[rmothers]

Guys,

I am just starting out and need some serious help. I am trying to start out small and just make/copy of ribs from a kit i just bought. I was wondering is there any way to scan the ribs then import it some how into an application to generate the g-code. I have tried a free app and its not working to well. At this time i dont even have a cnc machine built just starting to see if i have the knowledge and patience to do this before i go any further. I was VERY impressed with some of the pics i saw. I am very computer savvy however very very poor at drawing hence the request to scan images. If someone could help provide me with a semi step by step dummies write up on how i go about it that would be great . I don't even know the steps to take to start. Sorry for being such a noob but we have to start somewhere

A bit more info.. I have scanned the rib i want to test with into my computer, i used an application called bmp2din. i then use mach3 to open it but 1. the file is 208 MB and it seems to hang at the end of generating path. and if im reading this right it says its about 8 million lines of g-code, can that be right???? Any help would be great thanks again

[ger21]

A bit more info.. I have scanned the rib i want to test with into my computer, i used an application called bmp2din. i then use mach3 to open it but 1. the file is 208 MB and it seems to hang at the end of generating path. and if im reading this right it says its about 8 million lines of g-code, can that be right???? Any help would be great thanks again

That's one problem with converting a scan to g-code. You're rib would probably only need 10-50 lines of code. 8,000,000 is near the maximum that mach3 can handle. What happens when you convert a scan, is that it probably creates a line of g-code for every pixel in the image.

What you really need to do is scan it, then convert the scan to a vector image, and create g-code from the vectors. Try Inkscape, it's free. You'll want to get a better .dxf exporter than the one included with Inkscape. Try this one. Big Blue Saw - Big Blue Saw's DXF Export For Inkscape

You should be able to use LazyCAM to convert the resulting .dxf to g-code.

Personally, I much prefer to redraw the part in a CAD program. You can load the scan in and trace it. This will give you the most control, and the most precise parts.

[rmothers]

Thanks ill give it a go

[rmothers]

What cad software would you recommend?