Machsupport Forum

Mach Discussion => General Mach Discussion => Topic started by: caladin on January 09, 2009, 12:38:11 AM

Title: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: caladin on January 09, 2009, 12:38:11 AM: Hi all I'm sure you get this question every other time you exhale, but I tried a quick search and nothing came up.

What software do you recommend in the way of converting Dxfs to Gcode, I'm looking for 2.5d and simple... cheap is good too,
later on I'm sure i"ll buy something expensive and really 3d, but for now i want to spend my money on hardware not software. :)

I'm mostly going to do wood routing for now, At the moment i have a tiny Dremeltool driven setup for practice and I'm in
the "waiting for my darn thrust washers" phase on my larger one that's going to hold a bosch 1617 router.

I know Sheet cam is out there on the $200 range,

What's out there that's free, and what in the $200 and below range?

Thanks,

Eric-
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: Graham Waterworth on January 09, 2009, 03:09:44 AM: You get LazyCAM lite with Mach3, if you want the full version its $75.00

Graham
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: budman68 on January 09, 2009, 04:55:23 AM: I have to highly recommend Cut2D from Vectric software. It's under $200 and nothing comes close for ease of learning especially if you've never done much CAM work before.

I've tried quite a few and this was bar far the easiest and they have an excellent support site as well.

Dave
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: ger21 on January 09, 2009, 09:07:16 AM: There's a free version of CamBam, there's G Simple, and ACE, for free.

If you're going to spend money, look seriously at Cut2D. You won't find anything easier.
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: Tweakie.CNC on January 09, 2009, 09:24:23 AM: I use CamBam for dxf to GCode - it's also extremely good at creating the tool radius offset paths. Easy to use and fully supported by active forum and it's Free.

Tweakie.
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: caladin on January 10, 2009, 12:39:27 AM: Grabbed the free coy of cam bam to start off with, thanks for the recommendations.

Can anyone point me to a reference on the different file types for Gcode, Silly me I assumed there was just one, but I noticed
Mach3 opens *.tap files, and CamBam exports *.nc files... As heinlein said, 2 is the sillys number, if there are two ther are lots...

so I guess that means i have a new bucket of learning to soak up.

Is there a good place to learn about all these and the differences and how to transform form one to another?

Thanks,

Eric-
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: Chip on January 10, 2009, 01:08:58 AM: Hi, Eric

It will load, .tap, .nc, .ncc and .txt, There all basic text type file, Formatted/Structured G-Code.

Hears a Link to the Mach3Mill Manual, http://www.machsupport.com/docs/Mach3Mill_1.84.pdf for a start, Just a Start.

Hope this Helps, Chip
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: ger21 on January 10, 2009, 09:26:15 AM: Quote from: caladin on January 10, 2009, 12:39:27 AM

Is there a good place to learn about all these and the differences and how to transform form one to another?

Thanks,

Eric-

They're all the same, just text files with different extension names. Most CAm programs will let you choose the file extension you want to use.

When you open any given type in Mach3, that will be the default type it looks for, until you open a different type. But it'll open files with any extension you want to use.
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: HimyKabibble on January 10, 2009, 11:01:31 AM: Take a look at SheetCAM at www.sheetcam.com. There's a free evaluation (I think 30 days). You can also download their new tool SheetCAMTNG for free for, I think 15 days. TNG is very nice at this point. Support on SheetCAM is really first-rate. If you do find a bug, it'll usually be fixed within days.

Cut2D is nice as well, and has a nice 3D simulation capability, but some of its other capabilities are rather limited. I can't recall off-hand what it was I found lacking, but I did compare it to SheetCAM, and it came out second.

Regards,
Ray L.
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: bowber on January 10, 2009, 11:16:34 AM: Second go at posting.

I use Sheetcam aminly, I've also used Cambam but not tried Cut2D.
For 3D I use Meshcam.
You'll find most common jobs use 2.5D.

Steve
Title: Re: Software to convert Dxf to Gcode, aka CAM. Recommendations wanted
Post by: RICH on January 10, 2009, 11:29:17 AM: Ray makes a good point in the selection and learning curve associated with software.
You just need try and see what is best suited for the work you are going to do and
what is most agreeable with you on how the software works. The trick is to minimize the
time and money you spend finding what you want. One way would be to do the all free route
piecing things together and finding out limitations. Then you know first hand what is expected
out of a packaged software like some mentioned and your trial allows you to discount rather quickly.
Notice there are a lot of you's above and in the end it's you that will use it.

RICH