Shapeoko - Suggested Changes

[bhubbs64 (David Bruce Hubbs)]

When in the middle of a project, you decide to press PAUSE the machine stops x and Y and raises Z. Your options are to START (Continue) or STOP. It would be nice that upon pressing stop, the machine exits the program and allows you to select JOG. As it is, STOP tells the machine to HOME. After pressing PAUSE, options could include STOP, or HOME.

If a Bit Setter is enabled - Upon initializing the machine, it wants to check on the height of the bit. If you start a program, it wants to check the height of the bit.
If on initialize you don’t have a bit in the router, It can cause problems it attempts to check the height and there is not a bit there. There is also not STOP or PAUSE button available so you either crash or you scramble to kill power to the brain.
Seems like the first check bit height is not needed.

If you are having any problem where you would like to disable the bit setter, you have to have a bit setter actuation upon initialization before you can get to a screen to disable the bitsetter.

[theworkshope (Dan)]

There’s been some recent good discussion on related topics you may want to contribute to:

Carbide Motion - Extend "Initialize Machine" capabilities

Machine origin which is where the machine is when first initialized will always have Z fully retracted (well, at that distance from the switch the pull-off is set to in Grbl). If one has a BitSetter the machine will move to the tool change position automatically. Not sure if Zero XY is worth the added button as opposed to just requiring pressing two buttons — that would be a UI query for the developers.

Pause, then "shut things down" is not always needed?

It would be very helpful to have a new feature to allow for more control options during a Carbide Motion Run. After hitting pause it would be nice to allow for (Skip to next toolpath, Skip to End, and a bonus would be re-zero with bitsetter).

[WillAdams (William Adams (Carbide 3D))]

@bhubbs64

If you are having any problem where you would like to disable the bit setter, you have to have a bit setter actuation upon initialization before you can get to a screen to disable the bitsetter.

Connect to the machine, go to the Settings pane, then disable the BitSetter.

[theworkshope (Dan)]

Wonder if there is a way (w/o cluttering UI) to display almost like a dashboard icon for active settings. Like lit up icon for BitSetter Enabled, lit up icon for BitRunner enabled, etc. I’m not sure if it helps the root issue, but trying to think of ways to give more visibility that there is a setting (and its state) w/o changing the actual workflow.

[bhubbs64 (David Bruce Hubbs)]

My point is that since running a new file forces the bitsetter routine, there is no need for the bitsetter routine upon the initialization of the machine. If it did not force the bit setter routine on “startup” then I would have a chance at going to the settings to disable the bitsetter. As it is, you had better be ready to check the height of some bit on startup.

[SLCJedi (Josh Tenny)]

I think it also depends on the program you use for toolpaths and the starting gcode it uses. You may be able to delete the gcode that calls for the tool change quickly before transferring to CM.