Locking Settings in myCNC

To prevent unauthorized changes to machine configurations, myCNC allows administrators to lock access to the main Settings (Config) tab.

Note for newer myCNC versions: The SYS tab method described below has been reworked and this legacy locking method may no longer be available on your current myCNC version. For current software versions, the recommended method is to hide the configuration button behind a password widget within your screen configuration XML files.

This method involves editing your profile's screen configuration file (usually x-menu.xml or similar, depending on your active profile) to hide the Settings button and require a password to reveal it.

When configured correctly, the standard “Machine Settings” icon is completely hidden from the user interface.

1. The user must click a designated toggle button (e.g., a Lock icon - see label 1 in the image below).
2. This reveals a hidden Password Field (label 2).
3. Upon entering the correct password and pressing ENTER, the Settings button (label 3) becomes visible, granting access to the Config screen.

You will need to add or modify the following XML blocks in your screen configuration file. For more information on editing the XML files, see Screen Editing and Configuration

1. Create the Hidden Settings Button
First, create a container (myitems) that is hidden by default (hidden=“1”) and assign it a specific id. Inside this container, place your standard settings button.

<gitem name="menu-hidden" where="x-menu" position="10;210" 
 width="81" height="81" basewidth="81" baseheight="81" 
 type="myitems" hidden="1" id="77"  />
 
<gitem where="menu-hidden" position="0;0" 
 width="80" height="80" image="tabs/tools" action="show-widget-config" 
 tooltip="Settings" tooltip_ru="Настройки" type="button" />

2. Create the Password Field
Next, create a hidden frame for the password input and the actual kdisplay input field. The action command here links the password field to the hidden settings button container.

<gitem where="x-menu" name="menu-pass" position="210;160" 
 width="80" height="30" basewidth="80" baseheight="30" 
 type="frame" border-color="##b-border" border-width="2" border-radius="0" 
 hidden="1" bgColor="##b-main" />
 
<gitem where="menu-pass" position="1;1"  
 width="78" displayWidth="78" height="28"  
 displayAlignment="_center" fgColor="##f-label" format="%d" 
 fontFamily="Open Sans" fontSize="14" type="kdisplay" deviation="0.5" fontStyle="bold" bgColor="##b-main" 
 echo="password" action="cnc-password-widget-77/123579/%v"  /> 

3. Create the Toggle Button (Lock Icon)
Finally, create the button that the user presses to make the password field appear.

<gitem where="x-menu" position="210;110" width="40" height="40" 
 image="lock/lock" action="mywidget-toggle:menu-pass" type="button" /> 

For obfuscation and security purposes, the actual password the user types is NOT written in plain text in the XML file. Instead, the value in the action field uses the following formula:

[Desired Password] + 123456 = [XML Action Value]

In the code snippet above, the action line reads: action=“cnc-password-widget-77/123579/%v”.

• The 77 refers to the id of the hidden container we want to reveal.
• The 123579 is our calculated password value.
• If we subtract 123456 from 123579, we get 123.

Therefore, in this example, the password the end-user types into the field is simply 123. If you wanted the password to be 12345, you would do the math (12345 + 123456 = 135801) and write action=“cnc-password-widget-77/135801/%v”.

( Note: This method is deprecated in newer versions of myCNC and only applies to older legacy software builds.)

Video tutorial (recorded with v1.88.4222):

In order to lock the main settings menu behind a password, follow the instructions below:

1. Open Settings by clicking the Settings button on the main screen

2. Select the Lock Menu on the screen that appears

3. Select Change Password, the Lock settings

4. Leave the Current Password field blank if you do not yet have a password, then enter your new password. Press OK.

5. The password prompt should now appear when trying to enter the main Settings menu,

In order to disable the password, go back to the Lock Menu, enter your current password and leave the new password fields blank.