I did a search on this and didn't find what I was looking for. Appologies if this has been covered.

I am a student and am planning on building a woodworking router table CNC like the joe2006, lionclaw or JGRO. The one thing I am just not clear on is the software.

I have used AUTOcad and Solidworks for designing 3d parts, but have never operated a CNC table before and don't quite understand the step from a 3D CAD drawing to a machine moving back and forth.

As a student, I can purchase TurboCADCAM for very little. Is this all I need? Will this speak to a controller purchased from HobbyCNC and move the router spindle, or do I need another piece of software?

What is Mach3? Does the CAM part of TurboCADCAM do what Mach 3 does, or is Mach3 necessary even if you have TurboCADCAM?

If Mach3 is necessary, then do I need the CAM part of TurboCADCAM? Again, student pricing of TurboCAD Pro (without the CAM part) is much less than TurboCADCAM. However, TurboCADCAM is still lesss than buying TurboCAD + Mach3, so I'd rather do that. There is also excellent student pricing on a great CAD package called Alibre that will export to most CAD files but has no g-code or CAM elements. Is that a good combo: Alibre + Mach 3? Would I need a third "CAM" software package as well?

In short, if someone could help me understand all the pieces of software necessary between human designer and router bit, I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks,

There are 4 components. They are Cad (TurboCAD, AutoCAD, Alibre, ect. in 2d and 3d versions), Cam (TurboCAM, SprutCam, Visualmill ect. again 2d and 3d versions), Controller (Mach3, TurboCNC, Fanuc, ect.) and the machine tool itself. You need at least one from each catagory. It all depends on what you are trying to produce. So you would need a Cad program to draw the part, a CAM program to produce the gcode to send to the control program, a control program to read the g code and send the signals to the macine tool to control movement and cutting. You can do simple 2d and 2.5d gcoding manually and not use cad or cam, but this becomes very tedious if there are many components.

As was mentioned, the CAD/CAM package you use depends on what you plan on making. (and your budget)

My recommendation is do not spend ANY money until you understand the process. You can easily use free software to design parts and run your machine.

A lot of parts can easily be made without making a 3D model of them. And most CAM software that works with 3D models is rather expensive. An alternative is to do 2D drawings, save as .dxf files and convert the .dxf's to g-code. You can simply draw the profile of the part, and basically the router will follow the lines in your drawing. You might want to look at ProgeCAD, at http://www.progecad.com/ If you choose to use Mach3 to control your machine, it comes with a simple CAM program, called LazyCAM. It's currently being reworked to make it more user friendly and add more power. Another free converter is ACE Converter, available at www.dakeng.com If you need more power and control, you can step up to SheetCAM at ww.sheetcam.com You may find that an inexpensive or free 2D CAD program and one of these options will allow you to make anything you may want to make. If you find you really do need 3D CAD CAM, expect to spend quite a bit more money.

I'd recommend that you download Mach3, watch the videos at www.machsupport.com and install it and learn to use it. Get ahold of a cheap or free CAD program, and learn how to convert .dxf files into g-code using LazyCAM, and simulate the g-code with Mach3. Mach3 is free for up to 1000 lines of g-code, which will let you do quite a bit of experimenting and learning. As you learn more about the whole process, you'll be in a much better position when the time comes to spend your money to make an educated choice.

As for TurbocADCAM, I checked their website, and they don't have it listed anymore. It appears to have been replaced with a 2.5D CAM plugin for TurboCAD for $299

Thank you. That is just the overview I needed to understand the function of the software.

Just to let you know, TurboCADCAM is still on thier website at:

http://www.turbocad.com/prodinfo.asp?mcid=314

I understand now why some are using TurboCADCAM with Mach 3. I think that I will experiment first with the free software. I am fairly sure I will want to be able to design in 3D eventually. Given the TurboCADCAM educational discount and my familiarity with drafting in TruboCAD, it may be a good option when I get to it. Obviously, I need to build the machine first!!! I just like to have all my steps planned before I begin a job. OCD, gotta love it!