Macro to set Z Height

Software Carbide Motion
1

In Carbide Motion I’d like to create a macro to set my Z. I normally have my Z set to my spoil board but occasionally I want to change it to the top of my stock but would like an easy way (macro) to get it back to spoil board. Thoughts on creating a simple macro?

2

With a bit of fiddling, I came up with the following:

  • Zero off your bed.
  • Move the Z axis to a known location. In the MDI tab, enter
    G53 G90 G00 Z-5
    On the Job screen, note the Z position In my case, it was 88.225. Add 5 to it (corresponding to the location you just moved to), so now 93.225

EDIT i.e., the bed is 93.225 mm below Machine Z Zero.

Now create a new Quick Action
Name Zero Off Bed
Description
GCode

G21 G90 G54

G10 L2 P1 Z93.225

EDIT - Moving the Z axis wasn’t necessary.

3

Thanks Michael! Can you give me a quick rundown of the gcode? Or I can go look it up

4

First line is just some defaults - mm units, absolute positioning, default co-ordinate system

Second line is the magic - Set Z axis in G54 co-ordinate system so that Machine Z Zero corresponds to that value in work co-ordinates.

5

Ok I’ll give that a go tomorrow

6

Hmm, now that I’ve rebooted, the macro doesn’t work anymore. Hold off on that.

7

Some more fiddling show it works when bitsetter is DISABLED, and is completely broken when bitsetter is enabled.

It looks like CM is adding the tool offset length to the Z co-ordinate, and there’s no way to over-ride it. Broken in both MDI and Quick Actions.

1 Like
8

I don’t think I’d use a macro this way. You’d have to redo the macro any time you change an endmill.
Just a couple quick commands through the MDI should take care of it.

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9

Well that’s a bummer!

10

If you’re zeroed at the wasteboard, you can just take note of your Z axis MACHINE position while at work zero(will always be negative). When you need to, return to that position and set zero.

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