How about BobCad with opensource linistep driver?

[Niggo]

Hi! I am looking for a suitable cad-cam program to use with my linistep electronics. For those who don't know it, it is a opensource electronics that uses simple step and dir signals from lpt. It works really good with mach3 software, but I 'd like to know if it can works with bobcad-art and how it should be configured to use it (for example I haven't found any information about pin to signal lpt mapping or number of steps/units like in mach3).Thanks!!

[Fifty_ohm]

Bobcad is for developing parts and cutter paths. It doesn't actually drive the machine. That's what you need Mach3 for.

[Niggo]

I made a big mistake indeed, well seems a perfect fit for my needs. I'd like to engraving wood from an image, so bobart seems perfect, which file format It can save to use with mach3? Last one: which type of postprocessor is good for my driver? Thanks again!

[Fifty_ohm]

I don't have any information on Bob-art for you as I don't use it but I do use Mach3 and it can import dxf for 2d stuff. A post processor for bob-art can be found here for doing the 3d stuff (like engraving from images).

[Niggo]

HUmmm, I am starting to understand how that works. So, for example, I take an image and using bobart I make it 3D and define a toolpath, the program elaborates it and gives to me the gcode file (for this the postprocessor is needed, just to decode the image to the correct gcode) that I import into mach3 to start the milling, is it right?

[Fifty_ohm]

Yep. You got it.

Man that was easy. Why don't any of my conversations with my kids go that smoothly???