Hello all!
I have access to a Shapeoko 3 which, from what I can tell, requires Carbide Motion v3. I would like to download the most recent build of Carbide Create which says it requires Carbide Motion 565 or higher. As a result, it looks like I won’t be able to use my machine anymore. Is this correct or am I missing an option? I would like the newest version, but I also don’t have the funds (yet) to upgrade the machine. Any leads?
Only because with V7+ of CC they embed the G-Code in the .c2d file.
You can purchase PRO to output G-Code, or use this site to extract it. Extract GCode from Carbide Create V7
Perfect! Thanks Tod!
Do you have homing switches?
If you do, and you wish to update, let us know at support@carbide3d.com
If you don’t, and wish to update, see:
and contact us as noted above.
To use later versions of CM your machine has to have a certain level of firmware. There is a firmware updater and as @WillAdams pointed you have to have homing switches. The homing switches come in two varieties. The original mechanical switches and the upgraded proximity switches. Either will work. The main thing is the firmware version. When you do upgrade CM you must send the configuration first. Connect to the machine and do not INITIALIZE. Go to settings and the second tab opens. Uncheck the BitSetter even if you have one. Then go to the first tab and pick your machine and Z type. There are 3 Z types, the older belt driven Z, the newer Z-Plus (leadscrew) and the HDZ (ballscrew). Then send the configuration and you will get a confirmation. Then initialize. If you have a BitSetter then jog over and get the bit over the center of the button and go to settings and use the current position. The machine will initialize again. If you dont have a BitSetter then you can just skip and the machine will still operate but you cannot do multiple tool jobs without saving each tool path as a separate gcode. That requires the Pro version for CC V7. Alternatively you can down load CC v6 and save gcode for each tool path. Somewhere on the forum is a link for a website that will separate out advanced vcarve toolpaths.
So first check if you have homing switches of either variety and the firmware version of your board. To determine firmware version open your current version of Carbide Motion and it is usually on the splash menu.
If you dont have homing switches you will be limited to earlier versions of Carbide Motion. The Shapeoko will still work but some of the newer features will not work.
I don’t have homing switches, and it’s not a machine I can modify (long term loan from someone - I can offer to upgrade it for them, but that doesn’t mean they will accept). As a result, you’re saying I cannot purchase Carbide Create Pro because that would utilize the most recent build and cannot support CM v3? Just want to get it all sorted before I go to purchase CCPro and I can’t actually use it.
I guess my question boils down to:
Can I use Carbide Create Pro with CM v3 in any capacity - like limit CCPro to a previous build - or can I use the most recent build of CCPro with CM v3 if I modify the way I do things on the software end.
I hope that makes sense?
You can license Carbide Create Pro — it will be able to write out G-code which you can then send to the machine using Carbide Motion v3.
You can use Carbide Create v6 — it will write out G-code which you can then send as noted above.
The thing you can’t do is use the bundled version of v7 which stores toolpaths in .c2d files which requires a newer Carbide Motion — unless you wish to trick the machine into thinking it has homed.
Perfect! Thank you for your quick answer!
You don’t HAVE to use Carbide Motion. The recent versions are much better, but those early versions were a little rough around the edges.
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