Loaded the attached file, one that I have been running since last year, and it doesn’t reach down to the board to engrave??? I have checked the board thickness multiple times, set the zero to top of board many times, put a new bit in multiple times, and nothing changes.
I do have bit setter, and I run it everytime AFTER I manually set the Z using the old paper method, as again done for the past ?? year??. Nothing seems to change.
One thing did change yesterday, I reloaded the CCV7 s/w. Not saying that changed anything, but something is not working.
File & posted output look good. Cutting is mostly -0.030 to -0.040 deep.
Do you check the Z zero after the bitsetter?
The process should be:
Initialize. Insert the tool you will use to set the workpiece zero. Let it measure the tool
Set your zeroes
If you’re changing tools here, do it manually & let it measure it.
Go back & double check the Z zero height.
Run the toolpath. (It will redundantly check the tool again). Keep an eye on the Z value before you hit OK to let it measure the tool, and when it’s done measuring the tool. They should be the same if you’ve already measured that tool.
Once a new file is loaded, CM automatically goes and measures the tool.
Doesn’t CM know what the existing Z is based on #2 above? Shouldn’t it set the bit based on that measurement?
Seems that every time I go to start the machine, it goest to the bit setter and measures the bit, as if to imply that that matters, since I change thickness of project boards almost every time. As such, after CM has measured the tool (for no value that I can see), I then go and manually set the Z with the paper method; load the new file and after START, CM goes and measures the tool. That should be measuring it based on the new Z I just manually set shouldn’t it?
At any rate, gave up on Adv Vcarve and just used Vcarve at 0.1 and all is well.
Interesting to note that when the file comes into AVcarve, the front view in CM shows the tool path as green. The same file with just Vcarve at 0.1 shows the tool path in the front view as red?? Not sure if green is good and red bad, but red worked so …???
Yes, but it needs something to compare it to. That’s why the tool loaded when you initialize should be the same tool you use to set the Z zero. It can be the first tool for your job, it will just do a 2nd redundant measurement when you run the job.
When the machine measures the tool on initialize, it just records the Z machine position when the bitsetter triggers. When you set your Z zero, it records the Z machine position.
When you change tools, it subtracts the difference between the old tool Z position, and the new tool Z position, and changes the current Z so the new tool will be at the correct height.
You have to have the first Z measurement when you initialize, and you have to use that tool to set your Z. (Or if you change tool, you have to measure it first).