Is there a way to have CM report to me the absolute position of the spindle instead of the relative position from zero? I have a jig set up to hold a piece of material on the bed and intended to finish that job but now I need to cut something elsewhere on the table. Can I send the spindle to zero position, find out the absolute position, then run a job with a different zero, and send it back to the original location after so I can re-zero on my jig?
Edit: doing some research, there’s G28/G30 predefined positions in Grbl 1.1, are they in use by CM and if not can I use them to store my jig location?
After being away from Nomad 883 since 2015 I’m returning to relearn everything and work on a project that must be completed.
My old copy of MeshCAM didn’t suggest that there is an update, but I looked at the download page and found MeshCAM 7 build 25 for Mac (beta?) which I downloaded and installed. In trying to accomplish something I figured out I’d better read the help docs. At one point it says, for Selecting a Machine:
Go to CAM->Select Machine
Scroll through the list and pick the machine that you have
Unfortunately, CAM->Select Machine does not present anything, not a list, just as if I hadn’t selected it. Should I not be using this version, or did I skip some step?
I just received my touch probe for my XXL and it works but it appears that there is 3mm discrepancy on the Z. I placed the probe with it resting on the stock in the pocket of the probe. When I probe for Z, it comes down and touches the probe but just sets Z 3mm deeper than it should. When it starts cutting it goes 3mm deeper on the first pass. Is there a way to set this offset in Carbide Motion?
I have a quick question, is it possible to have my .prt file be converted to .dxf or something to have it work with my carbide motion I’m very confused
My Nomad is on order (Sept. 2018), I’m configuring an old Mac Powerbook to run it via Carbide Motion. Which version of Motion should I be installing?
I suspect this may be contingent on the software used to create the nc files? I’ll be using Carbide Create and MeshCam for sure but may need other apps (maybe QCAD?) as well until CC does better with open lines.
I just got my Nomad. Trying to run from my 2008 Mac Powerbook, CM 4 latest build, El Capitan clean install. CM recognizes the machine but hangs interminably, “Please wait…”, trying to home. The Nomad seems to work fine with my desktop but cannot stay in the office.
The Powerbook has 2GB ram, I didn’t think the 4GB minimum applied here, from some forum perusing, but maybe I’m wrong?
and usually it works fine. But sometimes it shows the error “ERROR (4): GBRL ERROR: G-code words consist of a letter and a value. Letter was not found.”:
Carbid Motion was running for some time and I clicked multiple times the Start button (drilling some holes in a dozen cases) and then it stopped with this error. I restarted the program and the same file works fine again.
PS: would be really nice if it would remember the last directory when I click “LOAD NEW FILE”.
I use python scripts to generate much of the g-code I use; I’m fairly confident it is valid to GLBL 1.1. However, the Carbide Motion software throws errors (usually around arcs). Is it possible to disable the g-code verification step in Carbide Motion and just pass the g-code through?
(I could use a 3rd party GRBL controller, of course, but I’m otherwise happy with Carbide Motion and don’t really want to set up another tool.)
New beta of Carbide Motion: https://carbide3d.com/carbidemotion/beta/ — should help with the arc error in Autodesk Fusion 360 — also set Minimum Circular Radius to ~4mm
All,
I dug through the forums and I am guessing that several other people have had the same problem but I’m gonna ask anyway. I’ve created a file in Adobe Illustrator that has been saved as a .SVG file (its a coaster with some text and an image. I’ve then imported it into Carbide Create but am unable to see anything…there is no graphic image. What have I done wrong.
Ok so I’ve made my own touch plate using a 1-2-3 block, wired it up and it work great, a little clunky but it works. My question is how do I adjust the offset parameters of the carbide motion canned touch routine? Searching the forums I can find the command G38.2 Z-25 F10 which is the simple 1 dimensional search in the negative Z direction. This works, but again it’s a little clunky.
I’d really like to manipulate the polished probing routine that comes stock with CM, any ideas?
Maybe there is a way to do this already. I’m putting a square corner where zero is that I’ll align every piece and probe but right now I have to boot up the machine, home it (top right) then job it all the way to that corner and try to line it up with that probe. Ideally, since the square and probe will always be in the same position I save this position and have a button or command automatically move there to speed up setup. Is there a way to do this with motion, basically tell it to goto x,y,z? Is there a way I can “send” this command in from an external app so I can make a physical button do this?
Has anyone had a Garbel error. serial port . unknown error while running a program. It appears to disconnect from shapeoko . Have to turn power off and reconnect.
Howdy. Shapeoko 3. When I cut a round pocket the cutter makes a little Z axis jog down below depth on the cut when it changes to the next pass… then picks up to the correct depth. This results in a cutter wide trail from center out to edges of the circular pocket. Very shallow… a thousandth or less. I’ve run the file a few times and tightened up everything so I think it’s in the program. Any insights?
I want to know how the change the feed rate on the fly works in the new CM4
when you increase the rate in one tool and you load another tool is that increase moved tothe new tool as well.
Does it need to be reset from one start up to another
If you have to reset it how do you do that.
Jeff
BLUF: Z axis assembly smashing into top of carriage after Z origin in Fusion 360 CAM incorrectly set.
Background: I had previously posted about the potential of issues with Motion not correctly setting axis limits or utilizing soft limits, now it seems I found a problem. After inadvertently extruding a shape above it’s Z origin in Fusion 360, I made a rookie mistake of not adjusting the origin within CAM. At least this is what I think caused the issue.
Observation: After loading a new program into Motion and zeroizing X/Y/Z, I experienced a violent smashing of the Z axis into its upper limits after the program started running. For a 2 week old machine this was a worrying experience to hear it grinding and slipping through the belt.
I don’t understand why the limit switches or soft axis limits are not being utilized, these are expensive parts to leave up to the g-code to protect. Another thing I noticed is the retract height moving from the homing point to start a job is NOT configurable in Motion. Since Fusion’s g-code started its first plunge at X/Y center, it was up to Motion to move to the start point, where it drug an endmill smoking straight through a workpiece. Normally I click the run button directly above the X/Y center, however this was after a tool change and Motion had returned the tool to home.
The Machine is awesome, and the accuracy for a system under 2k is remarkable. The software however, both Motion and Create have a long way to go in my opinion. Any advice, explanations, or workarounds would be excellent. This community seems to have an excellent group of people, really looking forward to getting the most of this machine!
EDIT Something else I just noticed that may compound this problem is that the January 9th release of Fusion seems to have gotten rid the Machine Setup portion with CAM. This is where machine Axis limits were entered and would alert if something you were trying to do was outside the parameters of the machine.
I am new to CNC and have just finished assembling my XL and going through the instructions for Carbide Motion v4 I opened the log, selected XL and the lines scrolled up the screen but mine were not commands followed by $.
I’m very confused
