Manual tool change in Mach3

Post by **Phillycyberjoe** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:54 pm

Hey Folks,
I am new to Vectric products as well as this forum...actually, I'm new to CNC all together. Santa delivered VCP + Cut3D...way cool.

In learning VCP, I did a simple test that required two toolpaths. When saving the project to Mach3, it wouldn't save both paths and I have no idea how to do that. Do I really have to run one toolpath and then the other? My machine does not have an ATC, so all tool changes will have to be manual. It looks like I should be able to do this, but I must be missing something.

Can anyone help me to get started with this?

thanks much,
Joe

Post by **Wemme** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:30 pm

Hello Joe
Welcome to the forum.

When you go to the "Save toolpath" window click the "Output all visible toolpaths to one file" check box.
This then allows you to select which toolpaths are to be saved into a file provided that they all use the same tool, an error message will appear if they are not. for the attached example all three toolpaths will be saved to a single file. so in effect you can have one file per tool regardless of how many toolpaths.

Hope this helps
Regards
Bart

Post by **Phillycyberjoe** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 12:43 am

Bart,
I appreciate the feedback. I have tried using the checkbox for making all toolpaths into a single file, however, my problem is that I am using two different tools. All I'm trying to do is to vcarve some text with a "V" bit and then some texturing with an endmill. Am I to understand that this cannot be done with a single file? I am certain that Mach3 has the provision for doing manual tool changes, but if I understand things correctly, VCP is not outputting the proper codes to tell the spindle to stop so the tool can be change. I sure hope I'm explaining this correctly!

Thanks again,
Joe

Post by **DwayneInfo** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 1:31 am

You have to tell Mach what to do with tool change command. Go to Cofig - General Config in Mach and it is the second selection down on the left. You also have to have different tool numbers set up in Vcarve. When you select a tool look at its settings, one of them is for tool number. Hope this helps some.

Dwayne

Post by **BrianM** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 9:10 am

Hi Joe,

If you want to output toolpaths using different tools from VCarve Pro into a single file you must choose a postprocessor with ATC support so that VCarve Pro knows to output tool change commands. It is then upto Mach to pause the machine to allow a manual toolchange as you dont actually have an ATC fitted.

Brian

Post by **Phillycyberjoe** » Fri Jan 05, 2007 4:29 pm

Hey Brian and Dwayne,
Thanks a bunch for the help. I fixed the config in Mach3 to deal with tool changes and also used the Mach3 postp WITH ATC and the program accepted everything as one file. I ran a test WITHOUT the machine and everything appears to work perfectly.

I really appreciate the help!

Joe