From: John Stevenson <john@machines.fsnet.co.uk>

Peter,
Just a quick note about some features of Ahha that don't seem to get
mentioned.
With the Artisan model it has a thread cutting macro[ G13 / G14 I think
]
where you can thread mill short lengths of thread on the mill.
Very useful on big ungainly lumps that you can't swing in the lathe or
silly pitches like metric.

Also it has a macro language where you can automate similar process.
As an example we do a lot of keywaying, and I mean a lot.
We have a macro for 3,4,5,6,8,10 etc
All the info is in each macro for that size keyway, tool, depth, speed,
number of passes, etc All we have to do it enter into the macro the
length.
So instead of writing a program for a 20 x8 keyway , then a 25 x 8,
then a
30 x 8 etc we just have one macro.
Keyway done in about 2 minutes flat.

It's not just restricted to keyways it can be anything that shares a
common
shape.

None of the other programs has these features.
I have also been following the Linux EMC thread.
It's my opinion that this must be one of the most expensive programs
around.
They say it's free but all I have seen are the hours upon hours that
people
have spent trying to make this work.
I think you have to be unemployed or retired to contemplate this
method.
--

Regards,
John Stevenson
Special Purpose Machines
Nottingham, England