# Tabs generated in MakerCam do not show up in Groundcontrol **URL:** \ **Category:** Troubleshooting\ **Created:** [January 5, 2019, 11:43am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339 "2019-01-05T11:43:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![berty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@berty](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/berty)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 11:43am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/1 "2019-01-05T11:43:07Z")
Hi there, i am new to maslow and doing my first cuts here in germany - very exciting ๐Ÿ™‚ i have problems with teh tabs that should hold the object in place. like in the tutorial i did the following in makercam: Insert \> circle \> 15 cm select circle CAM \> profile operation CAM \> calculate all CAM \> add tabs to selected \> spacing 15cm, width 5 cm, height 0.5 cm CAM \> export gcode result is: ![34](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/2X/d/da05f74d82282a7e97ea3348ea40ef98fc8e45e5.png) when i open this file in groundcontrol i see: ![12](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/2X/3/378d73fa30ca59d7af77161060c9b79b9ecc704a.png) when i cut the circle no tabs are there. is the a common error users can do / forget when inserting tabs? is there a better way to work with tabs than with makercam? thanks a lot! ---
**Author:** ![Gero](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/gero/32/17487_2.png) [@Gero](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Gero)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2019, 1:05pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/2 "2019-01-05T13:05:59Z")
Willkommen im Forum ๐Ÿ™‚ Iโ€™ve followed your steps and there a ~~5mm~~ 0.5mm! tabs in the g-code. The online version of makercam has issues with metric. One issue is the up to 16 digits behind the decimal. Checking the g-code with camotics, the tabs show, but allot of errors are shown as well. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/2X/9/95051af0e7c142cb2fff1d30bdcc842517a7c9f4.png) You can make them higher, or try to turn truncation on in GC, to see if that helps. Edit: In your screenshot the tabs are showing as green (bit goes up) and red (bit goes down) circles. That they are not cut can have to do with: - the material thickness is not set correct - Z was not zeroed correct on the top of the material - the pitch setting in GC does not match the actual pitch of you router - a backlash on the pitch-screw Edit2: I usually set the material up to 2mm more then it actually is, to ensure that I cut all the way through. Then I add those 2 mm to the tabs. Try to see if the tabs show up if you make them higher. ---
**Author:** ![bar](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/bar/32/10_2.png) [@bar](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/bar)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/3 "2019-01-06T01:02:39Z")
I have good news. You have done everything correctly and the tabs are there ๐Ÿ˜€ When you cut that file it will cut with tabs. The tabs look a little different in Ground Control because Ground Control is showing just the gcode file which is made up of machine movements. It doesnโ€™t know that it is making a โ€œtabโ€ just that it needs to move in a certain pattern. When the z-axis moves up it is shown with a small green circle and when it moves down it is shown with a larger red circle. You can see the beginning and ends of your tabs shown like so: ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/2X/c/c7bfa4a1bb69e97b01b51a85ac372679da65e305.png) Great work! ---
**Author:** ![berty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@berty](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/berty)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2019, 6:41pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/4 "2019-01-06T18:41:24Z")
thanks gero and bar for your help! i did a test cut of the circle but the tabs were not cut. will try again with your hints on pitch settings and backlash. thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Gero](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/gero/32/17487_2.png) [@Gero](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Gero)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 3:10pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/5 "2019-01-08T15:10:20Z")
This could be a clue also: [https://forum.shapeoko.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1229](https://forum.shapeoko.com/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=1229) If I compare the post to the screenshot, this could be reason you end up with a 0.5mm tab that will hardly be cut, instead of a 5mm heigh tab. ![image](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/2X/1/1d5ca6931a08fb2017f7574e33aaaea5209b2f22.png) ---
**Author:** ![berty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@berty](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/berty)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 4:08pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/6 "2019-01-08T16:08:34Z")
gero - you are my hero! yes: using [makercam.com](http://makercam.com) and generating tabs with measures set to centimeters, the tab height has to be multiplied by 10, due to an error in makercam. this feels like a bis step towards cutting my first real piece - not just test. so fine calibration is next. thanks again gero! ps: @bar this info about the tabs could be very useful for all maslow starters using metric [makercam.com](http://makercam.com) - perhaps it should be in the wiki. (sorry for the confusing test cuts around the circle with tabs) ![IMG_0991](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/uploads/maslowcnc/original/2X/d/dcdc3b43ab1ab99cdbe58c3790ce0db65531c0f9.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Gero](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/gero/32/17487_2.png) [@Gero](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/Gero)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 4:12pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/7 "2019-01-08T16:12:26Z")
> [@berty](#): > > perhaps it should be in the wiki Done here [How To: Tabs in Makercam](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/how-to-tabs-in-makercam/5214) within minutes by amazing fast @madgrizzle ---
**Author:** ![madgrizzle](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/madgrizzle/32/1372_2.png) [@madgrizzle](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/madgrizzle)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/8 "2019-01-08T17:17:51Z")
FYI, as a wiki page, anyone can edit the main post (or any post tagged with wiki status). I was more than happy to add it though. ---
**Author:** ![bar](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/forums.maslowcnc.com/bar/32/10_2.png) [@bar](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/u/bar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2019, 2:47am UTC](https://forums.maslowcnc.com/t/tabs-generated-in-makercam-do-not-show-up-in-groundcontrol/8339/9 "2019-01-09T02:47:39Z")
Great work everyone! And thank you for the success picture @berty, it always feels good to see the proof ๐Ÿ˜€