
Spindle Override Percent	QLabel	spindle_override_0_lb
Maximum Velocity	QSlider	max_vel_sl
Override Limits	QCheckBox	override_limits_cb

The following settings can be used in the DISPLAY section of the ini file:

Feed Override maximum             MAX_FEED_OVERRIDE
Spindle Override maximum          MAX_SPINDLE_OVERRIDE

Override Presets

Feed, Rapid and Spindle overrides can have a preset button(s) for different preset amounts. Replace the nnn with the percent of override you want that button to use.

Override Presets

Function	Widget	Object Name
Feed Override Preset	QPushButton	feed_percent_nnn
Rapid Override Preset	QPushButton	rapid_percent_nnn
Spindle Override Preset	QPushButton	spindle_percent_nnn

Note

The maximum override for Rapid is 100

Stacked Widget

To change to a specific page on a QStackedWidget add a QPushButton on each page and set a couple of Dynamic Properties. See Dynamic Properties

Stacked Widget Change Page

Dynamic Property Name	Value
change_page	QStackedWidget Object Name
index	index of page to change to

To create a Next Page and Previous Page buttons for a QStackedWidget add two QPushButtons with the following Dynamic Properties. See Dynamic Properties

Stacked Widget Next/Previous Page

Button Function	Dynamic Property Name	Value
Next Page	next_page	QStackedWidget Object Name
Previous Page	previous_page	QStackedWidget Object Name

Note

The Forward and Backward Buttons should not be in the QStackedWidget