I've been a professional graphic designer for about 25 years and am looking for new ways to ply my trade. So far I have done some pretty amazing carvings combining Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, ZBrush and Aspire with my CNC machine.
The results so far are beyond what I expected, and I have essentially walked away from my graphic design business and am starting to get more CNC work than I can handle. (Good thing!) My plate is full with the technical knowledge required just to do the artwork.
At one time, when the CNC world was the domain of highly skilled technicians, then yes, I agree that an elevated level of understanding of the "guts" must be assumed. I wish I had the time and technical aptitude to be able to learn about all the technical aspects of running my machine, but unfortunately I don't.
My CNC is a way for me to design products, explore ideas, create artwork and cut materials for clients. THAT is what is important to me. An analogy would be my truck. I don't know how the engine works, I just need it to get me where I need to go.
I spent over six hours today on my machine and on the internet trying to find an answer to a problem that stopped me in my tracks. I am thankful to Hood (above) for solving a seemingly simple problem that the manual did not clearly address.
There is a huge new market opening up for woodworkers and artisans as the price of decent CNC machines continues to drop. You can see advertisements in all the Woodworking and craft magazines.
It may not be ArtSoft, but some company WILL recognize a need for controller software that fosters success without the frustration (and time requirement) of having to learn an additional skillset. A controller software that allows users to focus on their skills, rather than fight with unfamiliar technology.
Mach3, I've found, can do amazing things and is very powerful. Yes, they would incur the cost of professional writing and designing a more user-friendly interface, but they could really dominate an up and coming market.
I've been lurking around this forum for about a year, and I would bet that most of the frustration and help requests could be eliminated.
Thanks for your thoughts. Appreciate the response.