I’ve been wresting with my XXL for a month or so. Most of the basics are coming to me and the process has proven enlightening.
I use my home desktop computer in the evenings to design and save Carbide Create files. GCode files and CC files are both saved to a USB and I take them to the wood shop. This gets plugged into a laptop and off we go. Computers are MAC based.
I’ve ordered up some new Amana Bowl bits (45984) and am wondering if I need to enter the bit parameters onto the shop computer. Is there a simple way to transfer the new bit data to the shop computer? Does it matter? My shop space is not conducive to computer design work and is a couple of miles from the house, so the file transfer drama is minor yet very real.
I have pretty much the same setup, except the shop (garage) is only 40’ away.
I have both CC & CM in the shop, but my tool libraries don’t match up. i.e. I don’t need the tool defined on the shop laptop to run a program on the machine.
One thing I haven’t figured out yet… If you use a Carbide 3D tool in your program, the tool prompt in CM gives you a robust description, with a T201M6 “Load 1/4” End Mill"
But if I create my own tool, and give it another number, for example T1M6, All I see is “Load Tool 1”
I suppose the default tools in the library are also indexed in CM. It doesn’t look like the text string is in the gcode file.
I’ve quit using thumb drives & just post all files to a temp folder on my google drive, but I have Wifi access in both locations. I do usually include the .C2D file in case I want to review it in the shop, or make changes.
That’s all good, but doesn’t answer the question r hand. I suspect one is in the offing…
I have had very good success using Dropbox to synchronize the CNC files between 2 computers. I’m just using the free version, haven’t had any problems. However, that of course requires network access for both computers.
With a bit of work b(at least on Windows), you can even get use Dropbox to share the tools database (really, just a CSV file) between both computers, so when you add the tool on one computer, it will show up on the other. Mac probably also has a way, just not a Mac user.
Or, you can just copy the tool databases manually of you like. Help / About / Open Data Directory will show you where CC keeps its files, including the tools you’ve entered.
I thought that part answered your question. You don’t need the tools on your shop computer.
If you want them there, at home select Help → About → Open Data Directory, Select Carbide Create, then Tools, and copy the .csv files (one for each tool library you created) and transfer them to your shop computer.
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It seems to me that once I have the Code saved, the tool is already called out in the code. Sometimes I need to adjust the file in Carbide Create and then it becomes an issue. I’m still new at this and often feel as though I am standing in the doorway of a large library.
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