Bitsetter and VCarve

Ive done some reading and haven’t really seen the answer to my question, I don’t think. I’m thinking about ordering the bitsetter but I’m a little confused about the tool changes and saving the tool paths with vcarve. If I have a file with let’s say two different bits, does vcarve allow you to save those as “one file” and then using carbide motion do you load that “one file” and it prompts you after the first tool to do a tool change for the second toolpath? Also, does carbide motion account for the difference in bit width automatically but using the bitsetter it finds the new Z? I hope that makes sense.

Yes, check out this thread. And yes the bitsetter (only) takes the Z length offset into account. The rest of the tool geometry differences is taken into account in the toolpaths, as usual.

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So currently if I switch bits and load a new file for the same project, I re probe x y and z. Do I only need to be doing Z??

The short answer is yes to all your questions provided you use the right post processor but look at the thread that @Julien provided above.

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You probe only at the beginning before you run the job then you are prompted for everything else, no need to re-probe.

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I have not gotten around to updating the post processor on vcarve yet and I have been just exporting different gcode files for different tools then hitting the “load new tool” on Carbide Motion in between carves. Its like 2 or 3 more clicks but I am so happy with how well it is working!

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That was how my work flow was till the Great @neilferreri chimed in and … I couldn’t be much happier … ok excited that I now deal with one gcode file vice a multitude of gcode files.

But with each new change in my work flow process is another learning curve that advances my skill set.

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