Re: What do we want?

If you are not totally against Windows, you could be running Windows CAD and G-code converter in the "Office" and network it to
the "shop" Linux-EMC setup.

There are lots of free/very cheap CAD software available for Windows.

To me, there is that practical dividing line between the "office and design phase" and the "shop and machining phase".

Bertho Boman
==============================================

> "Ian Wright" <Ian@...> wrote:
>
> Hi gang,
>
> The one thing we are desperately missing at the moment is a Linux based
> program to produce the g-code files from a drawing. We have the machine
> control in EMC and we have one or two potentially useful CAD programs (I'm
> playing with Varkon at the moment and, with perseverance I reckon I should
> have mastered it by the next millennium!!! ;o) in the meantime, there are
> others well under way in development and, for anyone who gets really
> desperate, there are commercial programs which are very comprehensive but,
> it seems to me, we are still dependant on Windows based conversion programs.
> As I am retired and thus quite cash-limited I would have difficulty
> justifying the cost of many of the commercial programs and therefore see
> linux and GPL programs as an ideal way forward. Any time penalties in
> swapping between applications are of little consequence to me as the one
> thing I have in plenty now is time! I'm surprised that we have not, so far,
> attracted many of the model engineering fraternity and wonder if this is due
> to the high cost of commercial programs - if so it is a shame as people of
> that ilk often have a wealth of very useful information and expertise which
> they are only too willing to share.
>
> Ian
> --
> Ian W. Wright
> Sheffield UK