NEWB to Plasma CNC needs your help

[GJOKER]

Hello everyone.
My name is Tim.
I'm a new member here. My brother and I are in the process of building our first Plasma CNC table.

I have been lurking around this forum for quite some time, looking at some of your builds and taking notes

Now I got a question to which I was unable to find sufficient information (or maybe I got too lazy looking and decided to ask).

So what I would like to know is how do you go from idea in your head, to a finished part on your table.

What software do you use for artsy work?
What software do you use for specific parts (brackets etc.)
Are there software that help you to convert image to a cut out part?

So if anyone could direct me to such information or in detail explain your own process, that would be greatly appreciated.


Thanks in advance.

[I Lean]

There are a TON of different options for software, so it's really a personal preference.

For me, I use DeltaCAD for most things, since I'm not a CAD guy. It's simple and easy, works well for parts and well enough for the artsy stuff. I am trying to learn Inkscape as time allows....it will do a lot better job at tracing images than what I've tried before, PlasmaTrace.

In any case, after the drawing exists, I import it into Sheetcam for processing, then to Mach3 for cutting.

[GJOKER]

So from what you saying is that DeltaCAD for simple parts
Inkscape for artsy stuff.

After that files in imported into s Sheetcam for processing (this is where G code is created and where cutting process is finalized, lead in and out is added) and finally Mach3 is the one that controls the CNC.

Did I lay out the process correctly?

[I Lean]

Basically, yes. Aside from the fact that I haven't spent any time with Inkscape yet, so I've been using DeltaCAD for 99% of everything.

[GJOKER]

are you able to do artsy stuff in DeltaCAD?

[I Lean]

Yes...it's just not as easy as I think it can be with Inkscape. (or CorelDRAW, or....)

[Torchhead]

Big problem with most CAD programs is they are really limited on the types of file formats you can import. Most of the Good Vector clipart is in AI or EPS format. Something that Inkscape or Coreldraw does with ease. Drawing software like the two mentioned lets you do things in seconds that can take hours in a CAD program.

Here is a common example: You have a design for a logo a customer wants that requires you warp a specific font around an inside circle with a graphic design in it and there needs to be an outer ring. All of it has to be geometrically correct and the test has to look just like the Logo they give you . All you have to work from is a small photo.

In CorelDraw wrapping a line of text around a circle or ellipse is two mouse clicks. Welding the letters to t he inner circle is another mouse click, then wrapping an outer ring around that and making all it one piece to cut is just a few more steps. i don't thing doing that in CAD would be fast or easy.

Inkscape is FREE, works well for vector drawing and saves in SVG format that a lot of programs (not CAD) will import. Biggest + is that SheetCAM will import it directly from the native Inkscape file. I have played with it enough to know you can do a lot with it. I'm an old CorelDraw guy so it's hard to not move back to something that is second nature.

If you want to succeed in decorative plasma cutting (i.e. make it profitable) then you need to master your drawing tools. That is were you will spend your most time if you have to do a lot of custom work.

TOMcaudle
www.CandCNC.com

[GJOKER]

are there any CAD programs geared towards 2D CNC?