Software options

OK people

Now that I am getting to grips with the back end, I can manually run the
machine, and I've even run a couple of simple CNC operations. Hopefully
a couple of bits will be coming of the machine today.

When I started looking at things I broke the code down into three
sections, and it seems to me that the same still applies. Working
backwards we have EMC/Mach3/TaigDOS which will allow control of the
machine from the keyboard, and running GCode scripts. This should be the
only code I need running on the machine controller, and I just download
scripts to this machine. At the moment it does not matter which of the
three options I download to.

Dolphin and the like convert drawings into GCode or allow you to 'write'
GCode interactively.

Autocad ( I'm on R13.4 still :) ) provides a proper drawing level, but
needs the likes of Dolphin to convert that to GCode. I've been trying to
use Dolphin CAD as an alternative to Autocad but while it will handle
the basics, much of the 'documentation' type level is lacking.

Mach3 has lazycad to convert drawings to GCode and while it is provided
as part of Mach3, it is a stand alone app, so in theory should be able
to be run on a design station rather than the machine controller but it
is still a work in progress with art concentrating on the hardware end.

I'm making a deliberate split here between creating GCode and using it,
as while most hobby users will be doing both, small production houses
will be running the machine to produce parts to sell, while designing
other parts, and what runs on the design station does not need to affect
the machine end.

I do not think that there will be a single CAM design tool as things
like vCarve will provide specialist expertise in handling that type of
tooling, as will ProtoWizard with machining for the jewelry trade. So I
think the discussion is probably one of what cheaper software tools work
will together to provide a range of facilities.

Alternatively has anybody a system that they think works well for the
design side of things? Something that DOES handle the drafting side
while also producing acceptable GCode. Something even ProEngineer with
its large price tag does not do completely, and Catia would probably eat
up the entire annual profit for a small operation ;)

--
Lester Caine - G8HFL
-----------------------------
L.S.Caine Electronic Services - http://home.lsces.co.uk
Model Engineers Digital Workshop -
http://home.lsces.co.uk/ModelEngineersDigitalWorkshop/
Treasurer - Firebird Foundation Inc. - http://www.firebirdsql.org/index.php