The CNC software may be either machine specific or more general depending on the machine’s implementation. You get to pick which software to use for any function except the post-processor has to be made for the CAM software & manufacturing machine combination. It’s the same for virtually all CNC machines. Like doing design in Inkscape or Adobe Illustrator and then taking the output (SVG files) and using an application like Sheetcam to define the toolpaths and generate the GCode.ĭesign (CAD) → Toolpath (CAM) → Generate GCode using specific post-processor (CAM) → Manufacture (CNC) There are other cases where the software is split by function. OneFinity’s control software is embedded on the Buildbotics controller that is used (although it is not generic Buildbotics control software). Occasionally the software can also be the CNC control software if the controller allows for direct control (DNC) from the CAD/CAM software. Typically the design software is also the toolpathing and GCode generation (CAD & CAM) software. Some software can do one or more of these tasks. There are some generalized software like Mach3 that are used by many machine controllers and there are others that are unique to the machine like OneFinity’s.
This is specific to the machine’s hardware controller. Most people just call this the control software or app.
This is accomplished through CNC (Computer Numerical Control) software. The output of this step is a file of GCode that is customized for the machine that is going to make the part.įinally you take the GCode and run it on your CNC machine. That’s why there’s a post-processor file for Fusion & OneFinity just as there is one for Fusion and a Longmill. Effectively it needs to “talk” the languages of both the CAD/CAM software and the machine’s control software. It’s the bridge between the design and the machine. The post-processor is a function in the CAM software that is configured using machine-specific post-processor coding. you can’t use GCode intended for a Shopbot on a OneFinity or vice versa in most cases (different machines that share the same machine controller can often share GCode). But the post-processor is used to create GCode that is specific to a production machine - i.e. Then you convert the toolpaths to GCode using a post-processor. These two steps are independent of the machine that is going to produce the part. The second require a standalone CAM package like Sheetcam. The first set of CAD packages noted above can do this. This is CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing). tell the computer what you want to do with all the lines in your drawing. When I output the object using GCodetools Path to GCode, the units in the file appear to be pixels. This appear to be consistent with the 96dpi that I have read that is the standard Inkscape screen resolution. It can also be Inkscape, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer or CorelDraw. I have a drawing which is of a rectangle with rounded corners which is Width: 60.057mm/2.364in/226.98 px Height:52.557mm/2.069in198.641px. This is something like Carveco, Carbide Create, VCarve or Fusion 360. First you design in a CAD (Computer Aided Design) package.