How to set fusion 360 to work with the xcarve

hi everyone, i want to start using fusion 360 for 3d milling but i’m not sure of how to do it, so i would appreciate much if someone can explain step by step and tips with x carve and fusion 360

Thanks !

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This is a good place to start

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I’d ignore the bit about removing the G28 lines. If you just position the bit somewhere safe (high and vaguely in the middle of the workpiece is fine) and then do this on the command line:

G28.1

It’ll set the home position.

You’ll find yourself eventually just using the command line for a lot of stuff; I rarely use the buttons any more.

Concur, I started out removing the G28s before I realized how handy it was. To use it, make SURE that you have sent G28.1 with the spindle in a safe place (you only have to do it once, in the lifetime of the machine, it’s remembered until you change it) and it will happily return there each time.

Since I learned to use G28, I’ve been having AWESOME luck with Fusion360.

I end up moving it fairly often. The problem is that what you really want (well, what I really want) is for G28 to go to z0 first, then to whatever x and y are set to. It doesn’t do that; it’s going to move in a straight line to whatever you were at when you did G28.1.

Fusion will actually insert this sort of thing:

G28 G91 Z0
G28 X0 Y0

Which in theory should go all the way up before going back to XY. But since gcode is a standard in much the same way that I’m a famous movie star, grbl doesn’t do that. grbl is going to ignore the Z0 (G28 in grbl-land doesn’t take arguments) and move in a straight line to XYZ, probably smashing into lots of interesting bits on its way.

I suspect the best way to solve this for now is to keep using G28.1, but also to set your retract height in Fusion to be high enough that it avoids all of your fixtures. I don’t actually do this yet, I just move G28.

[G28.1 means “remember where I am.” G28 means “go to the place you remembered”. G28 z0 in some gcode implementations but not ours means “go to the place you remembered, but pass through z0 first, unless it’s a tuesday and you’re in incremental mode.”]

I just have my clearance height set high enough to clear my fixturing, myself. It works quite well for me. :smile:

Is there a way to set a default clearance height? I’m afraid I’m going to forget to set it on something with multiple passes. It’d be great if it could always be high.

I imagine the best thing to do is for someone to write an xcarve.cps post processor that outputs the correct flavor of gcode for our machines.

This video explains what you need to do. There is nothing wrong with using G28 in posted code, but you should be setting your home positions correctly each time you turn your machine on.