Machine Setup parameters reference

XML paths in this article refer to configuration files in the installed CAM system ($(SCHEMAS_FOLDER)), not manual attachments. Available files depend on the version and configuration.

This page explains the parameters shown on the Machine Setup tab of a machine — the Description, Control Parameters and the related sections — as you see them in the parameter inspector. For each parameter it describes what it does and when to change it, and gives the XML fragment that overrides its default in a machine descriptor.

These parameters are the human‑facing side of the machine descriptor's ControlData and neighbouring sections (the XML structure is covered in Machine descriptors). Machine builders normally set them with the MachineMaker tool, but understanding them is essential when fine‑tuning a machine or writing a postprocessor/interpreter, because they govern how the toolpath is turned into NC code and how the machine is simulated.

Machine vs. robot. Some parameters and whole groups differ by kinematic type — a 5‑axis mill exposes different options from a 6‑axis articulated robot. Where it matters, the differences are called out below.

Where values come from. Each parameter has a machine‑level default set here; many of them simply seed the corresponding option that the operator then sees (and can change) inside an operation. The text notes when a Machine Setup value is "the default for the operation property".

How to override a parameter in XML

Each fragment below goes inside your machine type's body, overriding the value inherited from the base machine with the override form from §4.2 — you restate the member (and the section path that contains it) and set a new DefaultValue:

<SCType ID="MyMachine" Caption="My 5-axis mill" type="AbstractMillMachine">
    <ControlData>
        <LocalCS>
            <AutoLCSRotationLaw DefaultValue="SnapToToolCS"/>
            <!-- SnapToMachineCS, SnapToWorkpieceCS, ExcludeA, ExcludeB, ExcludeC -->
        </LocalCS>
    </ControlData>
</SCType>

The fragments shown for each group below omit the outer <SCType …> for brevity — they start at the relevant section (<ControlData>, <ToolChange>, …). The section nesting matters: a member must be wrapped in the same elements that contain it. Comments after a value list the other accepted enum options. Almost every parameter is declared in MachineTypes.xml and Machines/AbstractMachine.xml; complete, ready‑made machines ship under $(SCHEMAS_FOLDER) and are worth studying as examples.

Description

General, mostly informational identity of the machine:

  • Name, Group — display name and the machine category it belongs to.
  • Developer — who authored the machine/scheme.
  • NC System name — the control/CNC family, for information.
  • Postprocessor file — the default postprocessor used to generate NC programs for this machine.
  • Interpreter file — used to read an NC program back and reconstruct the toolpath inside the machine.
  • Measurements — the unit system the machine was created in (mm / inch) and the derived units (linear, cutting speed, feedrate, feed/rev, feed/tooth, revolution). These are view‑only on the tab.
<!-- machine type body (direct children) -->
<Name      DefaultValue="My 5-axis mill"/>
<Group     DefaultValue="Milling"/>  <!-- Unknown, Lathe, LatheMilling, JetCutter, WireEDM, Robot -->
<Developer DefaultValue="Acme"/>
<NCSystem  DefaultValue="Heidenhain TNC640"/>
<SPPFile   DefaultValue="$(PROGRAM_PERSONAL)\Postprocessors\MyPost.sppx"/>
<Image     DefaultValue="Images\MyMachine.png"/>
<Icon      DefaultValue="Images\MyMachine_ico.bmp"/>

Tooling

For turret machines, this is where the turret block layout is configured.

Control Parameters

The bulk of the tab. These tell the engine and the postprocessor what the control can do and how output should be formed. Everything in this group lives under the <ControlData> element.

Arcs

Controls how circular moves are emitted into the NC program.

  • Use arcs — master switch. If off, every arc that would appear in the toolpath is replaced by line segments, computed to the tolerance set in the operation.
  • Use arcs in XY / YZ / ZX plane — restrict arc output to the planes the control actually supports; arcs in a disabled plane fall back to segments.
  • Circles division — whether full circles are broken up: Do not break, Into quadrants (90°), or Into halves (180°).
  • Minimal Arc Length / Maximal Arc Radius — guard against degenerate arcs. An arc shorter than the minimum, or with a radius larger than the maximum (almost a straight line), is emitted as segments instead.
  • Spatial arcs — arcs that do not lie in an orthogonal XY/YZ/ZX plane, usually defined by three arbitrary points. Common on industrial robots. If off, such arcs become segments; if on, a dedicated multi‑point arc command is produced for the postprocessor.
    • Supported — enables spatial‑arc output.
    • Minimal distance between start and end points — a 3‑point arc cannot be defined when start and end coincide (a full 360° arc). If the start/end distance is below this value, segments are emitted instead.
    • Reorientation mode — how the tool orientation is modelled while traversing a spatial arc: Relative to base CS (spherical interpolation of the orientation in the arc's base coordinate system) or Relative to path (the orientation is interpolated relative to the path tangent).
    • Consider middle point orientation — a 3‑point arc carries position and orientation at start, middle and end. Off: the middle orientation is ignored and orientation is interpolated start→end (the middle point still shapes the arc in space). On: orientation is interpolated start→middle, then middle→end. Set it to match how the real control behaves.
<ControlData>
    <UseArc          DefaultValue="true"/>
    <UseArcInXY      DefaultValue="true"/>
    <UseArcInYZ      DefaultValue="false"/>
    <UseArcInZX      DefaultValue="false"/>
    <CirclesDivision DefaultValue="DoNotBreak"/>  <!-- Quadrants, Halves -->
    <MinArcLength    DefaultValue="0.05"/>
    <MaxArcRadius    DefaultValue="10000"/>
    <SpatialArcs>
        <Supported            DefaultValue="False"/>
        <MinDistance          DefaultValue="0.2"/>
        <ReorientationMode    DefaultValue="rmBaseCS"/>  <!-- rmPath -->
        <ConsiderMiddleOrient DefaultValue="False"/>
    </SpatialArcs>
</ControlData>

Singularities

A singularity is a pose where the joint values are mathematically undefined or ambiguous. The contents of this group depend on the current kinematics.

  • Machine (rotary table). With a rotary‑table scheme, when the tool axis becomes vertical the table rotation is undefined (infinitely many solutions). Such zones should be avoided.
    • Allowed axis deviation (e.g. Wrist angle) — how far the tool may be tilted away from the ideal orientation to skirt around a singularity zone instead of driving straight through it.
  • Robot. A robot has more singularities (wrist, base/shoulder, elbow) because it has more joints. The per‑joint angle values define where each singularity zone begins (the angle from which a joint is considered "in" the zone), and the J2–J3 free area / maps describe forbidden regions used to route around them.
<ControlData>
    <Singularities>
        <Wrist DefaultValue="0.01"/>   <!-- allowed axis deviation, degrees -->
        <!-- robot only, additional joints: -->
        <Elbow DefaultValue="0"/>
        <Base><Angle DefaultValue="5"/></Base>
    </Singularities>
</ControlData>

Flip Table / default machine configuration

When a pose can be reached in more than one way (e.g. tilt the head left or right — same tool/part relation, opposite axis signs), a flip chooses which solution to use. The Machine Setup only stores the default state of each flip; the operation itself exposes the actual flip controls.

  • Machines: a single Flip Table default.
  • Robots: a default state per joint flip — Flip base (J1), Flip elbow (J3), Flip wrist (J5), plus external‑axis flips/positions.
<ControlData>
    <DefaultFlips>
        <Flip5x DefaultValue="False"/>   <!-- machine: default table/wrist flip (Boolean) -->
        <!-- robot only: FlipA1, FlipA3, FlipA5, ... -->
    </DefaultFlips>
</ControlData>

Origin list parameters

How work coordinate systems are numbered.

  • Origin prefix (e.g. G), Initial number (e.g. 54), Increment value (e.g. 1) — produce G54, G55, G56, … as new origins are created. Robots use different conventions.
  • Create new origin for part group — whether each part group gets its own origin.
<ControlData>
    <OriginParams>
        <Prefix                 DefaultValue="G"/>
        <InitialNum             DefaultValue="54"/>
        <IncStep                DefaultValue="1"/>
        <CreateNewOriginForPart DefaultValue="True"/>
    </OriginParams>
</ControlData>

Radius Compensation Parameters

  • Sharp Corner — the angle threshold (e.g. 135°) that separates sharp from obtuse corners when building the cutter‑radius‑compensated path. At a sharp corner an extra chord is inserted so the tool does not swing too far from the corner; at an obtuse corner the path simply runs to the intersection point.
<ControlData>
    <RadiusCompensationParams>
        <SharpCorner DefaultValue="135"/>   <!-- degrees -->
    </RadiusCompensationParams>
</ControlData>

Rotary Transformations

Polar and cylindrical interpolation support.

  • Polar interpolation is available / Cylindrical interpolation is available — whether the control offers these interpolations at all.
  • CNC supports polar interpolation / CNC supports cylindrical interpolation — if on, the control performs the transform itself and the CAM system works as if in plain Cartesian coordinates; if off, the CAM system simulates the interpolation and outputs the resulting rotary‑axis values for the control to follow.
  • Start from C=0 — legacy compatibility for old postprocessors that required the C axis to be reset to zero before enabling interpolation. Leave it off on new machines; the path is now tracked correctly without it.
<ControlData>
    <RotaryTrans>
        <PolarAvailable     DefaultValue="true"/>
        <CNCSupPolar        DefaultValue="true"/>
        <CylindAvailable    DefaultValue="true"/>
        <CNCSupCylind       DefaultValue="true"/>
        <OldPPCompatibility DefaultValue="false"/>  <!-- "Start from C=0"; keep false -->
    </RotaryTrans>
</ControlData>

Tool frame output

How the tool orientation is written in each block of the NC program (mainly for 5‑axis / multi‑goto output).

  • Format (the combo box) — the orientation format: Normal vector (Nx, Ny, Nz) (default for machines), the various Euler angle sequences (common on robots), Quaternion, or Axis‑angle. Pick what the control expects.
  • Additional transformation — an extra rotation of the tool's own coordinate system, mostly for robots. By default the tool Z points from the tip up toward the spindle; some robots are calibrated with Z pointing the other way, or with X along the tool. Three angles let you match the real tool frame.

    Known limitation — read before using on robots. There is currently one global AdditionalTransform, and it is applied to two different frames at once: the final tool coordinate system and the robot's 6th‑axis flange coordinate system. On real cells those two do not always coincide, and a cell may have several working organs while this setting stays single and global — so one transform cannot correct both independently. This is a known architectural limitation (a future version is expected to split the setting between the machine scheme and the cutting tool). If a robot's tool or flange orientation looks wrong and one AdditionalTransform cannot satisfy both, this is why — do not keep re‑debugging it.

  • Set machine state flags — output the machine frame state (zero / path / robot base) in every block. Off for ordinary machines (not used); typically on for robots, where per‑point orientation is essential.
  • Swap Tool and Workpiece frames — for robots that hold the part while the tool is stationary. Each block then expresses the part orientation relative to the tool (the inverse of the usual tool‑relative‑to‑part matrix). If the control itself performs this inversion, leave it off; otherwise the CAM system inverts the matrix itself before passing the orientation to the postprocessor.
  • Set tool contact surface normal vectors — for 5‑axis tool compensation. On finishing passes the contact point and its surface normal are known; outputting that normal lets the control shift the tool along it by the difference between the real and the programmed tool (so a slightly different tool does not gouge). When enabled, a special TLCONTACT command is written into the CL data in every block that has surface contact, carrying that contact normal; the postprocessor must handle it (see the TLCONTACT command in your postprocessor manual).
<ControlData>
    <ToolFrameOutput>
        <Format DefaultValue="NormalVector"/>
            <!-- EulerZYX, EulerXYZ, FixedABC, Quaternion, AxisAngleDeg, AxisAngleRad, ... -->
        <SetMachineStateFlags       DefaultValue="False"/>
        <SwapToolAndWorkpieceFrames DefaultValue="False"/>
        <SetContactNormal           DefaultValue="False"/>
        <AdditionalTransform>            <!-- extra tool-frame rotation (robots) -->
            <A DefaultValue="0"/>
            <B DefaultValue="0"/>
            <C DefaultValue="0"/>
        </AdditionalTransform>
    </ToolFrameOutput>
</ControlData>

Redundant axis

Selects the rule for resolving a redundant axis when solving the inverse kinematics (used only by schemes that actually have a redundant axis). Default None.

<ControlData>
    <RedundantAxis DefaultValue="None"/>
        <!-- KukaLBRiiwa, NITIProgress, NITIProgress3, NonSphericalWrist, ScaraSimple -->
</ControlData>

Robot joint coupling

(Robot schemes.) Flags such as Joint 3 is linked with joint 2 (parallelogram) model mechanically coupled joints — on by default for parallelogram‑type robots, off for others. When set, the coupled joint values are output as linked.

<ControlData>
    <IsParallelJoints23 DefaultValue="false"/>  <!-- joint 3 linked with joint 2 -->
    <IsConnected46Joints DefaultValue="False"/>
    <IsConnected56Joints DefaultValue="False"/>
</ControlData>

Indexed vs. continuous 5‑axis machining

Two almost‑identical groups, Indexed 5‑axis machining and Continuous 5‑axis machining, each containing the same three compensation switches. Which group an operation uses is chosen by the operation's Tool Center Point Management (TCPM) toggle: TCPM off → the operation uses the indexed group; TCPM on → it uses the continuous group.

The three compensation switches

They control how the tooltip and the workpiece coordinate system are recomputed as the tool and part move during 5‑axis machining:

  • 5 Axis tooling point compensation — when on, the tooltip stays rigidly attached to the tool (the control recomputes the tip position for every rotation). When off, the programmed point stays fixed while the tool turns — used in the rare case where a rotary head's kinematics are not known to the control (e.g. a manual head); then the CAM system computes the path itself. Normally leave it on.
  • 5 Axis workpiece zero point compensation — whether the origin of the workpiece coordinate system moves with the part as axes rotate.
  • 5 Axis coordinate system compensation — whether the axis orientation of the workpiece coordinate system rotates with the part.

Defaults differ by group: indexed = tooling‑point on, workpiece compensation off; continuous = all three on (in TCPM the control compensates the whole kinematics, so the path is programmed as if the system were rigidly attached to the part).

<ControlData>
    <!-- used when the operation's TCPM is OFF (indexed): -->
    <Indexed5AxisCompensationMode>
        <IsToolTipCompensated        DefaultValue="true"/>
        <IsWorkpieceZeroCompensated  DefaultValue="false"/>
        <IsCoordinateAxesCompensated DefaultValue="false"/>
    </Indexed5AxisCompensationMode>
    <!-- used when the operation's TCPM is ON (continuous): -->
    <TCPM5AxisCompensationMode>
        <IsToolTipCompensated        DefaultValue="true"/>
        <IsWorkpieceZeroCompensated  DefaultValue="true"/>
        <IsCoordinateAxesCompensated DefaultValue="true"/>
    </TCPM5AxisCompensationMode>
</ControlData>

Local coordinate system (ORIGIN) — indexed mode

Indexed machining of a tilted feature needs an explicit rotate the work coordinate system command in the NC program (e.g. a plane/cycle command). These parameters govern it:

  • Local coordinate system availability — Unavailable (the control has no such command — the operation then offers no Local CS option at all), Off (available but default off), or Auto. The chosen value becomes the default for the operation's Local CS property.
  • Auto computes the local CS so its Z is along the tool axis while keeping the origin where the work zero (e.g. G54) was set.
  • Auto LCS rotation law — Z along the tool leaves the rotation about Z undefined; this law fixes it: Snap to Tool CS, Snap to Machine CS, Snap to Workpiece CS, or Exclude A/B/C (force one spatial angle to zero so the result is just two rotations). The right choice usually depends on where the rotary axes sit in the kinematics.
  • Local CS positioning mode — what the machine axes do when the CS‑rotation command is output:
    • Stay — the CS rotates but no axis moves; the tooltip stays put, so its coordinates relative to the new CS change. You must add the axis‑turn commands yourself.
    • Turn — additionally turns the rotary axis so the tool re‑aligns with the new CS Z (e.g. on some controls a CS‑rotate command is immediately followed by an "align rotaries" command). Most common — the rotate command alone is enough.
    • Move — like Turn, and also moves the linear axes so the tooltip keeps the same coordinates in the rotated CS. Usually undesirable.
  • Euler angles type (rotation sequence) — the angle convention used to output the CS rotation (e.g. XYZ, ZXZ). Note that the CL data carries both the spatial (Euler) angles and the physical axis values; the postprocessor decides which to emit. The two can differ greatly on non‑orthogonal kinematics (e.g. a 45°‑skewed table), so confirm with the machine integrator which the control expects.
    • Rotations around movable axes — primed vs. unprimed convention (rotate about the already‑rotated axes vs. the fixed axes).
    • Angles in degrees — degrees vs. radians.
  • Move auto LCS with table — whether the origin of the auto CS rotates with the part (on) or stays at its original calibrated location (off).
  • Rotatable Workpiece CS — whether the workpiece CS rotates with the part at setup/calibration time (when you define G54 with an axis already rotated). Off for machines (the workpiece CS is always calibrated in a fixed orientation), on for robots (it is rigidly tied to the part).
<ControlData>
    <LocalCS>
        <DefaultState           DefaultValue="Auto"/>   <!-- Unavailable, Off, Auto -->
        <PositioningMode        DefaultValue="Stay"/>    <!-- Turn, Move -->
        <IsSpatial              DefaultValue="True"/>
        <AutoLCSRotationLaw     DefaultValue="SnapToMachineCS"/>
            <!-- SnapToToolCS, SnapToWorkpieceCS, ExcludeA, ExcludeB, ExcludeC -->
        <TurnAutoLCSRotationLaw DefaultValue="ZAlongTurn_XAlongTool"/>
            <!-- ZAlongTurn_MinusXAlongTool, ZAlongTool_XbySnapRule -->
        <MoveAutoLCSWithTable   DefaultValue="true"/>
        <RotatableWCS           DefaultValue="false"/>   <!-- robots: true -->
        <EulerAnglesType>
            <RotationsSequence          DefaultValue="XYZ"/>  <!-- ZXZ, ZYX, XZY, ... -->
            <RotationsAroundMovableAxes DefaultValue="False"/>
            <AnglesInDegrees            DefaultValue="True"/>
        </EulerAnglesType>
    </LocalCS>
</ControlData>

Continuous 5‑axis machining (TCPM)

  • TCPM mode is available — whether the control offers continuous 5‑axis / tool centre point management (an often separately‑licensed option). If unavailable, the operation shows no TCPM toggle.
  • TCPM mode default state — the default for the operation's TCPM toggle.
  • Disable TCPM when rotate back — for rotary axes with a limited travel range that must be "rewound". Rewinding with TCPM active makes every axis move to hold the tooltip fixed — a large, risky motion. With this on, the system drops out of TCPM, turns just the one rotary axis back, then re‑enables TCPM and continues.

These three live under RotaryTrans (the Continuous 5‑axis machining group is only a UI grouping):

<ControlData>
    <RotaryTrans>
        <TCPMAvailable         DefaultValue="False"/>
        <TCPMDefault           DefaultValue="False"/>
        <DisableTCPMifOverturn DefaultValue="True"/>  <!-- "Disable TCPM when rotate back" -->
    </RotaryTrans>
</ControlData>

Tool Change

  • Go to tool change position — Only if tool change is needed (retract to the change position only when consecutive operations use different tools), Always at the end of operation, or Never (a legacy mode that simply swaps the tool with no retract, emulating the old "tool floating in space" behaviour from before machine simulation existed).
  • Output mode — how the change‑position coordinates are written:
    • Machine coordinates (ISO G53) — physical‑axis moves (e.g. G53 Z0); safe, small numbers, independent of the work zero.
    • Reference point (ISO G28) — retract via the machine reference point; common on turn‑mill / lathe centres; avoids stating an explicit change‑position in the work CS.
    • Tool tip coordinates — the actual tip coordinates relative to the work CS; produces large numbers and requires the machine to be calibrated, or it may hit the limit switches.
  • Tool change position — the position itself.
  • Heavy axes — axes the collision‑avoidance approach/retract planner should avoid moving where possible (manual/indexed/awkward axes such as a column). Lists machine node IDs.
  • Tool change time calculation — how change time is estimated: Undefined (a built‑in constant, for compatibility) or an explicit law stating the duration; several laws can be defined.
<!-- machine type body -->
<ToolChange>
    <Using      DefaultValue="Auto"/>     <!-- Anyway, DoNotUse -->
    <OutputMode DefaultValue="RefPoint"/> <!-- Tooltip, Machine -->
</ToolChange>
<ToolChangeMachineState DefaultValue=""/> <!-- tool change position -->
<Leads>
    <MotionPlannerOptions>
        <HeavyAxes DefaultValue=""/>       <!-- space-separated machine node IDs -->
    </MotionPlannerOptions>
</Leads>

Coolants

Which coolant channels the machine has — Flood, Mist, Tool (through‑tool), and additional numbered tubes — each with a Supported flag and an optional switch time. Enabled channels appear on the operation's output tab.

<Coolants>
    <Coolant5>                          <!-- Coolant1..Coolant20 -->
        <Supported  DefaultValue="True"/>
        <SwitchTime DefaultValue="1"/>
    </Coolant5>
</Coolants>

Simulation

Parameters for the machining/stock simulation:

  • Simulation method — Voxel 5d (default; fast, less precise — a voxel is a 3D pixel), Voxel 3d, or Solid (surface model; more precise and independent of voxel size, but slower on long paths and complex shapes). Voxel modes are a poor fit for very thin tools (e.g. EDM wire) where the tool size approaches the voxel size.
  • Model resolution — the voxel count the stock is divided into (high / standard / low).
  • Gouge detection tolerance — how precisely gouges into the part are detected.
  • Revolution bodies simulation — when a chuck spins fast, its jaws become a body of revolution; on, that body is computed from the 3D jaw model for display and collision (can slow simulation); off, the jaws are shown/collided as‑is.
  • Check inappropriate tool and spindle direction — warns when the tool/spindle rotation is wrong (e.g. a right‑hand tool with the spindle reversed), which would ruin the surface or crash the tool.
  • Collisions to ignore — node pairs whose collisions should not be checked. Adjacent nodes are ignored automatically; list here only non‑adjacent pairs that can never collide, to speed up checking.
  • Show active part only — for multi‑channel / Swiss‑type machines that machine two part instances at once; hides the second part instance when it is in the way.
<Simulation>
    <Simulation_Method       DefaultValue="smVoxel5d"/>  <!-- smSolid, smVoxel -->
    <Simulation_Resolution   DefaultValue="srStandard"/> <!-- srLow, srHigh -->
    <GougeDetectionTolerance DefaultValue="0.05"/>
    <RevBodySim              DefaultValue="True"/>
    <CheckSpindleDirection   DefaultValue="true"/>
    <ShowActivePartOnly      DefaultValue="False"/>
</Simulation>

System settings → Main

  • Rotation angles type (rotation sequence) — the default Euler‑angle convention used wherever angles are entered (e.g. when creating a coordinate system). It is the default only; each case can still override it.
<SystemSettings>
    <Main>
        <RotationAnglesType>
            <RotationsSequence DefaultValue="XYZ"/>  <!-- ZXZ, ZYX, ... -->
        </RotationAnglesType>
    </Main>
</SystemSettings>

Machine state parameters, Schema, Machine dimensions

The remainder of the tab is the machine's own kinematics:

  • Machine state parameters — the controllable quantities (Axis X/Y/Z/B/C positions, …); see Machine state parameters.
  • Schema — the kinematic node tree; see The kinematic scheme.
  • Machine dimensions — cell‑calibration values established when the cell is set up: e.g. the position of a rotary fixture/table relative to the cell's world coordinate system, or a tool's mounted position. Especially important for robot cells.

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