[sirkossorg]

(Ripped from my post to the GRZ forum months ago, no help)

Hello,
(MC5, build21. Windows 7, 64-bit)

I mostly use MC (a LOT) for lithophanes and 2.5d carvings, and MC5 certainly seems faster when it comes to linking toolpaths than MC4. I have found, intermittently, that MC5 will create toolpaths that appear to be UNDER the actual picture (all the green lines that show the finish path are underneath). When the gcode is written, it has no Z movement, it just rasters across the piece at some depth. What is odd to me is that I can't seem to predict when this will happen. I have successfully made 4 or 5 toolpaths using MC5, but have had this issue at least 3 times now.

Just to make sure I'm not high, I used the exact same picture with the exact same settings (I think) to create a toolpath with MC4. It works just fine.

I'm guessing there is some setting that I'm missing, but I'm not seeing it. I was going to attach the STL, but it's huge. I did attach some screenshots and the two gcode output files though.

If someone could set me straight, that would be great.

Thanks,

Chris

[jm82792]

Have you adjusted or otherwise played with the size of the stock, at times it won't produce anything unless you adjust it. Have you played with the machine(err forgot term) past the geometry setting? Adjusting that can also help when nothing is produced. I've abused Meshcam with rather large files, and at times it can act a bit buggy.

[robgrz]

Hi Chris- I think this was a bug due to the Translate or Move command being applied to bitmap machining. This command only changes the view but has no other benefit so I disabled it for bitmaps in the last release.

You can go to Download MeshCAM CNC Software to grab that beta release.

Thanks,
Robert

[sirkossorg]

Hi Chris- I think this was a bug due to the Translate or Move command being applied to bitmap machining. This command only changes the view but has no other benefit so I disabled it for bitmaps in the last release.

You can go to Download MeshCAM CNC Software to grab that beta release.

Thanks,
Robert

Robert,

Thank you for your response.

I'm probably wrong, but one of the benefits of the move command is letting me easily set the top of the part to zero. I don't know how else to do this.

Sorry if I'm being stupid here. How do I set the Z zero to the top of the part without the move geometry box?

Thanks,

Chris

[robgrz]

You can use the Set Program Zero command for that.

CAM->Set Program Zero is what you're looking for.

-Robert

[sirkossorg]

You can use the Set Program Zero command for that.

CAM->Set Program Zero is what you're looking for.

-Robert

Yes, that works. I guess I just got to used to doing it the other way.

Thank you for setting me straight w/MC5.

Chris