Getting started with CamBam and Mach3

So I've ordered a CNC upgrade package for my Taig manual mill, and it's due to arrive here early next week. BTW it's the Ethernet smooth stepper control box + motors setup from Jeff Birt at Soigeneris. So far I've installed Mach3 here on a clean XP box and have begun limited playing with, it in anticipation of my CNC rig.

Once I get things installed and myself oriented, the first thing I'm going to want to do is cut out a couple of straightforward 2D shapes from Delrin sheet. I already have these parts designed in my old old copy of Autocad, so it's trivial to export a DXF for each outline that I want to cut.

Mainly based on Jeff's recommendations, I'm planning on using just the combination of CamBam and Mach3 while I'm learning my way through the CNC workflow. In the immediate future I'll mainly be making 2.5D parts, perhaps delving into simple 3D features once I get a little farther along.

So here is one question I'm having already: I see that Mach3 itself has some capability to import DXF, so I begin to suspect that it may be feasible for me to get started initially without even CamBam. Is this a reasonable course to pursue for now? Or is importing DXF into Mach3 somehow severely limited, so that I should instead go ahead and get CamBam into the equation right from the start. At this point I know next to nothing about Mach3 or CamBam, though I've gotten to be quite good at manual machining so far. The parts I'm talking about are fairly simple; imagine something like a 2" diameter disc with a few simple shapes cut out from the center.

Thanks for any advice!

--dave

Hi Dave:

I had the same setup as you do with Cambam, Mach3, a Taig, and a Gecko540 control box (which I also bought from Jeff, who is a fantastic vendor). You will want to use Cambam to generate your toolpaths. I have never used Mach3 to do it, but I think it uses a separate program called LazyCAM to generate toolpaths. If you already have Cambam it will probably be much easier to use and give you a lot more control. I would also highly recommend perusing the Cambam forum, as there are a lot of very helpful users there. Note that there are many plugins for Cambam that extend its functionality here:
http://www.atelier-des-fougeres.fr/C...ugin_menu.html

-robertk925

I think the best way is to let Mach3 be the machine controller (G-code in, mechanical motion out) and let CamBam handle the entire G-code generation (tool table, toolpaths, speeds, feeds, nesting etc.). Pretty much all I do in Mach3 is calibrating the machine, opening the G-code file and clicking the RUN button.

Even doing simple things like cutting a circular hole could be easier with CamBam, especially when you have all your tools and "CAM styles" set up.

Hi,

I agree with using CamBam for generating the GCode, and sending that to Mach3. CB is far better at arranging the order of the cut, lead-ins, holding tabs, feed and speed settings for each tool number, canned cycles (pocketing etc), and tool changes. You can edit the Mach3 post-processor in CB if you want, and you can set up your own custom tool library. None of that in M3. However M3 is good at dry runs.

Cheers