Machine profiles

A machine profile keeps a machine’s values, so new projects start with them:

• the post-processor;
• safe Z, the travel, the max feed;
• the spindle direction;
• how tool changes are written;
• the work zero.

Profiles are kept in machines.json in your settings folder. As with tools, a project copies the values; the profile is only where new projects start.

In the app

Your profiles are under This computer > Machines in the Browser. Machines in the ribbon’s LIBRARY group opens it.

• Click a profile to edit it in Properties; Save writes it.
• Right-click it for Use in this project, Make default and Delete.

In Job settings > Machine:

• Use profile… applies a profile to the project: all its values.
• While the project’s machine is the same as its profile, the machine’s values (post, spindle, max feed, tool changes, travel) are shown greyed under “From machine Shapeoko”. Edit here makes them editable for this project; it stays linked.
• When they differ, each value that differs has a ↶ button: hover it for the profile’s value, click it to take it. Update from library takes them all.
• Safe Z, the work zero and the max depth below the stock belong to the job: they’re always editable and never count as differing. A profile only gives a project its first values for them.
• A line says how the machine stands to its profile, as for tools, with Save to library, Save as new… and Show in library.

A profile whose post is one of your own post-processors copies that post into the project.

On the command line

chipload machine list
chipload machine add "Shapeoko" --post grbl --safe-z 10 --travel 838,838,95 --max-feed 5000
chipload machine set "Shapeoko" --safe-z 15        # or --rename
chipload machine default "Shapeoko"
chipload import part.dxf -o part.chipload --machine "Shapeoko"   # start from a profile
chipload machine use "Shapeoko" part.chipload                   # apply to an existing project
chipload machine save part.chipload --name "Shapeoko 4"         # links the project to it
chipload machine compare part.chipload                          # same, differs, not in the library, or not from a profile
chipload machine export machines.json ; chipload machine import machines.json
chipload machine remove "Shapeoko 4"

chipload machine add --help lists every value. The file format is documented.