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Author Topic: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam  (Read 45534 times)

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Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #30 on: February 21, 2011, 10:10:05 AM »
Sorry Guys, the confusion is all my fault.

You are both quite right, i don't have a use for Cut2D so I can delete this from my list.  ;D

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline RICH

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #31 on: February 21, 2011, 01:14:09 PM »
Thanks Russ for the comments as that is the kind of things that someone may not realize until after they purchased the software.
Just goes to show that you really need to explore software and compare before it's purchased.

Hey Tweakie, how can we ever get bored as we are to busy learning.

RICH

Offline rickw

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #32 on: February 21, 2011, 06:49:06 PM »
So it looks as if there are two, VCarve and Meshcam, that I should evaluate. I have looked at the meshcam web site and the meshcam art looks promising.

Offline rickw

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #33 on: February 21, 2011, 07:11:29 PM »
Since there are some very savvy CNC operators here I have another question relating to Mach. I asked the same question in another post but I can't seem to get into to read it. When I click on the link, nothing happens. I have never been able to line up a project when importing code into Mach. I always make sure I have plenty of material and cut so that it cuts correctly but I know this is not the proper way. For example, if I was making a book shelf and wanted to drill all of the holes for adjustable shelving, how would I start? When I import the code, the image is showing with all the information but I don't get how you line up the material and get the exact cut one's trying to achieve. Can someone offer some clarity please?

Offline ger21

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #34 on: February 21, 2011, 07:45:06 PM »
So it looks as if there are two, VCarve and Meshcam, that I should evaluate. I have looked at the meshcam web site and the meshcam art looks promising.

V-Carve Pro and MeshCAM are two very different programs, for very different applications. For just about anything that they are both capable of, V-Carve Pro would be the better choice.
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

Offline ger21

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #35 on: February 21, 2011, 07:48:03 PM »
Since there are some very savvy CNC operators here I have another question relating to Mach. I asked the same question in another post but I can't seem to get into to read it. When I click on the link, nothing happens. I have never been able to line up a project when importing code into Mach. I always make sure I have plenty of material and cut so that it cuts correctly but I know this is not the proper way. For example, if I was making a book shelf and wanted to drill all of the holes for adjustable shelving, how would I start? When I import the code, the image is showing with all the information but I don't get how you line up the material and get the exact cut one's trying to achieve. Can someone offer some clarity please?

It starts when you draw the part in your CAD program. Both the CAD program and your machine have a 0,0 position. So draw your part in the same relation to the origin that you want to place it on your machine. That's really all there is too it.
Some CAM programs allow you to move the origin before creating g-code.

You need to understand where the 0,0 position of your part is throughout the entire process, from CAD to CAM to g-code.

On my machine, I have positive stops to locate the lower left corner of my part at the 0,0 position. When I draw the part, I place the lower left corner of the part at 0,0 in the drawing. After I create the code, I simply place the part against the stops, and cut it.
I DO need to home the machine so it knows where my fixed 0,0 position is.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2011, 07:50:25 PM by ger21 »
Gerry

2010 Screenset
http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html

JointCAM Dovetail and Box Joint software
http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html

Offline rickw

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #36 on: February 21, 2011, 08:16:37 PM »
That's what I have been doing but what if you have a piece of wood that is not normal or oval and you want to cut something in the middle. How would you locate the 0,0 on an application like this? The reason I ask this is I wanted to finish a cut that I had started previously. I had to change the DXF and import it back in CamBam. When I imported the changed code, the coordinates were not at the same location. I was about .065 off when started cutting. I let it go because there were other parts to be cut on the same piece of material. I just had to cut the one that was messed up. Also, I have seen the zeroing tools that some have made and wonder what they use them for. I can get pretty accurate with placing the cutter on the lower corner of a piece of material and zeroing all axis'. I thought they used these to locate a certain spot in the middle of a piece of material instead of a corner. Of course, I am not saying it is not good for finding the corner, I just thought they were used for other things besides this.     

Offline Tweakie.CNC

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #37 on: February 22, 2011, 02:21:51 AM »
Rick,

I think all the software I use allows the 0,0 position to be set in the centre of the work as an alternative to the corners. On some jobs, such as your oval, it may be easier to mark the centre of the work and then set tool zero to this position.

Tweakie.
PEACE

Offline bowber

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #38 on: February 22, 2011, 04:23:29 AM »
If I've got a long job that may have to be restarted for some reason, time or broken cutter perhaps, then I'll start with a hole somewere on the stock.
That way I can re centre the cutter in the hole and know it's relatively close, of course this doesn't work for very accurate parts.
If your machine has accurate homing switches then you can take a note of the machine coordinates for the work zero, then you just re home the machine then send it to these coordinates and zero the axis's.

Steve

Offline rickw

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Re: CAM recommendation, other than CamBam
« Reply #39 on: February 22, 2011, 09:48:37 AM »
I think I get it now! What I have been doing is importing to the upper right of 0,0 so the lower left corner is 0,0. Instead, have the cross hairs of the x,y coordinates dissect a hole or specific location on the drawing, before importing into Mach, correct?