G00 moves the tool to a position at the machine maximum traverse rate. It is a positioning move, not a cutting move — use it to get from one place to another quickly, never to cut material.
Format
G00 X__ Y__ Z__
How it works
- Travels at rapid speed, ignoring any F feed rate.
- On many controllers the path is not a straight diagonal — axes may move independently, so check clearance.
- Modal: stays active until another motion code (G01, G02, G03) replaces it.
Example
G00 Z0.1 (rapid to clearance)
G00 X1.0 Y2.0 (rapid over the next feature)
G00 X1.0 Y2.0 (rapid over the next feature)
FAQ
Is G00 movement always a straight line between points? Not necessarily. Many controls move each axis at its own maximum rate during G00, which can produce a non-linear path rather than a straight line, so always verify clearance along the full rapid path, not just at the start and end points.
Should coolant be on during a G00 rapid move? Not usually needed since no cutting is happening, though some programs leave it on through rapids simply to keep flushing chips from a previous operation before the next cut begins.
Related: G01 and the G-Code Cheat Sheet.