program to convert to G code

I'm getting tired of programing my Proto Trak M2 to be able to mill a part. Is there a program that will let me scan a drawing or photo and convert it to G code that i can then put on a floppy and feed into my controller?

Inkscape has some capabilities that might do the job.Freemill is out there for download or for a modest investment,something like Meshcam or the more basic Vectric offerings.After you spend an hour or two learning about the operations and filling the tool tables with your preferred tools and their characteristics,you will be amazed at how fast and easy the process is.The difficulty might be finding a supply of floppies.

Photos can be vectorized (dxf or svg) lots of ways including some online options. I'm not aware of any that guarantee precise dimensions. For artsy stuff I mostly use inkscape and F-engrave because they're open source and work good enough.

It's also possible to import scans into software but again precision may be a problem.
Is creating your own drawings in CAD not an option ? Is it artsy stuff ?

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Originally Posted by routalot

The difficulty might be finding a supply of floppies.

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Hahaha! Yes, finding new 3-1/2" floppy disks, or even the older 5-1/4" floppy disks!

Heck. I am 61. I have four or five of them in my back. :violin:

Thanks both of you for the suggestions and i'll look them up. My son has a sign shop here in N. California and his equipment uses some kind of code to print in 4 colors for the signs. I called him and he's looking into what G code rums his machine. If i can i'll show you what me first project was.Attachment 431584Attachment 431584Attachment 431584

Have a look at the offerings from MR-Soft Nc Software Tools

SimplyCam can convert images to G-code as outline or centre line.
Bmp2Cnc can convert images to G-code along with depths.

Not free but not expensive either. Fully functional for demo download but limited to about 100 lines of code and you can't save your drawings.

Easy to use too.