Re: EMC and Taig w/ MicroProto and DeskCNC

Response to Message #88298
Stephen, thank you for all of your recommendations, and
information. This particular string of posts have been very useful
to me, and I have learned a lot.

Bill Perun



--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Stephen Wille Padnos
<spadnos@...> wrote:

>
> William Perun Sr wrote:
>
> >Anders, thanks for the reply. Your response triggered a

thought.

> >Are CNC hobby milling users, using EMC2 to CALL the G-code files
> >from VS-3D, or DeskCNC, or MACH 3. And then they write

subfunctions

> >in EMC2 to enable the example engraving application I described.
> >Thus creating a Fanuc capability with hobby CNC interpreter or

CAM

> >software?
> >
> >
> You can't use more than one of Mach, DeskCNC, or EMC at the same

time.

> There's no way to use the current EMC2 interpreter from within

Mach or

> DeskCNC.
>
> >I guess I still don't know if Mach 3 or DeskCNC can do Parametric
> >Programming.
> >
> I'm not sure about that. I believe that either one allows you to

write

> custom code in Visual Basic, or to call DLL functions from your

own

> code. I'm not sure how this integrates with the motion controller

in

> either.
>
> > And I guess DeskCNC is also a kind of CAD CAM software
> >because you can write G-code in it, thus designing a part to be
> >machined. Of course it would have to be something simple,
> >especially for me.
> >
> >
> Unless there's a text editor, I don't think you can do CAD/CAM

with

> DeskCNC. I know it can load bitmap or DXF files, and directly

machine

> them based on some parameters you supply. I don't know what

facilities

> there are in DeskCNC for creating pockets and the like. I imagine
> that's more of a Bobcad / Vector function (though Fred can

certainly

> chime in with the correct answer). Mach has no built-in CAD or

CAM

> functions, though there is the new LazyCam program that's included

(I

> don't know how it integrates with the Mach UI). EMC2 has filters
> available for DXF, STL, and image file types as well (in fact, any

image

> that can be read by ImageMagick can be machined as a height map,

which

> includes roughly 90 image formats). There are also some scripts

for

> directly exporting Eagle PC Boards for milling, and for G-code

path

> length optimiaztion. They're not as easy to use at this point,

but

> we're getting there.
>
> >I guess I don't understand why someone would use EMC2 instead of
> >DeskCNC or MACH 3. I guess DeskCNC and MACH 3 do all kinds of
> >administrative tasks (Windows programming, stepping motor

control,

> >machining geometry (pockets, ... ) optimization, and many things

I

> >don't even have a clue about. How does EMC2 do these behind the
> >scenes tasks?
> >
> >
> Well, I guess it depends on what operating system you're using,

how much

> you want to spend, and what hardware you want to use. DeskCNC

works

> only with their step generator board, as far as I know. Mach

works with

> several kinds of hardware for generic I/O, and can now (or soon)

use the

> G-Rex for step generation. As far as I know, only the parallel

port

> (and soon the G-Rex) can be used for step output with Mach. EMC2
> supports several types of hardware, including parallel port step
> generation (like Mach), parallel, ISA, or PCI connected step

generator

> cards, and analog servo control cards (and multiple kinds of

hardware

> simultaneously). Note that EMC is the only controller (for less

than

> roughly $5000) that does true closed loop motor control.
>
> If you're running Windows, then you should choose Mach or DeskCNC

(there

> are others as well, I believe). There's also TurboCNC for DOS.

If you

> want to run Linux, or you want to use sometihng other than the

parallel

> port / G-Rex / DeskCNC controller, then use EMC.
>
> >Again thanks for your reply.
> >
> >Bill Perun
> >
> >
> Another point - it looks like think you're confusing three

separate

> parts of computer aided design and manufacturing. These are the

steps

> to go from concept to finished part:
> 1) Design (CAD): This can be a sketch on a napkin, or something

created

> in a 3D solid modeling program. The end result of this is usually
> called "geometry" - it's a representation of what you want the

part to

> look like, but it generally doesn't include data about how to make

the part.

> 2) Translation (CAM): You can open up notepad (or equivalent) and

write

> G-code, you can use a post-processor like MasterCAM, or anything

in

> between. In general, this step combines the design data

(geometry) with

> material data (making a part out of plastic is much different from
> making it from Titanium) and process data (machining, laser

sintering,

> stereolithography, etc. are different methods of creating the

part, and

> need different data).
> 3) Machine Control: This is the program that actually controls

the

> motors (and lasers, waterjets ...) on your machine. They usually

use

> G-Code to describe the toolpath. Here's where the constraints of

the

> particular machine are applied to the engineering and process

data, to

> create the final part. (This is also the on-topic part, for this

list ;) )

>
> Some of this confusion probably stems from the rudimentary CAD/CAM
> programs that are included with machine controller software ;)
>
> - Steve
>