Am I losing my mind?

[spinningwood]

I do mostly rotary work and V9.5 has been working great for me. Now I want to do a flat project and I'm seeing something I don't understand. I don't remember this behavior in prior versions, but maybe that is just me getting old and not the software. Here's what I'm seeing.

I set up a job with 1" thick material and z zero on top. I have view model plane and view material block checked on. Model plane shows on top of the material block? I create a vector and use create shape. The model appears in the 3D view above the material block. The whole model continues to show above the material block as I add components until I click over on something in the tool path menu. Then the model shifts down inside the material block (as I would have expected from the start). I've attached a screenshot showing the model above the material block. Has Aspire always done this? Bonus question. Why does base height in create shape go from negative half of the job height to positive half of the job height instead of zero to job height (or negative job height to zero)? Have I got some setting wrong somewhere for flat work. Life seems a lot simpler in the rotary world.....

Ed

[Bob Reda]

I tried duplicating with your numbers and it stayed inside the boundary box. The only thing I did different is that the work area is a little bigger than the block I made.

Bob

[mtylerfl]

Are you setting up a two-sided job or a single side job?

Assuming you are doing a single-side job, after you create the model, go into the Job Set up again, do nothing except click "OK", then close the window. the model should then appear within the material block as expected.

[spinningwood]

It's a single sided job. Here's the settings I used to set up the job. I want Z Zero on the top for this job and I think that I part of my problem.

[mtylerfl]

Ed,

Please try what I suggested above in my addition/edit. Then let us know if that worked for you. (It should.)

[spinningwood]

Hi Michael - As you noted, if I click on a toolpath or Set, the model drops into the material. Most of the time. Some times it ends up positioned slightly below the material block (last time it was 0.26" below). Also, the dimensions are slightly larger than what they should be based on the vector dimensions and size I specified in the create shape tool. A couple thousandths only, but enough to get aspire to complain about oversize model.

If I specify machine bed instead of material surface, all the problems go away. For modelling anyway, but it will make the machining more fussy because the material I'm using is not constant thickness and I want the same depth of carving on each piece.

Ed

[mtylerfl]

Actually, I wasn't talking about the material Set nor the Toolpath menu. I attached a screenshot snippet for you. Click on the Job Setup icon, change nothing, click "OK", then close the window. Now the 3D view will show the model within the material.

[spinningwood]

Hi Michael - I just ran a couple more trials clicking on Job Setup (instead of set). It dropped into the material each time and I didn't have a case where it ended up partially below the material block, so that's an improvement. But each time I'm getting a model size slightly larger (on the z dimension) than the one inch I specified ( a couple thou). I'm basing that observation on what the Z level shows as in the 3D screen when I run the cursor on the bottom of the model.

If I setup the job with z zero on the bed, then everything is sized right and and within the material block from the start. I've never switched z zero on a job after modelling is done. Do you happen to know if there are any adverse consequences in doing that?

Thanks for all the help!

Ed

[mtylerfl]

Hi Ed,

You can set and/or reset your Zero reference for your job layout at anytime, no problem. Recalc Toolpaths etc, after any changes, as usual.

You mentioned you are working with material with variation in thickness. Usually (always?) best to set Z Zero at the material bottom (top of spoilboard) if you are doing material cutouts. Then the material variance won’t matter and you’ll get clean cut-through.

[spinningwood]

Hi Michael - On this project I'm not cutting out the material. It's all inset carving on some hand milled slabs (which accounts for the highly variable thickness). So, having z zero at the surface saves a lot of math when setting up each piece. Your tip about the double job setup works just fine. In theory, it would be easier to set z zero at machine base in job setup and then change to material surface for toolpathing, but remembering to switch from base to surface before generating the toolpaths is a dicey proposition for me.

In any case, Charlotte from Vectric responded to my question and I passed your double setup tip on to her. Thanks again.

Ed