OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
Thank you!
This new build is nice. Some nitpicky things… the input pin radio buttons as lights aren’t intuitive (I selected them all during configuration because I thought I had to). Maybe just swap positions with the User Interface box below, separate it a bit & name it differently.
But again, nice! Thank you.
I’m coming from CM v428. in this version there’s no option to open .gcode files; only .nc or .egc. Was that changed sometime since v428? I can’t (yet) figure out how to save .nc out of Vcarve Pro.
Gave 508 a spin on some test cuts after re-tightening my belts.
Overall, the UI feels more snappy and while there are some layout changes, they’re either equal or better than before.
The bug where the “Z” shows the absolute in the jogging screen was mentioned earlier here.
While uploading new settings (wanted to see if I missed any from wmoy’s earlier post) the underlying UI flickers a bunch of times from 'ready" to “not ready” and back, not a huge deal.
Now that the “insert new bit” dialog has more than 1 button… I would love the have an “abort” option. Use case: first bit went fine, but I change my mind on the 2nd bit, either because of some physical thing, or because I misplaced the bit or I end up “maybe” moving the machine while changing the bit.
To make that fancy, that same screen maybe could have a “home machine” button, to give me the option to re-home after a bit change (heck, since I have a bitsetter, giving me the option to rehome on any bit change might be interesting, especially once I can go to inductive homing switches).
A super interesting option would be to have a “Skip this bit” option… in case something went wrong in the 2nd bit phase, on rerun I can then just skip the first bit entirely (yes I can hand edit the gcode of course, but this would be a nice beginner friendly middle ground)
I still would like Carbide Create to put a special comment in the gcode with the name of the toolpath… and then have carbide motion show that as “Current toolpath” or something. Sure percentages are nice, but in CC as a human I named things, would be nice to see those names back during the cutting process
The earlier request on ETA I’ll also second, it would be nice to not only show how much time is left, but also what the wall clock time of that estimate is. It’s easy math, but as a human I have to keep doing it over and over…
CM 509 uploaded to https://carbide3d.com/carbidemotion/beta/
@fenrus - Good suggestions that seem to mesh with where we want CM to go. I’ll dig through them on Monday
I have not tried the new versions yet but if it is available, the ability to keep in memory the last command sent to the controller and return to that command when communications have been somehow broken. So when the dreaded EMI/static discharge kills the communications and the Shapeoko stops, it is possible to return to the same spot after reconnecting and homing.
The previous job XXX was interrupted, do you want to restart from the last position?
I’m looking for these options also! Minimum.
It would also be good to have a visualizer, though i do not know if this is something you want to ever do with carbide motion. It is nice to see the process and what is left via a visual digital representation similar to mach or UGS.
I used 505 for a bit & I like it but I’m using the iOT to start my router & the extra dialogs slow things down, so I’m going back to 417 for now. I saw in another thread that the code already exists in CM & it just needs set up in settings, so I’ll anxiously wait for that…
The suggestion is that “Time Remaining” also show the estimated clock time.
So instead of “78 minutes, 8 seconds” it shows “78 minutes, 8 seconds (14:30)” where 14:30 is 2:30pm and is the time on the clock 78 minutes and 8 seconds from now.
One thing I would love is to have built in checklist that can be enabled or disabled. Pilots know how to fly their planes. But they have checklist because repetition also makes it easy to forget something. I am still new but learning very fast and the one thing that I wish is that I could put a checkpoint (ie Install Dustboot), then click on OK. If you click start and the next screen is to “Turn on Spindle” , if I forgot to slap on the dustboot, then the spindle drops and yes I can get it on but a hassle. The ability for users to “enable optional check points” during the process will allow for any user to use or not use them. (so everyone is happy).
In laser printing you can trace the outline which would sort of be a nice feature. I have learned to always print my job sheet from Vcarve Pro to make sure that board size and material size in the job match. The ability to do a quick “outline trace” would also confirm that and take just a few seconds. I would think that it is a feature that beginners would certainly use and appreciate and if they don’t want to use it, they don’t have to.
Someone mentioned having a visual guide which would also show where the router is at in relation to the board which would be very nice!
I would like to see estimated time till a toolchange.
The idea is:
We have the overall progression, we could have Tool change at 35%, or 90% till next tool. I like the idea of knowing when the next tool change is.
I would like customizable hotkeys, I use a Xbox one controller for my jogging, and It’d be awesome if I could just map what keys I want.
Since I have the bitsetter, and the touch probe I would like to change the machine initialization (or end procedure).
Best example I can give, Right now when a program is over it goes to the home position. I’d like to change it where it will go to the tool change position and let me take out the bit. I know I could do this in the post processor, but having macros or other items I can change at the controller would be fantastic.
Macro to use the bit as a reference in setting the material. (This may be way off but hear me out.). I’d like the bit to be able to do an "outside Left position of the stock, and allow me to move the bit down to use it to reference to but the stock up against. I get that it is one reference point, but 1 reference point is better than none.
It seems like we are re-hashing the what you want to see in CM since we don’t know what has been deemed to make the cut but having CM calculate if the job is within the operating limits of the Shapeoko after we set zero would still address many issues reported here where the limits switch have been triggered while running the job and ruined their projects. IMO, it should say something like Y limit exceeded at line XXXX.
Happy to report that the functionality is on point and after 8 hours of machining there weren’t any errors or issues.
Uploaded some pretty intense 3d machining fusion 360 files with multiples toolpaths and toolchanges per and it worked flawlessly.
edit only onscreen controller was used for jogging
There is what appears to be a focus issue with the current version, when used with a touchscreen. From either the jogging or probing screens (at least), a button which is touched retains the focus - which means that the keyboard doesn’t work. The workaround is to just touch some non-button portion of the screen to remove focus from the button.
(My usual workflow is to use the touchscreen to get in the ballpark, then the bluetooth keyboard to get more precisely located from inside the enclosure.)
That’s the only issue I’ve had, though. So far, things are looking good.
What device and operating system?
Updated to 509 today … and for the first time I had an issue, twice: I use a usb wireless little keyboard to zero the machine, and for the first time ever today, the Z axis kept going down even after I stopped hitting the keys… result: the bit snapped.
(and the Z kept going until it hit the bottom of the HDZ)
And this happens TWICE (so two separate bits snapped)… vs never before. While this could be EMI on my side in theory, I’ve never had this happen before and twice is… well … makes me wonder if something changed on keyboard repeat rates or something else in CM509
Sorry, should have said. It is a Surface Pro 4 with Windows 10.
I guess I should note that it has a comically-high resolution (2736 x 1824) and out of the box is set to 200% scaling. CM looks correct at that scaling - any higher scaling gives the issues others have mentioned with regards to DPI scaling. I have no idea whether any of that has anything to do with it.
Using 509 on a 13" Macbook Pro (latest MacOS), no special UI zoom settings.
+ in the probe UI screenoptions is confusing. Why is it Z, X+, Y+ when probing all 3, only Z for Z (not Z+ to account for the whole probe being on top of the surface), but still X+ and Y+ for those (which presumably would not be + because the probe is now sitting flush with the edge of the stock rather than hanging over the edge.100% agree. Need keyboard shortcuts for the run screen.
We just uploaded 510 to:
https://carbide3d.com/carbidemotion/beta/
In more detail:
Gamepad:
This is just a test build at this point with the following inputs configured :
We do not plan to make the keys/buttons configurable. If gamepad support seems to work well we do envision being able to add more functionality to this feature going forward.
We tested it with a Logitech F310 in XBox mode and an wired XBox controller knockoff from Amazon. Both worked well.