Originally Posted by etzz  After some reading, the whole G2/G3 (circular interp) -vs- G0/G1 moves (tiny straight lines) is sort of tied to the machine controller (mach3 in my case) and its implementation of CV motion (constant velocity). |
Sort of, but not really. Cutting a circle with a series of straight segments will not cut the same as one using G2/G3. When using G2/G3, the cutter will stay on the path. If you're using straight segments and CV mode, Mach3
may clip the corners of your straight segments. This can vary greatly with acceleration and velocity settings. The smaller the segments, the closer it'll be, but G2/G3 is far better. Another reason that G2/G3 is better, is because the machine should run smoother making the continuous arc, rather than the series of short segments. Even with CV mode on, Mach may not be able to maintain the same velocity and smoothness of the G2/G3 moves.
As the previous poster said, if you're using 2D drawings from Rhino, you should be getting G2's and G3's. But if your working with a 3D model, it's normal to have all G1's.