Re: getting started in CAD/CAM

I've written a set of CAM functions that work with GMAX (free),
CNC Toolkit, details at:
http://www.rainnea.com/cnc_toolkit.htm

Rab Gordon,
Rainnea Graphics

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "skykotechnologies"
<skykotechnologies@y...> wrote:

>
> Hi all, just found this group.
>
> I am just finishing up converting a Shizuoka bed mill to run EMC.

My

> previous experience with cnc has been a converted sherline (the 5HP
> motor on this mill weighs more than the whole sherline :-) ).
>
> Anyway, I mostly ran autocad plot files on my sherline using some
> software my wife wrote (she is the software engineer, I am the

EE).

> I now find myself needing a toolpath generator (g-code) and

possibly

> a CAD program (if autocad will not cut it).
>
> I know about the recent sale on rhino/visual mill, and while $1500
> seems very very reasonable for that package, I would have nothing
> left for tooling.
>
> Are there any CAM packages out there that are open source, or that
> people who use EMC on here would naturally gravitate towards? Am I
> stuck with notepad?
>
> I did a search through old posts, at least as far back as I could
> stand (yahoo is slooooow). Nothing really popped out as being dirt
> cheap or free. There was something called Dolphin, but it seems

the

> same price as visualmill is now.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rick