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Controlling Your CNC Machine

Now that you've added a machine, set up a project, created a tool library, and assigned operations to your shapes, it's time to look at how to control your CNC machine using the Move and Job Control Windows.

Move Window

Use the Move Window to jog the tool around the work area, activate optional hardware features, home the axes, get tool position, establish project origins when zeroing out each axis, and move the tool to saved positions.

Start In MillMage, Move With MillMage

Always use MillMage to perform any movement, homing, or project zeroing/Workpiece Coordinate Offset setting after your CNC machine is powered on and has been homed to Machine Zero.

Movements or Work Coordinate Offset changes driven through hardware-based accessories like pendants or onboard jogging controls may cause unexpected machine behavior before, during, or after jobs.

Tool Position Display

Tool Position Display within the Move Window

The top of the Move Window displays the position of the tool in relation to both the Machine and Workspace Coordinate space.

Machine Position vs. Workpiece Position

MillMage displays the current tool position relative to two coordinate systems: Machine Coordinates and Workpiece Coordinates. The Position tab in the Move Window has a toggle to select which coordinate system to use for positioning.

  • Machine Position is the position of the tool relative to the entire area of the machine. This coordinate system will be consistent regardless of the size or origin of the workpiece between projects.
  • Workpiece Position is the position of the tool relative to the workpiece defined in Project Setup and by zeroing out the axes in the Move Window's Position. This coordinate system will vary between projects.

Probing

Probing Wizard Button

The Probing button will open the Probing Wizard, allowing you to configure and begin probing with probe blocks and tool length probes.

Probing Wizard Screenshot

Read the Probing guide for more information: Probing

Zero Axes

Setting Project Origin

Be careful when jogging!

Before jogging your machine, check the following:

  • Your jog speed is set to an appropriate value for your machine.
  • The jog interval is set to a reasonable value.
  • The tool has a clear travel path.
  1. Jog your tool close to the project workpiece and carefully move the tip of the tool down towards the work until the tool centerline is at your desired X and Y axis Project Origin point.
  2. Lower the tool along the Z axis using smaller move increments until the tip of the tool is touching the material stock.
  3. Use the XYZ 0 button to set the current tool position as the workpiece origin (0,0,0) for all three axes at once, or use X0, Y0, and/or Z0 to set your project zero on each axis.

Zero Buttons from the Position tab

Combined with Workpiece Coordinates, this lets you work and move in the same coordinate system used in your MillMage project.

Changing Your Project Origin Settings

Change the location of your Project Origin if a different origin location is needed by adjusting that setting in the Project Setup Window and Wizard.

Jogging Speeds

In general, the X and Y axis can be set to faster jogging speeds than the Z axis. Refer to your CNC manufacturer documentation for details. If you hear grinding, squeaking, or squealing, change the jogging speed until the movement sounds normal.

Control Units

Change your units of measure used when controlling your CNC machine. Options include:

  • mm/sec
  • mm/min
  • in/min

Design and Control Units

By default, control units — the units used for speed and distance when controlling your device — are linked with design units — the units used when designing in MillMage. Changing either one between millimeters and inches will automatically change the other.

To unlink the two types of units, use the Unit Linking Toggle in the Move Window.

Jog Tab

Use the elements in the Jog tab to manually move each axis, in different length increments. Click any option in the image below to jump to more information, or scroll down for a list of options and descriptions.

Be careful when jogging!

Before jogging your machine, check the following:

  • Your jog speed is set to an appropriate value for your machine.
  • The jog interval is set to a reasonable value.
  • The tool has a clear travel path.

Use the Jog tab to command movement, including:

  • Setting the jog speed
  • Jogging the tool head along the X, Y, and Z Axes
  • Set the X, Y, and Z Axis move distance between fine and large increments
  • Toggling Continuous Jog

Jogging the X and Y Axis

To jog the X (left/right) Axis or Y (front/back) Axis:

  1. Set your XY Speed, either by entering a value or clicking one of the preset buttons.
  2. Set your XY jog interval under XY Distance. As with the jog speed, you can enter a value manually or use one of the preset buttons.
  3. Use either the jog arrows on the left side of the jog tab or the number pad on your keyboard to move the tool. The diagram included here shows the number pad controls.

Alternate Jogging Hotkeys

If your keyboard doesn't have a number pad, you can use the following shortcuts for jogging the X and Y axis:

  • Jog Left: Alt/Option + Ctrl/Cmd + [
  • Jog Right: Alt/Option + Ctrl/Cmd + ]
  • Jog Forward: Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + ]
  • Jog Backward: Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + [

Jogging Distance

The distance controls determine how far the tool will move when jogging. Click the buttons or type in a distance to set an appropriate distance.

Movement Length Increments
Metric 0.1 mm 0.5 mm 1 mm 5 mm 10 mm
Imperial 0.01 in 0.1 in 0.5 in 1 in 4 in

Jogging the Z Axis

To jog the Z (up/down) Axis:

  1. Set your Z Speed, either by entering a value or clicking one of the preset buttons.
  2. Set your Z jog interval under Z Distance. As with the jog speed, you can enter a value manually or use one of the preset buttons.
  3. Use the up and down arrows to the left of Z distance to raise and lower the tool.

Screenshot of Jog tab in the Move Window with the Z axis jogging buttons highlighted

Continuous Jogging Toggle

Enable Continuous Jogging by activating this toggle. Press and hold down on the jogging controls to jog in that direction until the button is released.

Screenshot of Jog tab in the Move Window with the Continuous Jogging toggle highlighted

Be careful when jogging!

Before jogging your machine, check the following:

  • Your jog speed is set to an appropriate value for your machine.
  • The jog interval is set to a reasonable value.
  • The tool has a clear travel path.
Jogging Backwards?

Check your machine origin location in Device Settings: Basic Settings.

GIF of possible machine origin locations in Device Settings

Go To Tab

The Go To Tab allows you to home each axis of the CNC machine and retrieve/go to both workpiece and machine coordinates. Click any option in the image below to jump to more information, or scroll down for a list of options and descriptions.

Use the Go To tab to:

  • Home the X, Y, and Z Axis
  • Get the X, Y, and Z Axis coordinates of the current tool position
  • Poll for the current coordinates of each axis
  • Set and move to saved positions

Home Axes

Use the All button to command your CNC to execute a homing cycle on all axes if your machine firmware has homing activated, during which it moves toward the home position on each axis, seeking end stop switches or sensors that activate to indicate end of axis travel.

Use X, Y, or Z to home the X, Y, or Z Axis individually.

Home Buttons from the Position tab

Error When Homing?

If your CNC machine firmware does not have endstops or does not have homing activated, you may receive a GRBL error in the Console window when connecting or when the homing buttons are pressed.

MillMage will consider the position of the tool when powered on to be 0,0,0 on machines with homing disabled. Jog the tool to the appropriate origin point for your CNC machine and power cycle your controller to realign your Machine Coordinates zero point to the physical machine zero point.

Behavior may vary by controller.

Get Coordinates

Use the Get All button to get the current X, Y, and Z coordinates. Depending on whether Use Workpiece Coordinates is enabled, this may be in either the Workpiece coordinate space or the Machine coordinate space. Use Get X, Get Y, or Get Z to get the current position in a single axis.

Enter precise coordinates or increment the coordinates up and down in the Coordinate Entry input boxes. These values will update when the Get Coordinates buttons are pressed.

Get Coordinate Buttons from the Position tab

Workpiece Coordinates Toggle

Typically on by default, enable the Workpiece toggle to report the router's position in workpiece coordinate space — in other words, relative to the zero position you established on the workpiece.

Workpiece Coordiantes Toggle

Go To Position

Click the Go To button to move the router to the coordinates in the X, Y, and Z input boxes next to the Go To buttons.

Use the Go To X, Y, and Z buttons to move the router to the coordinate in the box next to each button, on that axis only.

Pick and Go To Buttons from the Position tab

Saved Positions

The Saved Positions dropdown displays a list of previously stored positions. Use Saved Positions for jogging to known locations in the work area — for example a specific corner or indexed locations on your favorite jig. Manage the contents of this list by clicking the Manage button.

Pick and Go To Buttons from the Position tab

For information on managing Saved Positions, see Managing Saved Positions.

Override Tab

The Override tab allows you to adjust travel speeds and spindle speeds while a job is in progress. Click any option in the image below to jump to more information, or scroll down for a list of options and descriptions.

Note

Each Override option adjusts settings as a percentage of the original values — not by absolute values.

Feed Speed Override

Use these buttons to bump the travel speed up or down, or use the Reset button to return to the speed specified in GCode.

Spindle Speed Override

Use these buttons to bump the spindle speed up or down, or use the Reset button to return to the speed specified in GCode.

Control Optional Hardware Accessories

Start In MillMage, Move With MillMage

Always use MillMage to perform any movement, homing, or project zeroing/Workpiece Coordinate Offset setting after your CNC machine is powered on and has been homed to Machine Zero.

Movements or Work Coordinate Offset changes driven through hardware-based accessories like pendants or onboard jogging controls may cause unexpected machine behavior before, during, or after jobs.

In this section, you'll find controls for optional hardware accessories.

Spindle

Use this button to enable or disable the spindle at the speed set here in RPM (Revolutions Per Minute), if your machine has this capability. If your CNC machines is equipped with a router, you will need to set your tooling rotational speed manually after referring to your router manufacturer's documentation for more information.

Coolant

Use this button to enable or disable coolant, if your machine has this capability. See Coolant Accessories | Custom GCode for more information.

Vacuum

Use this button to enable or disable a vacuum system, if your machine has this capability. See Vacuum Accessories | Custom GCode for more information.

Stop Accessories

The Stop Accessories button will send the appropriate GCode commands to stop your spindle, coolant, and vacuum accessories all at once.

Next Steps

← Previous: Assigning Operations Next: Example MillMage Workflow → MillMage User Interface Guide

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