When I am using the bit setter I am not seeing where to click to change the bits. I watched the Info video and they made it seem like a pop up what am I missing?? Also I am running it on Mac if that matters. Any help appreciated just got the machine Thursday and am hoping to get it fully going as I have a few things I need to crank out.
Welcome to the Shapeoko family!
Did you follow the BitSetter installation instructions and specifically the configuration part?
If so,
- upon initializing, after homing the machine should come to the front position and ask for “a tool” to be installed: that’s your hint to install the first tool for your job
- after you have done that and clicked the button, it will then automatically move over to the BitSetter position, and plunge to probe the tool length (which is why it’s important to have configured the correct BitSetter position in the Settings, as per the instructions)
- you can then zero off your stock and launch a job (which will re-probe the bit length upon starting, just in case)
- if your G-code file has multiple tools, when the time comes for a tool change, the machine will stop and move to the front automatically, and prompt you to insert the next tool (and again, after you do that, it will go and probe the new tool length)
- Whenever the machine is idle, you can also chose to change tools using the “Load new tool” button.
If you don’t see that behavior/ “load new tool” button, it could be that you did not enable BitSetter in the Settings ?
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I have it all set up and in the setting but the machine is not moving it to the front to change tools.
This is during the actual cutting. It homes correctly it when I am cutting it does not come to the front to request a tool change it literally raises up and just stays.
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do you see the load new tool button ? before the job I mean. Just checking.
did you save all your toolpaths in a single gcode file ? maybe post it here for a check ?
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I did save them all in a single g code as well I see the load new tool option on the main screen after I initialize the machine but once I go into run its no longer there.
Can you post the G-code file ?
If I understand correctly, you do get the initial bitsetter probing at the start of the job ? then you expect a prompt for a tool change but the job just completes and stays there (middle-back, top of the Z)?
The reason I am asking for the G-code file is to check the presence of several M6 commands, with adequate tool numbers
Allright, so you are not using an adequate post-processor for the Shapeoko: the G-code has no M6 commands for tool changes, so it cannot work.
What CAM program are you generating this from ?
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carbide create your solfware
Ok, so probably the wrong post processor is selected: in Carbide Create, go to Edit, Select Post-Processor, and make sure “Carbide3D Shapeoko” is selected:
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so select that even tho I have homing sensors and every thing?
Yep. The statement about “Shapeoko WITH homing switches” relates to really ancient Shapeokos (years ago) that did not having switches at all, ignore that.
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Regenerate the g-code (for this simple example), and post it here for a quick double check.
And when you run that, you will now have the BitSetter probing happening, so you must have configured its location correctly, and you should check that it works by pushing the plunger manually: the red LED should light up. Once you have verified this, you are good to go.
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its working now thank you
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Good to hear!
Make sure to always use “Load New tool” whenever you change the tool before a job, to help CM keep track of the current tool length. In many cases you won’t ever need to use that button anyway because the workflow tells you when to load the tool, but say you realize before starting that you installed the wrong tool and want to put the right one in: that’s when “Load new tool” is useful and mandatory to use so that CM can keep track of tool lengths.
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