I find myself not using the goto X,Y,Z button because I dont want to start my cut when the Z is at zero. mostly because I dont want the router/spindle to start up and dig into the wood.
I like to move my head out of the way, secure the work surface with screws, the I would like to be able to hit the GOTO X,Y and start the job.
its a little annoying that the Goto X and Goto Y are multiple clicks. but Its how I am using the application because its how its designed. I wonder how many other see the same issue?
@Menglor Stephen: Since you don’t offer the status quo as an option, I’ll vote this way. I like the option to go to a specific axis 0. I have no issue with needing two clicks to get to X0Y0 - the status quo. I don’t use it much, but it is a handy option. I generally use the go to XYZ0. My safe Z is set high enough that I don’t hit anything or dig into the material, so it’s one click and I’m home.
All that said, if the programmers can accommodate more options, why not? I suspect that they need to balance the complexity of the available options with the risk of option paralysis in users.
@Menglor I don’t know if you were asking me, so I’ll respond. There are two ways to set a safe Z. I use VCarvePro as my CAM application and I can set a safe Z in that program, which then becomes a part of the gcode that gsender runs. Any fast moves then use the safe Z to ensure that the bit is at a preset distance from the top of the material. However if I am jogging before the toolpath is running, gsender has a safe height setting that I can use. This is not Z0, which could be set at the top of the material, at the bottom of the material, at the top of the spoilboard, or at any arbitrary height setting.
I use the custom button capabilities of CNCjs now and will never be willing to give them up now that I have used them. I know most people probably do not use them but they are extremely useful in my opinion. For example, I have a “Park” button that moves the Z axis to 5mm and then moves X and Y to 5mm at a very rapid speed. I also have buttons that do either XY probes, XYZ probes, or Z only probes for multiple diameter bits.
I think for me this is now become an expected feature in the UX process.
@Menglor I don’t think we are all that different, Stephen. When I am using the centre of the material as my X0Y0, I mount the piece, then move the router to the centre mark that I have put on it. I then set X0Y0. I use either the plate or a thin feeler gauge to set Z0, then start the job. If I have a bit change after the first toolpath, I jog the machine to close to the front, then change the bit. I set an arbitrary Z0, then click on return to zero. The machine moves back to the centre mark with the Z being high. I reset Z0 there and move along. I find that it is important to set Z0 in the same place in the material for each bit, as the material is not always perfectly consistent in its thickness.
On longer jobs, because I am paranoid about freezing, I have started using the front left corner as my X0Y0, since I can return to that exact same spot if I need to restart, using the touch plate.
In either case, all I was trying to say was that, using gsender, I have no problem clicking on “go to X0” , then " go to Y0". That said, again, if the Sienci team includes a button to “go to X0Y0”, in addition to the others that are there now, why not?
Interesting. So this opens up the conversion of applying an artificial mechanical stop on the rails to physically stop the mill at a predetermined location. Say 4" in on the Y and 7 " over on the X to provide a fixed X0Y0. This would be like a reverse hard homing. Now, what about having a portable or adjustable homing switch that would be mounted in any location and provide a reverse soft homing action, and when zero, would give a repeatable X0Y0. Does the hardware/software allow for this ??? OR, working from the home position, have adjustable home switches that slide alone the rails to relocate to a new artificial home position you prefer, and the software will support this with Toolpath Zero Top-Left.
Are you suggesting this so that we would have a fixed starting point to re-start from in the event of a freeze? I’m thinking not since we can do that now with either limit switches or by using locator pins or blocks, etc.
I’m confused,but intrigued. Tell us more, please.
I think one point that you’re missing is that your table might be 30x30 someone else’s might be 15x30 and what not so the software needs to be flexible for everything
It’s my belief that everybody should manually set their XY or use homing switches
That said I’m starting to think that we need a button that we can macro to be able to do something that we want that’s visible and sort of in a go-to XY location
So in your case if you wanted your XY button to say go 4 in one way and 7 in the other you could write a Macro or that does that
@Megistus I’m not sure, Wayne, if you are directing this to me. To be clear, I have never advocated “ramming” the gantry anywhere. If I have confused anyone, I apologize.
@Megistus No worries, Wayne. I likely was not clear. I was trying to describe how I zero out the Mill. Like you, more often than not, I set X0Y0 to the centre of the material. However, since that is just eyeballing, if I need to re-start the job for any reason, I can be off a smidge (technical term). So, I have been setting X0Y0 to the left front corner on some long jobs. That way, I can use the plate and the probe and find it again if I need to. When I place the material, unless I need the full capacity of the Mill, that left front corner is a inch or so off both the X and Y limits. It can be anywhere, and then I set X0Y0 at whatever that location is.
I do some large picture frames and, of course, there is no centre point anyway. For them, I have dowel pins along the X and Y axes against which I place the frame material. The pins are also about an inch in from the X and Y limits. They make sure that the bare frame is square to the axes of the Mill and in a repeatable position.
