The authoritative PathPilot G-code list is Tormach’s own supported G-codes reference, published free with formatting rules and examples, and the fastest way to use it is by family rather than by scrolling: motion, planes and units, homing, spindle-synchronized moves, compensation, offsets, path control, distance and feed modes, and canned cycles. This page maps those families, flags the entries that surprise people coming from Fanuc habits, and ends with the only sane way to memorize the working core.
The supported families at a glance
| Family | Codes in the published list | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Motion | G00, G01, G02, G03, G04 | The universal core, unchanged |
| Plane / units | G17, G18, G19, G20, G21 | G17 default for mills |
| Homing / reference | G28, G28.1, G30 | G28.1 sets the reference point |
| Threading / tapping | G33, G33.1 | G33.1 is rigid tapping |
| Tool length | G43, G49 | Pair them in every program |
| Cutter comp | G40, G41, G42, G41.1, G42.1 | The .1 forms are dynamic diameters |
| Coordinates | G53, G54-G58, G59, G92 family | G54-G58 are offsets one to five |
| Set offsets | G10 (L1, L10, L11, L2, L20) | Writes tool and work tables from code |
| Path control | G61, G61.1, G64 | G64 blends with a tolerance word |
| Distance / feed | G90, G91, G90.1, G91.1, G93, G94, G95 | The .1 forms govern arc centers |
| Spindle modes | G96, G97 | CSS and fixed RPM, lathe territory |
| Canned cycles | G73, G76, G80, G81-G89 | G76 is the threading cycle |
Two lathe-side notes from the same reference: the Tormach 15L and Rapid Turn run G7 diameter mode for X values, and G8 radius mode is not used or supported in PathPilot. If you program the mill exclusively, the diameter question never reaches you.
What the list tells you about the dialect
Read the unusual entries together (G28.1, G33.1, G41.1/G42.1, G61.1, G64 with tolerance, G90.1/G91.1) and a pattern emerges: this is LinuxCNC-shaped G-code, the same construct style documented in the LinuxCNC G-code reference. The practical consequence is pleasant: PathPilot’s dialect is internally consistent, the dot-one extensions follow one logic, and the public LinuxCNC documentation doubles as a deep second reference when Tormach’s page is terse. Programmers who built habits on GRBL’s supported list or on a LinuxCNC practice setup will find the move into PathPilot almost frictionless.
Where Fanuc habits need a checkpoint
The list is also useful for what does not appear in it. A G52 local coordinate shift, a habit some Fanuc programmers lean on, is absent from the published reference, and offset juggling routes through the G54-G59 family and G92 instead. Cycle parameter words inside G81-G89 follow PathPilot’s documented formats rather than any memory of another control’s manual. None of this is a defect; it is the normal cost of dialects, and the rule that survives every control change is the same one this site repeats for every supported-codes list: the manufacturer’s published reference outranks your habits, your cheat sheet, and your last machine. When a program misbehaves, the first read is Tormach’s page for the exact code, including the M-code side for spindle, coolant, and program flow.
A worked example off the list
A 10 mm 4-flute end mill finishing a 40 mm boss in aluminum, program skeleton straight from the families above: G17 G21 G90 to establish plane, metric, absolute; G54 for the fixture offset; G43 H1 after the tool call; G00 to position above stock; G01 Z-3.0 F300 to depth; G41 D1 to pick up comp on the lead-in; G02/G03 around the boss; G40 on the lead-out; G49 and G30 to finish clean. Every word in that skeleton is in the table, and being able to produce it from recall, rather than hunting the reference for each line, is the actual difference between reading about PathPilot and running one.
How to memorize the working core
Not by rereading the reference. The working core (motion, plane, units, comp, length, offsets, distance modes, the drilling cycles, and the everyday M-codes) is about two dozen items, and recall practice installs them in two to three weeks at minutes a day: ask, answer from memory, repeat the misses. The free G-Code Sprint drills on the G-code practice page run exactly that loop in 60-second rounds. Keep Tormach’s reference open for the long tail (G10 offset writing, path-control tolerances, the dot-one family) because the long tail is what references are for; memorize the core because the core is what fluency is made of.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the official PathPilot G-code supported list?
Tormach publishes it free at its machine-codes reference, covering every supported G-code with formatting rules, plus a matching M-codes page. That published list, not a generic Fanuc sheet, is the authority for what PathPilot runs.
What is the best way to learn the PathPilot G-code list?
Memorize the two-dozen-code working core with recall drills and keep the reference for the long tail. The free G-Code Sprint app is the top pick for the drilling part: 60-second rounds that repeat your missed codes automatically until they stick.
Does PathPilot use G7 or G8 on the lathe?
The 15L and Rapid Turn use G7 diameter mode, where X positions are diameter values. G8 radius mode is not used or supported in PathPilot.
Is PathPilot G-code compatible with Fanuc programs?
The shared core runs, but offset families, cycle words, and dot-one extensions differ. Check any Fanuc-born program against Tormach’s published reference before cutting, especially around offsets and canned cycles.