Warning

MillMage is in active development and in a prerelease state. Many operations and functions are not feature complete. Please report any unexpected behavior by searching for and reporting the issue or question in the MillMage Beta User Forum. Please include screenshots and as much detail as possible.

Beta Users: Finding Help

Find help and download the latest release candidate of MillMage in the MillMage Beta User Forum.

Users new to MillMage should follow the Getting Started guide.

Warning

This documentation is in active development and in a prerelease state. These documents are not complete and may include missing pages, broken links, and placeholders. Content is being updated as feedback is reviewed. Your patience is appreciated.

Project Setup Wizard

Quick Reference: Project Setup Wizard

• 

  Establish project-specific parameters including workholding, stock dimensions, and origin points through a guided, step-by-step wizard.

• Location

  CNC Tools → Project Wizard

The Project Setup Wizard is a step-by-step guide to set up your project by choosing your CNC machine, defining setup parameters, material dimensions, and establishing the project zero point — also known as the work offset.

MillMage customizes the Workspace and user interface based on your project parameters and the CNC machines added to the Devices list. The Workspace displayed in MillMage will be an accurate rectangular representation of the stock material dimensions used in the project — not the working area of your CNC machine.

Enter placeholder values if the details are not known to continue through the wizard.

Access the Project Setup Wizard by selecting CNC Tools → Project Wizard.

Machine Setup

Select Desired Machine

Pick the CNC machine you will be using for this project in the Machine dropdown. Follow the Adding a CNC Machine to MillMage guide for a step-by-step walkthrough on adding a CNC machine to MillMage.

Refer to Devices for more information.

Import Project...

Optionally select the Import Project... button to load a previously saved MillMage .mage or LightBurn .lbrn2 project file.

Unit of Measure Setup

Choose Project Units of Measure

Set the project units to Millimeters (mm) or Inches (in).

Change the project units of measure at any time by pressing the mm or in button found inbetween the Numeric Edits toolbar and the Text Tools toolbar.

Material Dimensions

Enter Material Dimensions

Accurately measure the material stock and enter the dimensions in the Width, Depth, and Stock Material Thickness fields.

Ensure that the material stock is securely fastened within the machine workspace before operating the machine.

More Information: Workholding

Zero Point

Set Project Z Axis Zero Point

The Workpiece Zero Point is the point along the up and down Z Axis where the tip of the router bit is physically touching either the top of the material stock, or at the bottom, touching the waste board surface.

Setting the Workpiece Zero Point tells MillMage how to translate the desired cut depths and directions set in the Operations window into the GCode commands needed to perform the final machining operations.

Project Origin

Set Project X and Y-axis Zero Point

Choose the project origin — also known as the work offset — to set the (0,0) point for the X- and Y-axis on the material workstock in relation to the first imported or drawn artwork. The project origin corresponds to the physical X- and Y-axis point you will home the tip of the router tooling against.

Select Bottom Left or Center for most projects.

Safe Clearance Height

Enter Measured Safe Clearance Height

Safe clearance height is the measured distance above all elements of the stock material, high enough for the CNC router tooling or bits to freely move within the workspace without colliding with workholding clamps, fixtures, and fasteners.

Collision Warning

Workholding fixtures are NOT included by default in the Safe Clearance Height. Account for workholding fixture height and add their values into calculations to prevent collisions.

More Information: Workholding

Fast Retraction

Enter Fast Retraction Height

Fast retraction height is the distance above the material stock to lift the router tooling up when moving between features. This feature is on by default.

Collision Warning

To prevent collisions, only enable fast retraction if the inner area of the material stock is free of clamps, fasteners, and other obstructions.

Related Topics

• Safety and Warnings
• Project Setup Wizard
• MillMage User Interface Tour

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For more help using MillMage, please visit our forum to talk with MillMage staff and users, or email support.

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