I'm using BOBCAD V19 to created my geometry and gcode. I'm using MACH3 V3.042.020 to drive a Gecko 540 controller connected to my Taig CNC mill.
I've run into a curious situation that I just can't figure out. I recently started programming various patterns for my pool cue inlays. On the pocket program for one design (basically a diamond shape with curved sides), I got the error "Radius to end of arc differs from radius to start" when I tried to load the gcode in MACH3. I searched the forum for this error and found two likely causes. Wrong mode for arcs (abs. vs. inc) or rounding problems between my CAD program and MACH. Since I knew that my arc mode was correct, I assumed that it was a rounding problem, so I tried all sorts of modifications to the design in an attempt to counter this presumed problem.
After driving myself nuts and always getting the same error when the program was loaded into MACH, I realized that I had programmed a similar design previously and did not have a problem. To my surprise, when I loaded that program (that had worked fine in the past), I got the same error. Since I had run out of ideas, I tried something that I thought was stupid. I went into the General Config and changed my arc mode from incremental to absolute (even though I knew that incremental was correct). Surprised again. Both programs would now load without the error (although the Tool Path display showed the arcs incorrectly). Then I changed the arc mode back to incremental (the correct mode). Surprised again. Both programs now loaded without the error and the arcs look correct. I haven't run the programs yet, but I'm assuming that they will work correctly.
I didn't really change anything (I'm back to the same arc mode I started with and the programs were not changed), but now I can load the programs without the error. Maybe I should just be happy that everything seems to be working correctly now, but it's driving me crazy trying to figure out why I started getting the error and why flip-flopping the arc mode corrected the problem!?!?!?!??!?
Anybody got any ideas?