Carbide Motion 557 - Now with previews!

Software Carbide Motion
81

@robgrz Rob, Is there (or could there be) a single thread where Beta-releases are announced within the forum? If I’m following a particular fix thread, I see the announcements within that thread, but if you make changes to the beta and I’m not watching the particular problem, I don’t see it until someone posts something like, “I’m running Beta xxx” - and I then realize that I’ve been running an old beta for several days.

I would follow a “Beta Release” thread - where a notification is placed whenever a new file is available…does such an animal exist? If not, could there be? I realize I could check the Beta link page every day, but it would be easier to leverage the forum’s notifications.

  • Gary
82

Can you share a video of the problem and the content of your quick action?

I think we can do that generally but there is some “community engineering” in creating a thread like this when we really need feedback for a big change to either program.

Let me think about the best way to do it.

For what it’s worth, the plan is to build that kind of feed into both programs at some point.

3 Likes
83

Rob,
For the life of me, I can’t get it to occur again. Had a small stutter but the camera was not ready.

When it occurred last night:

Machine on, work piece placed, plenty of clearance from rails and dust extraction hose. Bit setter off, Bit Zero Off

Initialize: Back right corner:

Load File:

Quick action. Move cutter to X-Y. Jog, adjust and or confirm Z zero. Set zero:

Run tab, Start, next screen Start. Z traveled up then started stuttering. (up-down up-down) Pause job, stop job. This would be the point in the program where you are prompted to load the tool.

Rebooted computer. Unplug Brick leaving machine on. Wait a min or two, start over. Went through this three times before I stopped using Quick Action. Worked perfectly after that. Ran that job 5 times last night with out hitting QA, no issues.
Flat.nc (1.9 KB)

Don’t want to be the boy that cried wolf. I have a workaround if it happens. Don’t know what the issue might be.
I know you are trying to ensure this release is working correctly. If you would like I will go through Support if I have more issues.

84

So you’re saying I would have been able to save Marty’s life had I left the comfort of Build 537 and seen in the 3D preview of the Beta that my z-zero was supposed to be stock top?

image
image1920×1440 228 KB

Oof… RIP Marty.

6 Likes
85

I would do a quick check of the wiring for the Z stepper. An intermittent failure of one of the wires can cause steppers to jitter back and forth. It may not be this but it is an easy thing to check. I have had it happen on my X axis stepper once.

86

Thanks.
I have checked connections, done an Ohm check. Nothing unusual there.

87

563 is erroring out on Quick Actions that used to work before. Others are still working, but this one fails consistently.

---------------------------
Error
---------------------------
MDI Error: Unknown character
---------------------------
OK   
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This is the ‘cut a keyhole’ quick action that I use a lot
Body of quick action:

G21 (Metric)

G90 (Absolute)

G0 Z10 (Move to 10mm above surface)

M03 S18000 (Turn on spindle)

G91 (Incremental)

G0 X-25 (Move left to start of keyhole)

G0 Z-9 (Move to 1mm Above Surface)

G1 F200 Z-1 (Drop to Z0)

G1 Z-3 (Drop Z-3 mm)

G0 Z4 (Retract to Z+1)

G1 Z-7 (Drop to Z-6)

G0 Z7 (Retract to Z+1))

G1 Z-8 (Drop to Z-7)

G0 Z8 (Retract to Z+1)

G1 Z-7.9 (Drop to bottom of entry hole)

G1 F300 X50 (Travel 50 MM right)

F600 X-50 (Back to Entry)

G0 Z7.9 (Back to Z1)

M05 (Spindle off)

G53 G0 Z-10 (Retract)

X25 (Return to start)
88

The action is double spaced here, but single spaced in the edit box in Carbide Motion. I just copied’n’pasted.

89

Looks good now! Again, great job!

90

I think it’s two separate thoughts…In fact, you could use one to bait the other: "BETA xxx is up on the site, discussion and issue reporting can be found at :https.//xxxxxxx.

If the latest release is just a small patch to an existing Beta, you could keep the link the same and just post the information that the beta is up there. It’s just easier to keep track…I like to try the betas as quickly as I can…

Thanks,

  • Gary
91

Is it possible to build in the ability to do an air pass before the actual machining?

92

I ran 563 for a few hours this weekend. The preview was fantastic. big fan.

only weird thing and it might be pre-existing, not sure. Is I was doing a peck drilling operation (10k rpm) then when that finished it went right into the next advanced vcarve which was clearing with the same bit so it sounded a bit rough. had to react and flick the dial to 18k rpm real quick since there was no pause.

93

I just set my z high enough to clear the stock and then reset it to the proper zero when I am ready to make chips.

1 Like
94

I try to set up jobs so that all the speeds are the same — when that isn’t possible, I temporarily disable the BitRunner — the machine will still turn things on/off automatically, but it will put up the prompts for on/off which include the speed.

95

Let me make sure I have this right:

If you have the BitRunner enabled, it will start and stop the router but not prompt for a change in router speed. If you disable it in CM but leave it connected, it will still start and stop the router and prompt you for every change in speed.

If I have that right, it makes no sense. Why would you not prompt for any change in router speed when the BitRunner is enabled?

96

They don’t prompt because internally they don’t distinguish between full speed control (like a true spindle), and simple on/off (like a BitRunner).

97

I argue that there is a mistake in implementation then. You would just need a checkbox in settings to indicate if you are using a BitRunner and an if-then type statement in the code to pause and ask you to change the speed if that box is checked. There are more details to this like any quick overview of software code but it is firmly in the realm of straight forward to do.

It seems very unhelpful to have an automated tool to start and stop your router that won’t pause for changing the speed if a change is requested in gcode.

1 Like
98

If the machine pauses to change for you to change the bit, Why does it need to pause again for you to change the speed? When changing the bit, I change the speed as well, if needed.

99

For cases like that, I’ll make a duplicate of the tool, but with a different tool number to force a tool change and let me set RPM.

2 Likes
100

If it is the same tool you don’t need to change it. For example, if I rough something and then have a separate finish pass right after using the same tool but slower RPM and IPM (which helps if you are trying to get really good finishes) you would run into this problem.

This is probably the best work around. I just think you shouldn’t have to do it.

1 Like