Tool path offset in display

[chalon226]

I have used MACh3 for quite a while, but and new to MSM. I have MSM professional. The problem I have is that when I load gcode the paths are shown correctly but when I run, the tool path shown being cut is offset from the workpiece. Is there some register I am missing. I used the probe screen to find the corner and zeroed the coordinates.

Thanks,
Bob Duncan

[DaveCVI]

Hi Bob,
For the tool path display, mach handles the drawing and MSM just provides the window area to display it. Thus the tool path display in MSM (and any other screen set) should operate identically. Thus my first thought is to think about the buttons that set mach's tool path display options -

In MSM, the buttons that control mach's tool path options are along the bottom of the toolpath display window. From your description I'd guess that you have
TPath = ON (since Mach only draws the path with button on).

Do you have either
Bounds ON
or
J Follow ON ?

Either of these will cause mach to "offset" the tool path from the center of the display window.
J follow causes the display window to be centered on the current position and Bounds causes mach to show the "table area" as part of the display. Depending on where the axis limits are set up and where WC zero is set, this can cause the tool path to appear off the edge of the display window. You can usually find it by zooming out the window (Shift + left mouse button to zoom).

What has confused me many times is that mach does not immediately change the window contents when these buttons are turned on, instead it wait for the tool path to be "refreshed". That happens either when you click the refresh button, or when mach starts running gcode (as it refreshes the display as the gcode runs).

Are these buttons causing the display offset that you refer to?

Dave

[DaveCVI]

Bob,
BTW, since you said

Jul 31, 2012 19:58:05 GMT -8 chalon226 said:

I used the probe screen to find the corner and zeroed the coordinates.

Are you running MSM in Mill mode or lathe mode?
I'm thinking mill mode, since there is no probing support in lathe mode...

Dave