Any ideas for open source CAM package?

[ger21]

Originally Posted by itsme Hi there, I'm not sure if this is in the scope of what you are doing, but there really isn't any 4-axis cam software around that is free or really cheap. I've looked all over and there really isn't much to be found. The other thing that I would find very useful (although not really cam), is some kind of software that can convert point clouds from digitising into a form that CAD packages can understand. Regards Warren

Free 4-axis CAM http://www.rainnea.com/cnc_t_4axis.htm

Although the website isn't working as I type this, these guys used to have a free point cloud to polygon program. http://www.paraform.com

[SimonArthur]

OpenOffice.org can read DXF files.

ACE Converter is open source and does DXF to G-Code:
http://www.dakeng.com/ace.html

Some C code to generate G-Code for various tasks (holes, pockets, threads):
http://jelinux.pico-systems.com/gcode.html

CAD/CAM for Linux:
http://www.cadcam.co.at/freiter/gCAD3D_en.htm

[Death Adder]

I agree. They could do a lot more to make things easier on the machinist. I like the idea of entering in your machine specs (travel, ball screw wear maybe, spindle speed, etc) and let the software make some better choices than you could make.

I've also been dabbling in writing CAD/CAM apps. My stuff is in C, Visual Basic (for the front end GUI) and some older stuff in QuickBasic (conversion programs from one CAD format to another, such as APT to straight point cloud). I've made plenty of file converters for use in my machining.

I haven't looked at the PERL stuff because... well I dont know PERL and I don't intend to learn. For me C, C++, VB, ASP, and PHP are quite enough.

Originally Posted by Mechanoid I think I am going to start with a controversy, but I do not think that loosely defined "professional" CAM programs need most of the features they have. It is amazing, but they also lack almost all of he features that they need. I do not do enumeration or comparison of software here. I can only say that "professional" CAM packages look like — well, maybe first demos of a beginning research project? The tragedy is that they have long ago petrified in that stage. Do not ask for "all features of professional CAM" software. IMO, we can move on from this point only asking for features missing from it.

[jymmm]

Hi galacticroot,

Nice project! If I knew perl, I'd help out.

As far as features go, everybody wants everything - the greedy ********!
I'd rather see someone start with the basics, get the kinks worked out, then add on as time/resources/tequilia permits.


Here's a sick and twisted idea for ya...

The ability to import a gcode file and reproduce a SVG file.
It might actually be a nice way to verify the output,
by feeding it back into the program.

FWIW...
cygwin can be ugly to install, there is PERL2EXE for all the non-nix folks.

Good Luck,
Jim...

[cartertool]

I stumbled across these guys the other day, they are working on a Python based CAM system. In an email he said he hopes it will be open source:

http://www.freesteel.co.uk

Interesting (the blog) reading in any case

[MrWild]

As of October 6, 2005 Autodesk only has thirty dayt trial downloads.

So does anyone have a copy of the shareware version they can send me?

Thanks

Bill

[oaktree444]

NIST (national institute of standards and technology)
source codes....compilers....open sources...see MEL (Manfacturing Engineering Labortory)....RCS....(real-time controll systems liabary)


http://www.mel.nist.gov/product/software.htm

http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/projects/rcslib/

check these out hope they help....

[WayneHill]

I wrote this one.

Converts standard G-Code back to DXF.
Open source.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8814

[ger21]

Originally Posted by MrWild As of October 6, 2005 Autodesk only has thirty dayt trial downloads. So does anyone have a copy of the shareware version they can send me? Thanks Bill

Get it while you can. http://www.turbosquid.com/gmax

[tiefpunktball]

I do not know if anyone is familiar with Blender. But it is an opensource 3d modelling package. I think that if someone made a G-code generation script for it, that it would be extremely powerful. Imagine using Blender, a 5-axis G-code generation script, and Mach. A complete package (less CAD) for $159. Blender imports STL, SVG, DXF, and many others.

[theomagus]

The ideas here are really great! specially now that OpenCAM has a primitive support to Blender Objects!
These two screenshots show an object in blender and the same object beeing opened on OpenCAM. It is quite neanderthal stuff but it is working ^_^

Regarding SVG, I'm prefering to work with Inkscape, and, like the same idea of the owner of this topic, OpenCAM is going only on Linux!

Let's mill some penguins for fun!

[ADucci]

Man, i have been pondering on this idea...

if Open office can read DXF files, why cant you use the draw capabilities there to draw simple shapes in the OpenOffice Draw app, and then have it converted into DXF or G-code.

this would make life on my plasma cutter a lot simpler!!!