3DMesh

Surface mesh probing with Z compensation for milling curved or uneven materials using flat (2D) G-code programs.

How It Works

3DMesh probes a grid of points across your workpiece surface to create a height map. It then adjusts the Z-coordinates in your G-code to follow the surface contour, compensating for material curvature or mounting inconsistencies.

Usage

1. Load your G-code program
2. Open 3DMesh from the Tools menu
3. Configure the probe grid (rows, columns, or auto-detect from G-code bounds)
4. Set probe parameters (feed rate, clearance, max plunge depth)
5. Click Start Probing — the machine probes each grid point
6. Review the 3D mesh visualization
7. Click Apply Z Compensation to adjust the loaded program

Grid Modes

• Auto — Automatically calculates grid dimensions from the loaded G-code bounds
• Manual — Specify rows, columns, and dimensions manually

3D Visualization

After probing, the plugin displays an interactive 3D view of the measured surface:

• Isometric projection with drag rotation
• XYZ axes and floor/side grids
• Color-coded height values
• Mesh data table with X, Y, Z coordinates

Mesh Library

Save and manage multiple mesh profiles:

• Auto-save after probing
• Rename saved meshes
• Load a previous mesh without re-probing
• Each mesh stores grid parameters and all measured points

Settings

Setting	Description	Default
Grid Mode	Auto (from G-code) or Manual	Auto
Rows / Columns	Number of probe points per axis	3 x 5
Probe Feed Rate	Speed for Z probing	100 mm/min
Travel Feed Rate	Speed for XY travel between points	2000 mm/min
Clearance Height	Safe Z height between probes	5 mm
Max Plunge	Maximum Z probe depth	20 mm

Z Compensation

The compensation uses bilinear interpolation between grid points:

• Long moves are subdivided to follow the surface accurately
• G0 rapid moves maintain safe Z heights
• The original file is preserved for "Reset to Original"

Double Compensation

3DMesh detects if a file has already been compensated and prevents applying compensation twice.