Pocket Toolpath Start Location

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wildew
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Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Homemade using Mach controller

Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by wildew »

I'm stumped - and so far the searches I've done haven't seemed to help.
I started setting up a very simple routine to cut drawer bottom slots, doesn't get much easier...
I set the material 0,0 to the rear right to make it easier to load / unload pieces - I need to make 30 some drawers.
Set up my machine 0,0 to the rear right corner of the work piece.
Added an initial pocket toolpath, did the calculate and the job ran / cut as expected.
I had to make a few tweaks to the pocket width, depth, and left offset to get it right where I wanted it, on one of the later recalculates Cut2D decided it needed to travel all the way to the front left of the area to cut (instead of right rear as expected) before it started the slot and then it also had to "deadhead" all the way to the rear of the piece when it was done (19" long piece, takes a few seconds) - Say What ??
I did check and set the start point of the vector to the right rear corner of the slot, haven't changed the pass method, still on conventional offset (clockwise path).
I created the initial job on Cut2D Desktop 11.5, did the update to Cut2D 12.013 and it appears that the advanced toolpath settings are gone?

Tried deleting / recreating the slot and job, no luck.
Created a new job with 0,0 at the front right of the piece, re-zeroed the machine and it cuts fine but the cutter head is out of position for an easy reload. Any thoughts on how to get it back to starting and ending the cut at the rear of the machine bed without a full round trip of travel?

Thanks
Dale

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ohiolyons
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Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by ohiolyons »

It would help if you uploaded your file and photos of your settings.
This is my guess if I understand what you are looking for.
You want to change the starting point of your cut, correct?

Go to 2d view
select the vector and go into node editing
the green dot is where it will start, just select the node where you want it to start and right click it
RECALCULATE
Your problem should be resolved if I understand your issue correctly.

You will drive yourself crazy trying to introduce logic into the way their algorithm figures things out.
John Lyons
CNC in Kettering, Ohio

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Adrian
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Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by Adrian »

As said it's always best to attach the file as there are so many things that need to be checked to help with issues like this.

I'm a bit confused about your statement that the advanced toolpaths settings are gone. There are no advanced toolpath settings for a pocket toolpath in either v11 or v12. It's the profile toolpath that has those and you get them back by checking the box at the top of the profile toolpath dialog.

Moving the start point has no effect on a pocket toolpath. Generally a pocket toolpath will always lift and return on each pass to avoid issues with islands in the material.

From your description of where the machine is going it sounds to me as the controller software or perhaps the post processor has some hard code home/start positions in it.

wildew
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Homemade using Mach controller

Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by wildew »

Thanks for the responses.
Attached are 2 screen shots and the current job file.
- clarification on advanced settings noted.
- The red line in the screenshots is the "issue", cut1 is the file that worked as expected with the zero positions at the front right.
cut2 is the result of setting Y0 at the rear and changing the start point of the vector.

Yup, going a little more crazy trying to understand the logic here :)
Attachments
cut1.jpg
cut2.jpg
slot.crv
(20 KiB) Downloaded 7 times

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sharkcutup
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Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by sharkcutup »

If it was me carving this I would prefer the Raster Strategy rotating 90.0 degrees

Sharkcutup
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CharlieP
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Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by CharlieP »

Would using a Profile cut on the Inside give you the option you are looking for?

An Offsetting Pocket would not give you the option to get the start point you are looking for in this case, and a Raster one will allow you to adjust the start point with the Raster angle method mentioned by sharkcutup.

The Profile though would give the same toolpath result you have in your example file, but with the choice of starting the toolpath nearer the tools starting rapid location. This is of course only a suitable suggestion in this case where your pocket is simply tracing the inside of the Rectangle vector without any stepover's and would not work if your pocket had a stepover in it.

wildew
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Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Homemade using Mach controller

Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by wildew »

The profile option sounds like a simple solution, I'll try that.

Thanks

wildew
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:19 pm
Model of CNC Machine: Homemade using Mach controller

Re: Pocket Toolpath Start Location

Post by wildew »

The profile toolpath option worked great for this application, thanks.

Dale

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