I am using latest Carbide motion with homing installed. I just set a job that uses two tools. Once finished with one tool Carbide creation asked me to change the tool…There was no room for tool change in that position and there was no option for jog or rise the Z axis a little more. The only option at the moment in CM was to “continue”.
So had to turn off SO3, change the tool, go to Carbide create and disable the first toolpath and generate a new gcode…
Any suggestion, how can I fix this in the future.
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Same issue here. When i have to change a tool in the middle of a project i lose the zero point and sometimes there is no room to change the tool either. For these reasons everytime i have to split a project into parts so i can turn off the machine, zero again the z axis and load the new gcode to continue.
Does anyone have a solution about it?
I’m totally newbie btw. 
If you have homing switches, we can make the machine retract the tool the to top of the Z on a toolchange. Since we don’t currently have a way to reset the zero in the middle of a program, this doesn’t seem like it would help unless you are using a collar on the tool or some other way to keep the length constant.
Without homing switches, there’s not much we can do because we don’t know how far it’s safe to move.
If a retract would be helpful, let me know.
So even if I have homing switches (I do) there is no way to reset to zero the Z axis after a toolchange? The only way will be with a collar on the tool? well that’s something it can be done, but a retract will be needed and helpful.
Thanks for listening and support Rob!
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welcome to the newbie club Xaros. So far I’m pretty much doing the same as you.
Resetting the zero would require jogging in the middle of the program, which we don’t have. We might have this at some point but we’re taking a very conservative approach to adding features. Once we add them we cannot easily remove them without angering people.
I’ll look at a retract.
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I agree with jbaez. A retract can be helpful because it will make as much room as the z axis can do to change a tool. I have homing switches too.
Regarding the collar, im not familiar with it, as i said before im totally newbie. I have a lot of things to learn since i decided to deal with cnc machines. 
Although i made a google search about it and yes it might become handy. I might give it a try…
Yeap, jogging in the middle of the program will be very nice, but I do understand the conservative approach to adding features. Retract will be enough for the moment.
Thanks
Thanks jbaez. I hope we find some solutions to our issues.
Btw im really curious, how others are changing a tool in the middle of a project? Do they do it like us? I mean by splitting a project in several parts? Because we are not the first who come across such issue. I tried to search in google but i cant find an answer about it.
Sorry if i make grammar mistakes btw. Im not too good in English language.
It’s our understanding that most people have been breaking the programs up into multiple single-tool programs
So almost everyone is doing the same thing we do…and i thought there was an easier way, but i was wrong. I hope to solve this problem in the near future.
@robgrz Btw you said "we’re taking a very conservative approach to adding features. Once we add them we cannot easily remove them without angering people"
A company tries to give to their customers easier solutions to such problems. I mean by adding such feature to the program CM (i don’t know how difficult it is to do it), you will help us a lot with the tool change issue. I don’t see why you might have to remove this feature later, since it will make our lifes easier, so no one will get mad about it since you will not have to remove it(as we said above, most of people are splitting their projects in parts for this reason). In fact users like me will get happy about it. I know CM is new and doesn’t have a lot of options in it yet(as far as i used it), but more features that will help the users means better software. Better service.
Maybe I’m wrong but this is my way of thinking.
On the other hand, i dont think that anyone will get mad by adding this feature, because only when you need to change a tool this option will appear. And if someone is using another way of changing a tool and resetting to zero the z axis this will not affect him since he wont need to jog the machine. He will just continue without jogging.
Jogging the machine to reset to zero the z axis while you need to change a tool in the middle of a project, is gonna be a lovely feature for all.
Thanks for your reply and your help though.
Ah, the march of time. I operated my CNC Sherline mill for 6+ years without home switches, and separate MC gcode files for each tool… (is my gray beard showing? ) In the absence of an automatic toolchanger, one is at the machine anyway to load the new tool so an extra minute or two to load a fresh gcode and Z-zero the new tool is not a large burden… But jogging during a toolchange would not be something to sneeze at either…
Randy
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Ah, the march of time. I operated my CNC Sherline mill for 6+ years without home switches, and separate MC gcode files for each tool… (is my gray beard showing?
) In the absence of an automatic toolchanger, one is at the machine anyway to load the new tool so an extra minute or two to load a fresh gcode and Z-zero the new tool is not a large burden… But jogging during a toolchange would not be something to sneeze at either…
I, too, remember those days… It wasn’t that long ago that I had to do this on a ShopBot (it didn’t have a tool changer)!
It’s our understanding that most people have been breaking the programs up into multiple single-tool programs
This certainly is how I run the Nomad - with it’s tool change abilities.
A retract can be helpful because it will make as much room as the z axis can do to change a tool. I have homing switches too.
Given some of the complex fixtures one may be using, a full retract would be the only safe move. That said, the tool may be in the middle of a minefield of fixtures and jogging the gantry to a safe (and easily accessible) location is necessary for a tool change.
The Nomad has a fixed sequence for a tool change so knowing how it is done I do not have fixtures in its moving path.
mark
I’ve done multi tool carvings in the S3 and all I did was when it finished the 1st run . The router went back to the start point, I used the manual jog to move the router off the piece
Then I change the tool and moved it back and reset the zoo for the Z only. Once it was set I loaded the 2nd tool path file and it continued just like before.
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That’s what I am doing now: Multiple runs/path files. The things is, as a newbie I was thinking I was doing something wrong cause CM (in a multiple tool job) ask to change the tool without rising the Z axis (which make it imposible)
It is clear now, for the moment multiple runs for changing tools is the way.
I create a unique toolpath for each cutter type. So if I rough with a 1/4" endmill, then finish with a 1/16" endmill, I would use 2 toolpaths. At the end of the roughing toolpath I shut down the sprindle, jog the machine to a place with enough clearance for the tool change, then I change tools, then reset my Z, then start the second toolpath for the finishing. I have homing switches, but as long as you shut down the spindle, but do not shut down the controller, your X and Y coordinates should be unchanged. Just reset your Z in the same area that you set it in the first toolpath in case your bed or stock is not exactly flat.
I should add that I use Universal G-Code Sender rather than Carbide Motion. I had a hard time doing the tool changes and getting the Z height reset in Carbide Motion. But it has been so long since I switched to UGS I can’t remember exactly what the issue was. Maybe it is better now.
Something isn’t right, it should retract and center the carriage - mine does.
If it’s in the G-code the system will follow the command. One could manually add this in the g-code if your CAM does not already.
If you have it set up with limit switches then it will raise up for tool changes. Otherwise it will not because it doesn’t know how far it can raise without hitting a stop.