Well, I can ramble with the best of 'em, but instead I'll cut this post down to something short and sweet...

I need to figure out the software side of making a RoGR "go".

I've got the CAD aspect covered (Rhino). I can make 3D objects 'til my heart's content.


It's getting those 3D objects out of the computer and into the real world that I need help with!
I've tried a couple CAM plugins for Rhino, the best of which is called "RhinoCAM" (put out by MecSoft, who are also the makers of FreeMill).
*(I couldn't try FreeMill because I only have Windows Vista x64 installed at the moment...)

I'd love to get a free, or at least cheap piece of software, at least to start out.
Rhino integration would be nice, but not remotely required.
I'm not a fan of "mesh" 3D modeling. I model in NURBS, I'd like to mill in NURBS.

What do y'all use/suggest?

Will all the various CAM programs export files Mach3 can support? (That's "G-Code" right, is that a standard? Or is that another thing I have to worry about?)

If you've got CAD down, your 1/3 there. Next you'll need to "CAM up" your creation. My recommendation is CAMBAM, freeware put out by 10bulls. Feed it .dxf files and generate your paths, options, feeds, then it generates your G-code which is fed to the machine controller software (EMC2). It also has some basic CAD features which make it really useful for quick and easy jobs. If you run through the tutorials, you'll have a very firm footing for using the program.

Next is the machine controller. I recommend EMC2, a very powerful freeware developed by NIST. Once the parametrics for your machine are programmed, you're ready to run. I'll be offering an EMC2 installer pre-compiled with RoGR's parametrics for free as well. Whether or not you program EMC2 yourself, you should still have a long look at the manual. This program runs on Linux, but that's fine since your RoGR computer controller should be a single purpose dedicated machine.

So, it's all free to answer your question!

Thanks for the replies!

I've got CamBam up and running (haven't got any paths yet, but I also haven't looked at any tutorials yet...). Looks like I'll be messing with this for a while...

I noticed somewhere in the install the CamBam programmers suggested running the g-code through a simulation. If CamBam has simulations I'm sure I'll see it soon, if not is there any software dedicated to simulating CNC stuff?

Cool! EMC2 comes in a Ubuntu CD... ain't linux great?!

I'm sure EMC can run your G-code in simulation.

I use Vectric Software, for 3d work CUT3D, it will render your file exactly how it will look when done. all programs are demo with sample programs.

http://www.vectric.com/


For a free similator:

http://www.cncsimulator.com/index.php?page=download.htm

Joe

I tried Cut3D briefly, it honestly seemed to be pretty good. Unless I missed something, the fact that it uses mesh geometry (instead of NURBS) disappoints me quite a bit though. But $300 (compared to at least $850 for ANYTHING else) isn't that bad... I'll give it a closer look.

VisualMill/RhinoCAM is still high on my list. The apparent complete inability to edit it's automatically generated toolpaths is a drag.

I tried BobCAD... God what a flaming piece of crap that thing is! I wrote up a big rant about my ~1 hour experience with it, but I'll spare y'all. The fact that they have the audacity to charge $3500 for this abortion of a program makes me wonder if I'd brake if I saw one of the programmers crossing the street in front of me. It's no wonder people are selling their "seats" on eBay for half-price or less.

CamBam is OK, and it's nice that it's free. But I don't think it's playing nice with Rhino's exported DXF files. The lack of 3D doesn't thrill me, and the programmer's statements suggesting that the code it generates isn't very good doesn't give me confidence.

Can you convert them to multi polygons. I have not used Rhino. and export to suported format?

Cambam is great! I'm guessing the code you are talking about is 3D? Honestly I haven't used it for anything too complicated, but it performs perfectly for my "2D" work.

One of Rhino's strong suites is it's ability to import and export many different file formats. Cut3D was able to open the one file I tried without any issue, and the resulting (simulated) part looked pretty good.

The thing that I didn't like is: so far as I have seen Cut3D needs to have have their model made from polygons instead of NURBS.

Click to view attachment
NURBS > Rough Mesh > Smoother Mesh

Now that I think about it: I think the dxf from Rhino worked fine, but when I realized it wanted a 2D drawing I opted to try out the program using the sample files.

Have you tried GSimple? It does 3D, and it's free.

http://www.gsimple.eu/index.html

I'm actually in the process of building my own version of this software. Kinda funny too, I never heard of this program until now, and mines turning out to be almost the same!

As of right now, I'm at the point where you can import DXF files, and different layers corresponds to different depths. You can pan, zoom, and it outputs translated autocad lines into steps (for use with low level stepper controllers. Where the computer sends the pulses out to an amplifier then the amplifier to the motors).

I'm needing this b/c I'm building a cheap $20 controller that will run my motors, it takes parallel port pulses and turns them into steps for the motors (i know, no micro stepping). I'm still in the early stages for everything so who knows if this will actually work.

Currently I'm working on adding a 3D preview to the program. And I would like (with in time) be able to import Inventor files directly, or make a Inventor like 3D builder!

Nice! Definitely keep us up to date.

Does anyone happen to know how to convert Illustrator files into g-code? Would the images have to be redrawn in a CAD program?

I have had success on Windows converting Raster to Vector with "Inkscape." Use "Path->Trace Bitmap" and then consider "Path->Simplify." Save in Postscript.

Convert Postscript to DXF via "pstoedit." May requrie ghostscript libraries.

Convert the DXF to gcode via "LazyCam". You should actually consider buying LazyCam, although for what you need, it is free.

Check out www.3dprintheads.org wiki for a very long listing of freesoftware.

Fowler


From: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38520

Ah, this is an excellent start. Thanks. Hopefully there is a way to import Illustrator files into Inkscape.

Let me see, those are .ai files? In illustrator, what are the export functions? Certainly vector to .bmp...(I haven't used AI in years...)

I don't know yet, actually. I'm not the Illustrator user. My sis has a hobby involving old style printing presses and she uses illustrator to create designs and sends them away to get plates cut. I want to be able to do some of this stuff for her.

Wow, cool! I'm certain that Illustrator has numerous file export options. Ai is a vector format, which you'd want to preserve for "vector plotting", but only because you must have vector!

Can you ask her to share one of her files? I'd like to see the challenge!

G

We will experiment a bit and see what comes up.

I'm pretty sure Rhino will import illustrator files. I'm sure it can export them. Last I saw the Rhino evaluation version would let you save 25 times...

Most of the major CAD programs will have some provision for importing Adobe Illustrator vector files.. I commonly use AutoCAD, and have used this feature without any problems. From there you could save as a DXF- which most stand-alone CAM software will recognize.

Another option is to save as an HPGL file (which is Hewlett-Packard's plotter format), or if you can't "save as" an HPGL, then plot to file. Some of the freebee CAM programs will work with HPGL, since this is apparently commonly used in laser-cutting.

Cheers!

Robin

I just wanted to check. I run Linux exclusively at home. So, slapping EMC2 on an old box I had laying around wasn't a problem. I've played around some recently with qQad - not as nice as AutoCad...but the only autocad I've used on a box other than a Windows one was as bad as qCad and was on a Unix mainframe. Anyway, it will handle dxf files.

I was looking at the above list CAM apps and I'm not finding anything in terms of Linux. Are there any out there? Preferably FOSS.

If not that's fine I'll pick up another hard drive and dual boot into Windows and slap AutoCAD and CamBam on it. But, it'd be nice to have something I can rock on the fly with out having to shut down.

Ever play around with Virtual Machines ? Until I build a Linux (exclusive) machine, virtual machines allow me to experiment with various software packages...

Gadgetsmith:
Thanks for the Beer. It's very good. I have a couple chilling in my fridge right now. Coincidentally. 'Skids' was the name we gave the early-twenty-something rockers that were a little too wild for their budgets. or homes. or friends. or families.

Mas7337:
Unfortunately, we don't have a complete design to manufacture solution yet.... EMC2 is a great piece of software.... But, as far as I know, there is no equivalent open-source version of ACAD, or for that matter mastercam, etc... I've not used Rhino, though I understand that it is fully-featured (and also pay-ware), so I should think that there is maybe a g-code generator plug-in for it. For better or for worse, I was trained with AutoCAD, and it's what I prefer. Say that hypothetically your nephew were to torrent AutoCAD or Autodesk Inventor to your computer, and you were to accidentally use it on the way to the proper authorities, I think you'd find it to be a very capable piece of CAD software. As far as software to generate the g-code files........ We've been using CamBam, and, well.......... It has some problems. DO NOT try to use it for CAD work. There is no reasonable way to make your geometric constructions. It's missing some of the most basic tools.... I can make most of my drawings as long as I have a line tool, a circle tool, and an offset tool... And having only two of those three- as well as only being partially functional at those makes it practically useless. At best, if you've already CADed it up, you could possibly (if you had loads of time and patience) plug in the values. Also it provides better than rudimentary CAM functionality. It's good for about 85% of what you need....

Having said that, it's the best combination of simplicity and functionality for a piece of free-ware. Like I said, we use it without too many complaints.

Robin

I dunno Robin.... I've been pining for GCNCCAM for awhile now.

Also: 3D CAD/CAMs are available like gCAD3D and others..

PythonCAD is mature.

Oh and GCAM is starting to look usable!

Having stopped my previous software journey at a working, free solution, I simply haven't had a chance to try these programs (though I've been trying to get some time recently). Robin, you should know better to dismiss out-of-hand that which isn't tried or tested, yes? I believe the state of the art has changed since you may have last looked around with any seriousness.

Thanks. I guess I should have checked the wiki over there on linuxcnc.org

And oddly enough Robin, I do actually have a real copy of AutoCad (it's the 98 edition) but still is quite usable, 2005 had a lot nicer things and seemed a real nice improvement from 98, but 98 still runs and is more than capable. Totally agree it's the best all around solution, but...I try to support the FOSS stuff, as I'm a developer and more than a few times I've had quirks in applications I've had to use in the past that I was unable to take a look into as why they were breaking - where as with FOSS I dig in, fix it, and there's no longer a problem - or add a feature that I wish it had. Following the threads on the Robloks kits, it seems to have a similar spirit to FOSS - make things available and give the people the ability to let their imaginations fly on what is possible--Turning a little coin while you're at it doesn't change that. I'm just stoked. I've got a notebook full of drawings I've come up with of things to make over the last week or two.

The PC controlling the RoGR may be a very basic machine, eh? Thinking ahead I'm wondering about what I'll use to control my RoGR and my options are take one of my "old" PC's or buy/make a very cheap new one.

What would the minimal recommended requirements be to simply run the machine and do all the preliminary work with another more powerful PC?

If you want to use the Live CD for the EMC2 installation, then you have 2 choices:

• EMC2 on Ubuntu 6.06
• EMC2 on Ubuntu 8.04

Going over to the Ubuntu homepage, they list the minumum requirements as:

• 6.06: The minimum memory requirement for Ubuntu 6.06 is 256MB of memory for desktop CDs.
• 8.04: The minimum memory requirement for Ubuntu 8.04 is 384MB of memory for desktop CDs.

I can only guess that EMC2 will run on any machine that is powerful enough to run Ubuntu. Of course, there will be a minimum processor speed necessary to run the kernel and real-time parallel port calls, but I could not find any requirements listed for processing power.

Any PC made after 03' with a parallel port (essential for real time control).

KOS and others:

A caching glitch caused my posts to be in the wrong thread (ok poltergeists have invaded my house, too).

Please see RoGR

I just started messing with sketchup...
found these with a google on sketchup cnc

anybody else messed with them?
is this method more complicated than any of these other solutions?

http://groups.google.com/group/sketchupsug...88c4ba814b7bc13
http://code.google.com/p/zomadicam/

Illustrator CS3 has dxf as an export option.