Positive Z axis should lift the gantry away from the bed surface.
Estlcam by default will have a “clearance plane” at Z=5 (This is configurable) and it will go there between cut moves. The cut moves will be at the depth set.
You can try Ryan’s GCode for the test crown and then at least you have a known good source code. My LowRider handles a pen worse than my kids did when they were toddlers, so mine looked like garbage but still confirmed that I’m getting correct movement from the machine itself.