HELP! New CNC Buyer/User Software Question...

[jrbeck]

I'm an experienced computer software engineer with years of programming and technical (and mechanical) experience. I have used graphics programs (like photoshop, etc) extensively as well as other printing and plotting output software such as vinyl sign cutting software, cad and other printing, plotting and photographic tools. So much for the intro...

I want to buy (or build) a CNC Wood Router which is primarily an x/y type system (very little z) to use for cutting abalone inlays and cutouts in mostly guitar necks and bodies. I'd like to have something "photoshop-like" where I could have a drawing (in computer) of a guitar neck and place the designs where I would like them. Then be able to place the neck on the CNC table and do some sort of registration before pressing the "cut" button. (Then do the same with the pieces of abalone as well.)

It would also be nice if the software wew smart enough to be able to calculate a width to add or subtract (at my will) around an inlay to compensate for the width of of a praticular router bit.

So my question is this... Is there such a system as this available? What would I have to do to get to this point?

Thanks!
Lance

[RandMan]

Inlay artist wants to jump into cnc

Short answer is check out Rhino (CAD) for drawing at www.rhino3d.com and Rhinocam www.rhinocam.com which has CAM packaged with the CAD for a decent price point. You've mentioned only 2.5d CAM requirements, not any 3d, so you only need basic CAM. There are very low cost options like Sheetcam for 2.5d too. I'm sure others will add some more packages to look at.

[Al_The_Man]

If you want either a pre-built machine or just the software/hardware to make a table, you could look at Larken tables and systems, their software takes corel files direct as well as other cad files without running through a CAM system first. The cutter sizes are stored in a tool offset file and compensation is done automatically when the desired cut side of the part is indicated.
Al.

[ger21]

If you draw "templates" in a CAD program for bodies and mecks, you can drag inlays around just like your asking for. With home switches and fixtures, everything should be quick and easy ro line up. You can adjust for tool size using cutter compensation in the g-code, but It's not going to be quite as simple as you'd like.