Re: How to Program a CAD / G-code/Machine commands freesource code?

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, "elwolv" <elwolv@...> wrote:

>
> hello;
>
> thanks to Dan Hudgins for referencing this forum for my project.
> I building a micro CNC machine
> I want to write SW for simple CAD front /to G-code / to Machine commands
>

If your goal is 2.5D machining (Z is straight sided cuts) then the
easiest way is to process the CAD export (DXF or HPGL) into SheetCAM.
and take the resulting g-code into MACH3 for movement.

If you want full 3D and have a 3D drawing package, then you need to
look at MeshCAM. Once again it outputs g-code that will run in MACH3

If you want to spend the next year of your life writing a real-time
CAD to Machine controller (provided you are a good C level programmer)
then you will certainly have something to put on your resume.

If approx $300.00 USD is too much, then for motion control you can
take a look at EMC (free but runs on Linux) or TurboCNC (runs in DOS)

You will still need a CAD to G-code piece (called CAM). The problem
with just writing an output is that you need to give toolpath
definitions (how you want the cutting to happen on a specific machine)
and that needs human input. Typically the drawing (2D or 3D) is
brought into a CAM program (GUI interface) and the human selects the
tools, feedrates, number of passes, offsets, lead-ins and other
machining parameters for that job.

While the cost of CNC has dropped dramatically in the last 5 years
it's still a challenge to try and do something that is actually usable
and reliable for free.

As many find out the software side of the CNC equation often is the
more difficult to implement.

To give you some frame of reference MACH3 (which started out as
Master5) and is a real-time Windows Machine Controller and generates
the Stgep & Dir pulses you need, probably has well over 2000 man-
hours in programming and upgrades. If MACH were a true commercial
software venture structured like other commercial software, it would
cost at least 10X the $159.00 asking price and upgrades would not be
free for life!

My suggestion is to not try and re-invent the wheel (unless someone is
paying you handsomely for the effort). With EMC being free and
SheetCam at slightly over $166.00 you can bypass hundreds of hours of
programming and spend the time using the machine to make back the
initial investment.

Going from nothing to full 3D machining is like strapping a rocket
motor to a beach chair......rough on the passenger.

You can download free demos of all the programs listed.