I just started my vacation, so I figured I’d make good use of my free time and actually learn to use VCarve. Several youTube videos later I dove in and started building my project, a simple clock face that I’m planning to give as a wedding gift.
I was able to make good progress with the clock, and I have all the toolpaths ready to go, but I’m wondering about the GCode sending. Until now I’ve done a ton of stuff in Easel, but the only thing I’ve used UGS for is Charley’s zero-axis touch plate.
My 2 questions :
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I am used to Easel, where you start with the bit on X0,Y0,Z0. I have a bump stop, homing switches, and I use G28 regularly. So … Once I home the machine, go to G28 and zero my Z axis, do I need to then manually raise the Z off the workpiece so that UGS wont start sliding the bit across the workpiece? Or can I home the machine, go to G28, zero the Z, reset the Z in UGS, then raise the bit myself and send the code?
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I notice in the properties of the material setup in VCarve (upper right corner, toolpath tab) that it shows the bit at 0.2" above the material, and notes a home position of X:0 Y:0 Z:0.8. Does this mean that all my carves are going to start relative to the 0.2" above the material, or is that the safe work height and my Z zero is truly on the top of the material?
I just don’t want to send a file and have the bit either 0.2" shallow, or scrape it’s way across the workpiece before it plunges for the first cut.
Thanks in advance!