[jashtiani]

Hi, I am a student learning to use a CNC router. We have a Vortech CNC router, but I don't know any information about it. I know it uses a vacuum bed, and it is connected to a workstation that runs Mach3 on it. I know now that Vortech has run out of business, and I have contacted them, however, the person has not been very helpful. The spindle works, all axes work. I am trying to figure out how to properly use aspire 4 to create a part on the cnc. I took a small piece of plywood, and placed it near the upper left hand corner of the CNC. I did a small rectangle in Aspire, exported it to Mach3 in GCode, and the spindle went to middle of the table and cut in mid air. I don't know what to do. Do I need to change the stock size? How can I go about cutting this stock properly?

Please help!

I did find this link that talks about the post processing in Aspire. Do I need to take the xml profile from mach 3 and import it to Aspire?

Help me!

[ger21]

You need to learn how to use Mach3, and make sure the machine is setup correctly in Mach3. This is not necessarily an Aspire issue.

I suggest going to Newfangled Solutions » CNC Software Home of Mach3 and watch the tutorial videos, especially the one on Homing, Limits and Offsets.

You need to learn how to set your X, Y, and Z zero positions in Mach3.

In Aspire, you choose an origin for your part. When you bring the g-code into Mach3, you need to set your X, Y, and Z zero's to match what you did in Aspire.

[jashtiani]

So what about the profile?

[ger21]

Do I need to take the xml profile from mach 3 and import it to Aspire?

If you mean this, than no.

You just choose one of the Mach3 posts in Aspire.