Now that your Shapeoko is assembled, you need to install the Carbide Motion program and configure your machine with all of the accessories.
Detailed instructions are below, but this video will give a good overview of the process.
Carbide Motion lets you control your machine by jogging, setting zeros, and loading and running G-code.
Download and install Carbide Motion
NOTE: This guide assumes that you have Carbide Motion Build 610 or higher.
Your Shapeoko CNC Router stores the most basic configuration parameters in the machine itself, so it's important to download these settings the first time you run your machine.
Before each use, your machine must be initialized or "homed". This process moves the spindle to a known location (the back right of the machine) where the coordinates are set to zero. This initialization process allows the machine to go to the same location after being shut down and restarted.
The initialization process uses the homing switches on each axis. This step includes an optional way to test all of the homing switches before initializing your machine.
This is an optional step to let you test the machine motion before going any further. Click the "move" buttons to move the spindle right/left, forward/backward, or up/down.
BitSetter is our automated tool measurement system that simplifies jobs that use more than one tool. For the BitSetter to function, you must configure the location of your BitSetter and enable it.
If you do not want to use BitSetter, you can uncheck the "Enable" option and click "Next".
NOTE: The BitSetter is optional for the Shapeoko 3 and Shapeoko 4. If you do not have a BitSetter, leave the "Enable BitSetter" button unchecked and click "Next".
Note: If you have already run the setup wizard and have a valid BitSetter configuration, the "Move to Current Position" button will be enabled. You can click that to move to the last position of your BitSetter.
Note: The height (Z) location of the spindle is not important, the Z +/- buttons are provided in case you'd like to lower the spindle to make it easier to check the alignment.
Carbide Motion will now disconnect from the machine so you can restart with a valid configuration.
Once you have your machine connected we have a series of video training classes to get your started: