Vector Art 3D offers a free program to do this, called 3D machinist.
Vector Art 3D, Inc. - Dimensional Clip Art for CNC Routing and Engraving - Download Free 3D Models
It only works with designs purchased from them, though.
All I want to do, to start with, is to carve commercially available designs (i.e. Vector Art 3D, Inc. - Dimensional Clip Art for CNC Routing and Engraving) into wood.
The common file types seem to be STL, RLF or V3M.
All I have found so far to convert the files to gcode is MeshCam, which is expensive, and has all kinds of stuff that I will probably never use.
Anybody have advice on other options?
Thanx, Alan
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Vector Art 3D offers a free program to do this, called 3D machinist.
Vector Art 3D, Inc. - Dimensional Clip Art for CNC Routing and Engraving - Download Free 3D Models
It only works with designs purchased from them, though.
Gerry
UCCNC 2017 Screenset
[URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]
Mach3 2010 Screenset
[URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]
JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
[URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]
(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)
STLs can be toolpathed in a lot of CAM packages. I know BobCAD and DeskProto both can use them.
CAD, CAM, Scanning, Modelling, Machining...
BobCad is only slightly less money and seem to have a bad reputation.
Am going to try DeskProto (trial).
So far, like DeskProto, but there is one really strange thing.
When you generate a .nc, it saves it as .iso, then you have to rename it before Mach4 will recognize it.
OK- the problem was that even though it said "nc" what it meant was gcode for whatever machine you specified in setup. When I changed setup to Mach3 it started saving as .tap.
Last edited by estes53; 07-18-2015 at 09:47 PM.
You might also want to look at CamBam.
Gerry
UCCNC 2017 Screenset
[URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]
Mach3 2010 Screenset
[URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]
JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
[URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]
(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)