Changing Z speed "on the fly"?

[myxpykalix]

I was out running a indexer file and have forgotten how you change the Z speed "on the fly"? I know to change the move speed for X,Y you just use the < > buttons but while the machine is running and the cursor is "trapped" you can't click the Z box to change it manually and I haven't needed to do it in so long I have forgotten:confused: :eek:

[rb99]

I don't know any of the speed moves. What do you mean by "the cursor is trapped"?

[srwtlc]

Hit the enter or spacebar key, then (I)nsert command and do a MS and enter the values you want. Then hit resume and if you're lucky, it will resume where it left off with the new values.

Edited; Shouldn't really say "if you're lucky", as it generally works just fine for speed changes. ;)

[rb99]

Why if you are lucky?

[srwtlc]

Pausing and resuming can be troublesome at times, but as I said above, it usually doesn't cause a problem with simple speed changes.

As it's been said before, the shift and < > keys don't adjust ramping. If it's a small change, your fine, but if it's a large change in move speed, you should use the insert command so that ramping is also adjusted.

[rb99]

What does Jack mean by "I know to change the move speed for X,Y you just use the < > buttons but while the machine is running and the cursor is "trapped""?

What are the options to change speeds and ramps during a cut?

[adrianm]

Richard,

While the machine is running you can't move the mouse on the PC. It's trapped to the STOP box. That's what Jack means.

The keyboard commands available when a job is running are (look at keyboard shortcuts on the SB3 help menu):


Spacebar, Enter, click => Stops a running File (if speed is over
3”/sec, then a ramped stop with pull-up
occurs)
S => Stops running File with ramp and pull-up
Shift > => Increase Move Speed on-the-fly
Shift < => Decrease Move Speed on-the-fly
Shift + => Increase Spindle Speed (if installed)
Shift - => Decrease Spindle Speed (if installed)

But as Jack says none of those affect the Z speed alone which is where Scotts suggestion comes in.

[rb99]

Richard,

While the machine is running you can't move the mouse on the PC. It's trapped to the STOP box. That's what Jack means.

The keyboard commands available when a job is running are (look at keyboard shortcuts on the SB3 help menu):



But as Jack says none of those affect the Z speed alone which is where Scotts suggestion comes in.


Thank you!

[myxpykalix]

I was trying to equalize my speeds along the flats and coves of the design. Imagine that you are on a road with flat surfaces, then dips in the roads and hills.
You can go 80 miles an hour on the short flat areas but when you come to a dip in the road you have to slow down to 10 miles an hour, then speed up again on the flat then slow down to 10 going up the hill. That's my problem.
I can "step on the gas" in the flats by doing SHIFT > and bumping it up but because i can't manually change the Z ramping speed, i'm stuck doing 80, 10, 80, 10 where i'd make it a little more even speeds.

The problem with using the Insert command is that there are sections of the cutting where i like to goose up the speeds but then there are parts where i need to be able to slow back down, and doing those pauses/restarts are just asking for problems.

Maybe they could write in a command where you could do an ALT (right arrow key) to shift the ability to adjust your speeds from the X,Y MOVE Speed box to the Z Speed box, then use the SHIFT > to bump that up?:confused:

[Brady Watson]

You should stick to 'known good' 3D machining speeds (1,1; 2,1; 2,2; 3,2; 5,3) and adjust your VR Slow Corner Speed (and nothing else!) up or down to affect how the tool behaves on that type of file. Increasing the number in the SCS will make moves over or around corners more aggressive, lowering the number will cushion moves. Some files with very small or intricate moves will go the speed they want to go, and that's it. This is the challenge of efficient 3D machining.

You cannot adjust Z speed on the fly because look ahead commands in the stack have to be recalculated and reloaded into the processor. Whenever you stop or pause the tool, the command buffer stack is effectively purged and refilled with new commands that reflect the changes that you make with the Insert Command option, such as a change in Z speed.

You can read about VR and ramping via the Ramping, the VR Command and How to Tune Your Tool for Maximum Performance (http://www.shopbotblog.com/index.php/2008/03/a-ramping-the-vr-command-and-how-to-tune-your-tool-for-maximum-performance/) SCS will influence the behavior of your machine more than any other. Leave 3D Threshold at 100 or 150.

-B

[myxpykalix]

Maybe we should rename you Brady "wiki" Watson because you seem to have the factual answers to all our questions:D Thanks! I'll read that reference. I have seen other videos of other machines (don't know the software running it) where it zipped along up and down and around at virtually the same speed and thought i could equalize mine out to at least be a bit closer in relative speeds.

[rb99]

I agree Brady is the CNC Oracle. Amazing wealth of knowledge! He is the Yngwie Malmsteen of CNC.

[steve_g]

Richard

Yup... you made me do it... Google Ingwe Malmsteen. But when I realized you meant "Yngwie malmsteen" I said of course!

SG

[rb99]

Thanks Steve...

fix'd

[myxpykalix]

No, no, no,...he is our "Master Po"...don't you see the resemblance?:rolleyes::D

[rb99]

No, no, no,...he is our "Master Po"...don't you see the resemblance?:rolleyes::D

You are a master at photoshop.