newbie question (vectorworks/mach 3)

[xovationx]

hi

im new to the forums and just thinking about getting a cnc setup.

before anything i wanted to make sure that i could make the software side of things go as smoothly as possible, seeing as i dont think the hardware will be too difficult for me.

i have an old cheap pc that would be hooked up to the mill to run something like mach 3. design would be done on my mac in something like vectorworks. to go from design to production would it just be a matter of exporting a dxf file from vectorworks and writing it to disk to transfer over and set up toolpaths and such in mach 3? would there be any problems in compatability between those 2 programs or problems between switching OS's during the process?

i realize these are probably extremely simple question but like i said...im new. thanks for any help guys.
-rene

[ger21]

Mach3's .dxf importer will soon be removed from the program, and be replaced by their new importer/converter/CAM program, called LazyCAM. Download the first beta and see if it works OK with your .dxf's. If not, send them your .dxf's and they will probably be able to get them working when the release is final. http://www.machsupport.com/LazyCam.zip

Also, for best results, your Mach3 PC needs to be at least 1Ghz.

[xovationx]

so once their new program comes out will transfer between vectorworks and mach be out of the question? that would stink...vectorworks seems to be the best solution for mac based users....id really hate to run something through virtual pc.

-rene

[ger21]

I think you misunderstood me, or I wasn't clear enough. LazyCAM is included free with Mach3. It's being seperated from Mach3 due to the many additional feature being added.

You'll still save your .dxf files from Vectorworks, then load them into LazyCAM, instead of Mach3. LazyCAM will then create the g-code for Mach3. LazyCAM can be on your Mach3 machine, so you'll still send the .dxf's to the PC from the Mac. While LazyCAM adds an extra small step, it more than make up for it in added features and control over your .dxf files.

Like I said, download it and try it right now, and if it's not working correctly for you, you can submit any problems you find so that you know it will work for you in the future.

[xovationx]

yup, i did misunderstand you....thanks for clearing that up...ill download it and try it.

[twocik]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but did this solution work (Mac to PC)? I'm hoping you're talking about an Apple computer to PC.