VCarve Pro...changing the project when we make small change.

[WEWIII]

Riddle me this....This project we are working on...We are still evaluating the speeds. So...we may pause the project on the table when it has made a single pass and cleared the wood...in order to make slight speed adjustments.
HERE IS THE CRAZY, AGGRAVATING THING- We then make a slight speed setting change (example...it could be any small change) in VCarve. We have not messed with any other aspect.
When we send the adjusted code back to the CNC, VCarve, has changed the router path. In addition, the Z axis has slightly changed, and the X path is off 1/2".

It is driving us nuts. Why would a very slight change in programming cause this to happen? Anyone?

Thanks.

[milo30]

If I am understanding you correctly, you allow it to complette the first pass then hit pause, change the file in vcarve, resend it to the cnc and it is off. If that is the proceedure that you are using, I'd suggest 2 things. One, use the maximum speed in vcarve that you could run and then use the slider bar on the shark program to adjust the speed. You won't have to pause the machine and you can get a good estimate on what type of speed you need to be using in vcarve for future files.

I wouldn't be using the pause myself, I'd be using the emergency stop and then send it back to zero before I loaded a new file. You almost have to rezero it with the new file. I would think that you wouldn't but I have found recently that sometimes when the machine completes the file and should move back to the zero location and just raise the z to the defined height, it has been off by a few inches in the Y and X. I never had it happen before and can't explain why it sometimes happens now. It may be cause by the last software upgrade for the shark. I am only guessing that because it never happened before. Generally speaking, the Z usually doesn't require me using the touch ad again, just moving it to the .625 on it's scale and it is back in the proper location. The X and Y will show they are zero'd for me even when it is obvious that they are several inches off.

I don't believe it is in your vcarve file from what I have seen myself.

[drueth]

WewIII

If you want to change the speed you can do that on the fly by moving FRO slider up or down from the control pannel during the cut with out going back to Vcarve. Now the second part of your problem, After you pause the cut did you also ESTOP the cut and return to 0,0,0 . If you did not return the router to Z Zero But reloaded the tap file I am sure you are going to have some strange results. If I load a .tap file the router is alway at the safe 0, so for me that would be X=0, Y=0, Z=.8 If I press return to 0,0,0 the router bit shold move down to about .005 above the work in the corner of the board I am cutting.

[maxxxpower1000]

WEWII,

I noticed the same thing. Yesterday I was experimenting with a 1/2" straight bit and cutting a silhouette of a bear. I was trying to figure out what the best cutting depth would be. I was doing exactly what you described. I set the FRO for 25% to avoid any sudden movements, load the tap file and run it for a few seconds. I changed the cutting depth in V carve by .0325 3x and the machine ran a different path each time. I didn't change anything else and I returned the machine to 0,0,0 before loading a new tap file. Glad its not just me that seen this.

[cellofanatic]

When you load a new TAP file, the head always goes to zero when you start the run. Have you seen the topic on 'Issue with Pause' ? If you are running the 'i' version of the controller I would revert to the 'h' or earlier. Since I did this I have had no issues with shifts of coordinates while milling through pausing or speed changing.

cheers,
Rob

[milo30]

I hope this gets figured out quick. I am about to run several hundred cuts of the same file and I am relying on the machine being zeroed after each project to be able to do it in a timely manner. If you figure out the cause please post it. What version of the shark software are you running? It sure seems to be a software issue to me. I don't think we would see multiple machine malfunctions of the same thing. I guess I better make a jig to check the zero before each cut to be safe for now.


Knock on wood it has only happened a couple of times to me.

[cellofanatic]

Its hard to know what's going on because its fairly rare, and when it occurs one is concerned for the job, and doesn't necessarily take in all the pertinent facts about its occurrence...my current feelings are as follows:-
As far as I can see there are (at least) two issues: 1. Losing the home position and 2.Losing track of the coordinates for the current run, but not actually losing home, ie, homes correctly if job is aborted. (and 3. both of these together)

regarding 1.
I have been 'sharking' for about a year now, and it is only recently that losing x/y precision has become an issue(ie losing home), ie unless it has occurred for a reason such as hitting an object of some sort. Since reverting back to 'h' version of the controller I believe this issue has gone away. On the 'i' version I definitely saw X shift by about 2mm when I did a speed change on the slider.

regarding 2 -
Pressing pause at the 'wrong' time (maybe when the machine is on a track between 2 points) can halt the machine, but the fields in the 'parts coordinate' pane keep running. The Gcode pane stops however. When you 'continue' the Z value is incorrect - in my cases so far, luckily too high - eg at safez, which is where I would have paused it. In other words, it has lost a command somewhere telling the head to move down, and the job continues with an offset in Z. Since reverting back to the h' version I have seen this once, but the coordinate values were not lost, ie it homed correctly.

I am going into this much detail in the hope that New Wave will take note and investigate this issue and either give some guidance or find a bug to fix in the controller program. There are all sorts of other features it would be nice to have in the controller program, but the issue raised here need to be fixed as a priority.

Is it possible to link this topic to 'Issue with Pause' ? - I don't get on very well with this forum software, and don't know how to do it.
cheers,
Rob

[milo30]

cellofanatic, it seems that most who experience this are using the pause. I know that on one occasion for me it was after the cut was completed and when the machine went back to zero that I found it off by a few inches. It cut the entire file correctly. Now, it might happen more often after the cut as I usually am through and just pulling the board off the machine and could have just not noticed it. This time I was unhappy with the depth and was going to run the file a second time when I noticed that it was pretty far off the mark I had placed for the zero.

I don't remember when the last update that I loaded occurred but I haven't noticed this before. There may even be a more recent update available than what I am running. I haven't used the machine in a few weeks and it isn't connected directly to the internet. I might have used the slider for the speed during the cut. That I don't remember. Atleast I am pretty sure it isn't a machine issue so I figure eventually they'll update the software and will fix it. Since it is not a normal occurrence, I can live with it til they figure it out.

[drueth]

To all

I belive I am reading there are two issue here.
One Vcarve is not running the same tool path in the same order it did the first time you saved the file. And I would have to say Yes if you turn on Animate preview and watch how the cuts are done by changing the order you select the vectors or the depth of cut or maybe the type of bit Vcarve will change the order that it cuts the tool path. You can control the order of cut if you need to.

Second If you pause the cut and return the router to 0,0,0 and it does not returning to 0 I would say some part of your cut was to aggressive and the Shark has lost it place. Raise the bit above the work pice and zero the bit, now do an air cut and see if the bit returns to the same spot. If you have the router moving so fast that the table is rocking and rolling this is telling me the cut is to fast for the shark. When you do the cut do you here the bit screaming, that is also tell me to slow down.

I have found the Shark can work well if you do a few things. 1. Have it on a flat sold level table. 2. SLOW down your cuts. 3. Keep it clean and lube the rails and bearings. 4. It is also a huge help if you bite the bullet and beef up the table and gantry as many of us have done.