BR549,
No hand programming, I just draw the gear in CAD and make sure that the profile is drawn very well. Then export as a V12 dxf and use LC or Cambam to cut / offset the profile.
Not the sharpest tack on gears since I have no need to design them. Gears can get complex since there are different standards and allowances so when one gets into it
it can get confusing.
There are a number of programs which provide the Gcode for a gear, they vary on what you need for input, and the gcode generation is part of the higher end CAM programs.
What i don't like is that you get a lot of code because the arc is broken up into small line segments . The code will run fine though. Art recongnized the need for a economical gcode program and frankly his program is the slickest I know of.
The spread sheet for the dimensions was really done so one could could make a gear cutter or measure or figure out what the existing gear is. For instance;
if one wanted to make a cutter he would define pitch, # teeth, and pressure angle and then use a diameter cutter with the closest tooth profile radius
to milll the blank or even machine it and use an indexed 4th axis to cut the gear . I posted the how to in show and tell.
I tried using the gear program Jim posted and quickly remenbered that it's been around a few years and is meant for cutting out gears based on a printed profile
which won't print accurately "here" and wasn't worth fiddling with. I personaly would buy arts program and not purchase that one.
Later, got to go make a lliving,
RICH