material surface xy start point

[berrows@comcast.net]

I want to Inlay, say I have done everything and now it's time to cut. #1, I mark with a pencil the cut start point on bottom left of the WORK SURFACE. #2, In Mach3 I have to z zero, I jog over a bit, hook up for auto tool, click auto tool, put that away, then turn on router and press start for the cut. #3, However, The machine never starts where my x y start position is, what am I missing. The Inlay tutorial is pretty vague at best. I have put all the DATUM POINTS in the bottom left. I don't see anything else that shows or tells me what else to do. Who out there can clue me in. It's a good thing I always test first, it always meanders to the top or middle of the work piece. Plus the DRO in Mach3 shows me where it's going to start but not in the position I marked, I don't think it's Mach3 it's in Cut2d. Thanks for any and all help coming this way...Doug

[Adrian]

With a standard post processor the tool will move to the XY position that you defined in the job setup and then move to the first vector start point to start the cut.

You need to set the XY home position in your control software to match the position you've set in job setup. Sounds like you're setting your Z but you make no mention of having set the XY position.

[berrows@comcast.net]

Hi, thanks for your input. My machine's home position is all the way to bottom left. My process is this. Secure work piece a couple inches down the X. Now I make my mark where the cut should start from. Then I put a small block on my mark to accentuate the X and the Y. Jog the machine to that point by eye balling it, then set the X Y point in Mach3. Next you must jog about an inch or so down the Y, set up the auto tool device, press auto tool down to just above the device and stop, ZERO out the Z position, remove device, turn my router on and press start. It then goes to and starts at those parameters. I get very precise start points anywhere I choose to put my marks. Cut2d ignores my marks and will start anywhere it wants. I can't seem to control or set it where needed. Does this help you to understand what's going on. Somewhere in 2d I'm missing something but I can't see it, it has to be something simple...Thanks...Doug

Now I know that if I fail to set the Z zero position, it will act the same as 2d, the DRO screen will show me that it's starting off in a far away land too. I can fix that, how do I fix 2d???

[Adrian]

Wherever you're zeroing the XY zero in Mach3 is what Cut2D will use as the XY zero Check that you don't have any offsets set in the Job Setup. If you've imported the vectors from a DXF file etc then you will almost certainly have offsets set.

Otherwise check that you're using the correct post processor and you're are setting the XY zero correctly in Mach3. I don't use Mach3 so I can't help you with that side of things but it should be the same as any other control software. Move to where you want the XY to be and press the X zero button and Y zero button. Not sure if that's what you mean when you say you are "setting" it.

[berrows@comcast.net]

Hi Adrian, no there are no offsets set and no 2d will not set where mach3 sets (where I set my marks). I use the Mach3 processor TXT no biggy there. As I mentioned earlier, I can get somewhat close when I manipulate 2d, but when I put MY mark down, it will not go there. So can you tell me what in 2d has to happen to set on the mark, or should I contact 2d support because we're just going back and forth. Take no offense please, but it has to be something simple a box not checked or something. I just went down and did an Inlay cut but it would not recognize my mark, it only recognized where I manipulated it in text. I will try and put the box right on the X and Y lines to see if it will hit my mark. You see the problem though, that means everything I do text or anything else, I have to put on the line and this is just for text and hope that on my good work piece to be accurate, no I'm missing a part of 2d's process somewhere...thanks again...Doug

[Hermie]

Where are you setting xy zero in cut 2d? It sounds like you are not setting xy zero in the same place on the cnc .

[berrows@comcast.net]

Hi Hermie, in the very first page is the job set up with the measurements and at the bottom is the start datum box to show where you want to start from. After that you do the text then on to toolpath. First page is the short set up one where you can also click the start datum position again. I click both the same, I have clicked in the middle of the first page and lower left on the second set up, it makes no difference what I do in any combination. When I bring it up in Mach3 the window shows it's at the top of what would be your work piece. So no matter where I put my start point, 2d will not start there, if you have read my questions and replies I think I have been very accurate in all the descriptions. What's adding more frustration is I can't seem to find a way to contact Vectric to ask this question. Like I said before, the only way I can get close is by manipulating the little perforated box on the big text screen by putting it as close to bottom left and still make sure your work is in the X and Y lines. I can put it close to bottom left but not in a precise manner for my work. I sure hope you have an answer, it has to be simple, something I'm just not clicking I guess...Thanks...Doug

[berrows@comcast.net]

Hi to all, maybe you all should tell me how you set yours up and I might just catch a glimpse of what I may be doing wrong. However, I'm getting pretty good at manipulating the text zone! I'm going to cut a piece of good stock using Cherry for the pocket and oak for the male...we shall see, meanwhile hope you all can come up with a solution for me. FYI. I use another great software and it's free, I can V Carve anything even though it is limited in some other areas. But when I set my L mark (pencil) for X and Y on my material surface, using a piece of material so I can eyeball it, when all is set to cut, it is precise and I can do that anywhere on the surface, I love it. When the cut is done it Z's up to a stop, I shut the router off and press the home button and it goes all the way back to where the machine homes to. Cut2d will finish, Z up and go to where the start point was, then I press Home so the machine can go all the way back. So what's the difference between the two software's. Somehow, I need to be able to mesh 2d with my machine...yes or no? Let me know what you guy's think...Doug

[Adrian]

What do you mean by "start at"? Do you mean where the router moves to at the start of the job or where the cut actually starts? Where the cut starts isn't the same as where you set the XY zero. If you've set the XY zero to be the bottom left in Cut2D and your first letter is 6" in the X from there and 2" from the Y then the cut will start at that the same offsets from the XY you've set in Mach3. Everything is relative from those positions not absolute.

To be honest I'm really struggling with the terminology you're using which is probably why we're going backwards and forwards. What is the perforated box you're talking about? Is that something in Mach3? I don't see what that has to do with setting the XY zero.

If you want to contact Vectric directly the support email is support@vectric.com

[BDM]

Hi Hermie, in the very first page is the job set up with the measurements and at the bottom is the start datum box to show where you want to start from. After that you do the text then on to toolpath. First page is the short set up one where you can also click the start datum position again. I click both the same, I have clicked in the middle of the first page and lower left on the second set up, it makes no difference what I do in any combination. When I bring it up in Mach3 the window shows it's at the top of what would be your work piece. So no matter where I put my start point, 2d will not start there, if you have read my questions and replies I think I have been very accurate in all the descriptions. What's adding more frustration is I can't seem to find a way to contact Vectric to ask this question. Like I said before, the only way I can get close is by manipulating the little perforated box on the big text screen by putting it as close to bottom left and still make sure your work is in the X and Y lines. I can put it close to bottom left but not in a precise manner for my work. I sure hope you have an answer, it has to be simple, something I'm just not clicking I guess...Thanks...Doug

I'm not following where you can set the "start datum position again" in the toolpath section? Once you set up the parameters to begin with in job set up, you shouldn't have to touch that again unless you're using a different board size. I'll give you my set-up routine. Set board size (say 12"w x 12"h x 0.75" thick), then select the lower left corner for where I want to start, hit okay. Then I do whatever the design is. In your case, let's put the text "Doug" in the center of the board. Once I like the look, I go to tool path set up. I select the text and decide to pocket the text with 1/16" endmill going to a depth of .0625". Hit calculate, the preview should show my text in the middle of my board. If I like it, I select the mach3 post processor and output to my flashdrive. Take flashdrive to my computer hooked to the router. Once Mach3 is up and running and I have my board clamped down. Move the bit over to the LOWER LEFT hand corner of the board, slowly lower it until it just touches the board. Zero X, zero Y, zero Z (in your case there would be another step for Z), but no matter where I am on the machine, if I press the return to zero button, it should come right back to where I originally set it. Not necessarily home, but where I set that point. Then pull the file up in Mach3, the picture should show the text in the middle of the screen and if my bit is still where I originally set it (0,0,0), then that point on the screen should be in the lower left hand corner. At that point I start the router, hit the start button in Mach3 and the bit should then raise up to whatever safe height you set and go to (0,0,safe ht) (if you happened to move the bit from the original). It should then move near the center of the board and start routing the text. When it is done, the bit should move up to the safe height again and then move back to the lower left hand corner where it started (0,0,safe ht) and wait for you to shut off the router. With that being said, I could have had a 4'x8' sheet of plywood on the machine and made 32 of those objects as long as I moved the router each time and created a new (0,0,0) for each one. Cut2D doesn't care and neither does Mach3 what is on the machine, it's assuming there is a 12"x12" square where you say it is and it's going to make all it's calculations based on that assumption and starting point.

If you're still having problems after this, make some screen shots of every step you do along the way and post it. Using Cut2D with Mach3 is done everyday by thousands of users, so it shouldn't be that complicated.

[berrows@comcast.net]

Hi to Adrian, Hermie and BDM. Guy's, I guess at 77 you do lose a little so remember me when you get there. Fellas, I was on my machine going over everything with Mach3, then into Cut2d looking for answers for hours! I re-did my Inlay letters and checked everything with a fine tooth comb, I think I even drew a bit of sweat on my brow...Ha! Ha!. Seriously, I found the problem and yes as I said, it was a very simple mistake on my part. When I get to doing my test runs, I'm moving at Mach3 speed because I'm anxious to see if what I have created is going to work. So, here it is. When I was doing the Inlays I can go right into the next and keep cutting. After the machine homes itself, I am marking the next start point XY. I bring up the next G-Code and it's not where I marked!!! In my haste after the cut, I forgot to ZERO OUT THE X Y AND Z DRO'S. So 2d will not go to my mark. I looked and looked and if you stair at something long enough, strange things can happen. It did, I noticed the Dro's were not reset to O. when I did ZERO it went right to the lower left nice as you please. I did both ways 3 or 4 times and I watched my little screen in Mach3 move the text up and down...Praise the LORD!!! So guy's, thankyou from the bottom of my heart for all your effort, thankyou again and great cutting guy's...Doug

[berrows@comcast.net]

Hi again guy's, this is short and sweet. Beside the fix I gave you guy's last night about zeroing the XYZ, today I found the real way to do this. Ready, in text, all I have to do is set my ANCHOR POINTS to X=3.9 and Y =0.0......that's it, have a great day Gents and thanks...Doug