I continue to search for the reasoning behind clear all offsets verses zero all and haven’t been able to get a straight answer when to use any or all.
Yesterday I only used zero all (that’s the way I understand that I should do) before a new job but didn’t clear all offsets and the bit drove straight through my project again.
For safety to ensure it doesn’t “dive” I do both but in reading I shouldn’t have to???
I’ve experienced the dive of death (to a project) a few times, but since I started zeroing everything manually and clearing all offsets before setting zeros, I have not had the issue.
I don’t know if the BitZero process includes the ‘clear all offsets’ function when it sets zero, but that’s when I have experienced it in the past. As a precaution, I may clear offsets before using BitZero.
I have never cleared offsets, only set zeros, and have never buried the bit. Are you absolutely sure that you chose to reference the top of your material in CC (or whatever software you use) and measured zero from that surface?
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It might be worth signing up for a call with support to walk through your process to see if there is something you are doing you might not be aware of.
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I remember asking in a thread months ago what the “clear all offsets” was for.
Lots of people chimed in and said they never used it and agreed that they didn’t know what it was for. I don’t recall if there was ever a real answer.
Understanding its intended behavior would help reduce confusion. Maybe.
I have had my Shapeoko going on 5 years and have never cleared all offsets. There is a thread on the forum about unexpected plunges you need to find and read. If you physically set zero’s either manually or with the BitZero there is something else wrong in your setup.
The machine initializes and that sets the internal coordinate system. When you zero any axis zero that is figured from the internal coordinates and it is kept in memory and is used for the next job. So if you are getting unexpected plunges it is not about offsets but likely something you are doing. Other than lost steps the machine does as told. So it depends what you have told it to do. If you figure out what is going wrong please post it back here to help others.
I re-ran the same project after resetting the starting position without any changes other than clearing all offsets and zero all and it ran perfectly
Sounds like from what I read, I am not the only one that this happens to and I’m not the only one that is confused by the system to zero before a job or multiple jobs.
If I am not doing something correctly then I have no idea what it is or isn’t.
Would love to know so this doesn’t happen, it’s not much fun when you hit the go button and you have to cross your fingers
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But… setting zeros is the only way the machine can know exactly where your workpiece is and match that to the instructions in ghe gcode.
Unless you are using a fixturing jig of some sort for mass production, the rule is very simple: Set all zeros at the beginning of each job. If you change bits, Re-set the Z zero point. That’s it.
I totally agree the original question was do you also need to clear all offsets and why?
And is it better to zero before or after loading the job? Does that make any difference?
Setting zeros is setting zeros. It does not matter when. The zeros set for X Y and Z are persistent over power cycles of the Shapeoko. However each time the machine initializes the zeros are set but because of thousands of an inch/MM in the homing cycle you can be off each time you initialize.
If you cut the same project over and over then you do not not need to set zeros but once and just keep running. You will be asked for a bit and you will hit the BitSetter if you have one but you just keep hitting start after you finish and replace the work piece.
The last time you physically set any of the 3 zeros it is set forever. After a power cycle you can use the rapid positions to check that the previous set zeros are set for X Y and Z+6MM. So make a 6MM spacer to put under the bit.
Multiple bit jobs with the BitSetter the Z zero is maintained even through bit changes. The internal coordinates set during initialization is remembered and the Z zero is offset from that. So when a new bit goes to the BitSetter the system figures out where the new bit is in relation to the previously set Z zero and sets the Z zero to what was physically set on the last setting of Z on the new bit.
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