So anyone coming from Carbide Create is probably familar with the Advanced V carve function. Essentially you pick 2 tools, generally an end mill to remove the bulk of any flat areas in a pocketing operation, and then you choose a V bit to either get in the small spaces or clean up the corners to make it V carved. The way it is handled in Carbide Create is once the pocketing operation is done it prompts for a tool change. then you switch to the v bit and off you go.
My question is, how will the Onefinity CAM software handle this. If i generate a toolpath in Carbide create and export the gcode will the OF CAM software recognize the tool change entry and stop moving so i can do a tool change, or will it view it as one big file and start trying to carve my lettering with an end mill?
My unit arrives tomorrow so I am eager to give this a try. That is the one downside to the OF that I can see so far. Probably 95% of my projects involve multiple tools. I think while this machine may be better overall, it may be slower with having to rezero all the time.
If it’s made in Carbide Create and you selected the right post processor within carbide create, it SHOULD ask for a new tool (depending on how Carbide 3d wrote their post processor)
@OnefinityCNC thank you for the reply. In looking at the G code, there is a M6 tool change command. Hopefully that triggers the ask. here is a snippet around the tool change below.
X99.08Y105.22
X99.32Y104.59
X99.62Y104.02
X99.68Y103.92
X100.06Y103.35
Z2.54
(seal logo - Vee)
M05
(Move to safe Z to avoid workholding)
G53G0Z-5.000
(TOOL/MILL,0.03, 0.00, 10.00, 9.00)
M6T18
M03S20000
(PREPOSITION FOR RAPID PLUNGE)
G0X101.00Y104.08
Z2.54
G1Z-1.27F635.0
X101.39Y103.61F1524.0
X102.10Y102.90
X102.61Y102.45
X103.45Y101.78
Im stuck… Just attempted to try this method and after finishing with first 1/4" flat endmill bit, i wasn’t able to remove the bit to switch to V bit. Since I can’t raise Z to clear work area. I had to completely stop the program. what is another method to get the Z to go up all the way for the tool change.
So are you saying that with the advance v carve it didn’t work for the bit change? I also would like to figure this out. I’m planning to do many things with this option.
@Mattunc73 the Onefinity software does not recognize the advanced v carve feature. The path does stop but the z axis doesn’t go up so you can’t do a bit change. You have to do everything as a separate path.
Thank you for the response. I’m just learning the software as I don’t get my machine for a while. How would I set up the first tool path to make sure I’m not taking out the material where my raised vcarv is? Not sure if that made sense. Thanks for the help.
I wonder if it would be possible to set an appropriate “Retract Height” to something like 3" in the Job Setup tab within Carbide Create, and if the job would pause at the designated retract height…? That’s a lot of extra z-travel time throughout the entire job, but perhaps better than nothing (if it works).
It theory it sounds like it would work but someone mentioned above that Onefinity CAM doesn’t recognize that it is actually 2 tool paths and it doesn’t prompt for a bit change.
I just experienced this today. I stopped the program, moved the router, changed the bit, zeroed Z, and stopped there. I recorded the line number hoping I can restart the program from there.
Yes! It did work! I have another big job in the next few days. This time I’ll divide the Carbide Create g-code into two files before running them so I can check everything beforehand.
Can you elaborate on how you saved the two files in advanced v carve? I see this is an older post, but can’t find a correct answer on how to actually run the advanced v carve in carbide create. I’m not sure how to save each tool path? I’m only seeing one tool path when I create the tool path in advanced v carve. Thanks!
@Hnatman there is no way to break apart the advanced v carve file within Carbide Create itself. You either have to create two separate tool paths and save them or you can use this tool to split the advanced v carve tool path. It will automatically generate the two paths you need. Then you just run each one separately. This is what I do and it works really well.
@Hnatman you should be able to just copy them from wherever they saved on your computer and paste them to a USB or load them into the onefinity web page. When it says move to 0,0 that is whatever your zero is set at. That is usually lower left, but doesn’t have to be.
Thanks! Look forward to trying this out. After I replied back I found the files in my download folder on my hard drive. I couldn’t save the files directly to my USB.