At the moment I use CamBam to create g-code for LinuxECM but as this is not free i was wondering if there was a good open-source alternative that has similar capability's? mainly the very good tool path visualization.


Any CAM/g-code for Linux?

I've been looking around as well. Only thing is I'm a bit lost. I've been using BRL-CAD to get my models all made. I have a handful of them just about completed. So, I slapped CamBam on there to give ti a go....only my DXF exports from BRL-CAD are won't open right in CamBam. Something about it doesn't handle 3dfaces. So, I made a box in brl-cad and dumped it out for a simple test, and of course once again CamBam was like "what 'cho talkin bout willis?"

Obviously, since I'm using BRL-CAD I'm looking for a FOSS solution. For what it's worth Cam Bam does have a free version, which is the one I downloaded and could be my problem.

Here's a useful list:

http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Cam

I haven't really started going through that list yet looking for CAM solutions as I've been focusing on the CAD aspect of it so far, but on the CAD side it gave me several worthwhile products to try.

cam-bam have a forum think i read something about BRL there. unfortunately I am using .stl so cant be of help. you did read about 2d / 2.5d .dfx limitation of free version right?

You can just draw a quick model in cambam to test its features out but its laking features compared to proper CAD programs.

CamBam is only 2.5D, and is no longer really "free".

Let's see, the challenge is to use a 3D stereolithographic file for CAM?

Meshlab is a good program for handling 3D files:

http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/

Stanford has one too...what's it called? Ahem yep, "Scanalyze".

http://www.graphics.stanford.edu/software/scanalyze/

About the STL file format:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STL_(file_format)

Just came across this interesting post via Hackaday:

http://ruinwesen.com/blog?id=387

He has written a gCode generator written in Lisp so that it can take instructions like:

"mill a rectangle of 5x5mm with the tool outline the paths from the inside, then rasterize a cylinder with a 3mm diameter at this position"

and generate the gCode without any CAD or CAM.

Pretty sweet if that's the type of machining you need to do!

Here is a wonderland of information on the topic of foss software for maching:
http://editthis.info/opencam/Main_Page

BC, I know that one of LL's eventual goals is a python lib that'll take dxf and spit out micro ready gcode--you might take a look at MIT's cam.py --one python file that might get you most of the way there and just need a little tweaking. I don't know much about gcode/dxf/etc but I am a proficient programmer, so as I play with the micRo and use this tool I'll keep an eye out. Be sure and let me know if you need any help with your python project