Safe Z, Home Z, Jog Z. Move Z. Confu Z ed

[mporter88]

Thanks to everyone who posts here as this forum has been a great help over the last few months.

I have a 24x48 buddy....have learned quite a bit and am producing some good stuff...at least to me anyway :-)

But I am confused by how Z height settings relate and cant seem to find a search term that will return the nice clear explanation I am looking for (hopefully).

Basically I want my Z "home" to be 1.25" above material.
I want it to jog (and move?) at that height without sloping downward so as to
always pass above the compression clamps that are holding my .25" material into the fixture pocket (split sections of PVC piping on fixture mounted screws with a wing nut to apply downward pressure).

I am confused about how to achieve that. Aren't there applicable settings in both Shopbot Control...and Partworks?

I thought I figured it out once...but now cannot remember what I thought I figured out....which typically means I didnt really have a grip on it.

Any help would be appreciated...even pointing me at a relevant search term.

Thanks very much.

Mike Porter

[tmerrill]

Hi Mike,

If you are using one of the Vectric products (VCarve Pro, Partworks, Aspire, Cut2D) these two FAQs should help you:

http://support.vectric.com/aspire-questions/item/how-to-ensure-my-bit-will-not-hit-a-clamp

http://support.vectric.com/aspire-questions/item/how-to-use-safe-z-settings-z1-and-z2

If you are using other software, or these don't help, let us know.

Tim

[mporter88]

Using partworks.
Will review what you sent.
Appreciate it.
MP

[mporter88]

How does the "Safe Z Height" in the Cutter Tab of the shop bot console relate to the tool path clearance height that those links explain?
I think I also found another menu in the Shopbot Console where Z settings can be made.
I guess my confusion is related to the ability to set multiple Z 'safe heights'.

Thanks again.
MP

[tmerrill]

Mike,

Here is my understanding between the two.

If you load and run a cut file (.sbp) created in Partworks, the settings you have made in Partworks controls the movement of the bit when it is traveling across the machine and/or material.

If you stop a cut file while it is running with the space bar or Emergency Stop, you have transferred control of the bit back to the control system and the bit will raise to the Safe Z setting you have set.

Any time you are doing operations with your machine other than running a .sbp file generated by Partworks, the Safe Z setting in the control system will be controlling.

Tim

[mporter88]

Perfect.
Thank you very much.
MP