Wishlist: Separate G-code files per cutting pass

Kiri:Moto
1

Most of the advice I find on the linuxcnc forum says that for manual tool changes on a home brew mill, one should use a separate G-code file for each tool. The issue relates to rehoming the Z axis. Manual jogging during a program pause isn’t possible with linuxcnc, and without absolute machine positioning (I don’t have home switches), rehoming the Z axis can’t be fully automated.

Clearly I can get separate files in KM by enabling only one of roughing, outline, or contour, then exporting, then enabling just the next pass, then exporting again, etc. It would be awfully convenient to have an option to enable that splitting automatically: it would be less manual work, the file names could be cohesive, etc.

2

This is already on the todo list. Hopefully for 2.5

Having said that, this is a controller issue. I wrote my own controller (see GridBot SW project in github) that allows you to move things around during a tool change / pause, and then restore state after the new tool is homed and continue.

3

Agreed – it’s clearly a controller limitation. I hadn’t been planning on changing controllers s/w, but I’ll take a look at yours.

4

it’s not as fancy as some of the other ones out there. and certainly not as well documented :confused: but it serves my needs well, and it’s a small enough code base that I can easily update it with anything I need. also, it has more reliable serial port communications.

oh, one major caveat: I’m using a custom marlin firmware, not GRBL.

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5

I’m guessing when you close your eyes you see green G-code scrolling down the screen kinda like Neo!

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