Originally Posted by
the_gentlegiant
I think most people would measure their tools without the addition of anything in a work offset. It's very common on lathes and mills to have X0Y0Z0 in G54 if the tools were measured at the true location of the workpiece. Look at it this way. If you measure everything with the part sticking out of the chuck the proper distance, what could you possibly need to shift from there? Hence G54 would be all zeros.
I would see where your test tool goes with everything zeroed in G54. It would be best if your tools are all measured at a known or reasonable distance from the face of the chuck. If G54 is all zeros and your test tool wants to crash into the chuck before it finds Z0, then I would say to re-measure all your tools so when the machine is operated in a natural state, meaning nothing in the Active Work Offset, (G54 in your case) the tools are operating in a safe and usable area of the machine tool Work Envelope. I mean why would anyone want Z0 of any tool to be buried say 2" into the chuck? I'm betting your tools are not measured there as it wouldn't make sense.
It sort of sounds like you're wanting to use a Master sort of system. Always measuring newly input tools to a known and repeatable reference point. Nothing wrong with that. Then the only thing you'll need to do is to insert the Z Offset amount that represents the difference in distance from where the tools are measured and where the current Z0 of your new workpiece is located. As it's very unlikely that the two places would be the same. The X offset is generally going to stay at 0 for all jobs because the X will always represent the center-line of the Spindle. That never changes.