[s1j1m10]

We have been doing simple G Code programming of an old BP Mill and I would now like to try some CADCAM Software so that I can convert dxf file to G Code. Would anyone like to suggest some conversion software or what is the best (Low Cost) CADCAM software to try for a beginner?

[JDenyer232]

SheetCam, is low cost and fairly poweful for contouring, pocketing, island milling etc. I found it very easy to use, was up and running with it within hours. You get a free demo that will only spit out so many lines of code, after trying it and seeing how easy it was we just bought it. We do some fairly complex pocketing and contouring, SheetCam makes it a much easier task than handcoding. The only limitation to this software is that it doesn't seem to want to tap holes even though it has that feature, might be something that is not set up correctly, anyway we just use canned cycles for hole machining and SheetCam for everything else. Post processors for this program are rather limited, so we just copy and past our pre and post codes into the program that SheetCam outputs. I just wrote a 60 pocket cavity program with it yesterday in less than a half hour, the resulting program was over 27,000 lines of code. Hope this helps.

[Hawkercnc]

Google 'Mach 3' or go to artofcnc.ca. Great software there and a huge members forum. Download Mach 3 - it comes with Lazycam which will convert DXF to G code - no cost initially - the full programme does not cost much. You can play with both Mach 3 and Lazycam without a millimg machine to learn the 'art'. Mach 3 now has a 'brain' and can do fantastically complex things or just do simple moves as required. Watch G2 and G3 moves on old machines, there may be slightly different parameters needed. M codes need to be put in by hand.

Draw a picture, export it as DXF, import it into Lazycam, press the clean it up button, save export into MAch 3, run the program watching the bigger screen and see what would be cut if you had a machine attached.

My question would be if you attach a cross hair device to the mill (microscope, modified telescopic sight (plus 2Dioptre lens) or a modified bore scope (army surplus plus c 2 D lens) and jog onto the corners of an item that you want to copy and read off all the coordinates, which software will take a series of points which can be joined up later with variable curves or straight lines.

Regards
John

[ger21]

Also look at Vectric's Cut 2D. www.vectric.com

[s1j1m10]

John I am not sure if this will do what you want but the Best "Free" program that I have seen for handling Vector Graphics is Inkscape www.inkscape.org

[cbcnc]

How about CamBam? Not a drawing program but will edit .dxf files and process them to gcode.
It's still in beta but getting better all the time. Free for the basic version. Or you can buy a full featured program.
10Bulls has a CamBam forum here on the Zone.
His website is here.

Chris
(just a satisfied user)

[Hawkercnc]

Thanks for the ideas Inkscape certainly has a dxf export, I thought that last time I looked this was missing. Cam bam I still need to look at.
Many thanks
John