[Arm-netbook] Libre CNC milling toolchain

[Lars Kruse]

Hi Luke,

I just read your last update [1], even though it is already three weeks old.
It was a good and interesting read - thank you for that!

There you mentioned the bad shape of Free Software in the fields of CNC milling.
In general I have to agree. But I think, it is not as bleak as you experienced
it.

There is indeed a usable toolchain of Free Software for 2D or 3D design,
toolpath generation and machine control. Sadly especially the toolpath
generation process is far from being as fast and full of features as it should
be.
Personally I maintain PyCAM [2] (a toolpath generator).
The toolpath generators are the weak link between a range of good libre 3D and
2D design software and linuxcnc [3] - an excellent and mature software for
machine control.

Feel free to contact me, if this topic is of any practical interest for you
right now.

Cheers,
Lars

[1]
https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68/micro-desktop/updates/progress-physics-taiwan-and-more
[2] http://pycam.sf.net/
[3] http://linuxcnc.org/

_______________________________________________
arm-netbook mailing list arm-***@lists.phcomp.co.uk
http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook
Send large attachments to

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68

Post by Lars Kruse
Hi Luke,
I just read your last update [1], even though it is already three weeks old.
It was a good and interesting read - thank you for that!
There you mentioned the bad shape of Free Software in the fields of CNC milling.
In general I have to agree. But I think, it is not as bleak as you experienced
it.
There is indeed a usable toolchain of Free Software for 2D or 3D design,
toolpath generation and machine control. Sadly especially the toolpath
generation process is far from being as fast and full of features as it should
be.
Personally I maintain PyCAM [2] (a toolpath generator).
The toolpath generators are the weak link between a range of good libre 3D and
2D design software and linuxcnc [3] - an excellent and mature software for
machine control.
Feel free to contact me, if this topic is of any practical interest for you
right now.

appreciated lars - we tried pycam: it failed to do the job, throwing
an exception on the first shape it was given in "rough prototyping
mode" and listing an estimated 2 hours to complete the "finished"
(experimental) path. some help resolving that would be great.

trieed blendercam but blender is so shit and user-hostile it was
impossible to use. also it can't cope with STL files due to the
assumption that the object is designed in blender: a property of the
object is assumed to exist which in STL objects does not.

heekscad's "libre" version is deliberately crippled as a loss-leader
for the *windows-only* proprietary variant.

linuxcnc we're already using, it's the firmware / driving stuff, that
seems stable and useable but as you say doesn't do the toolpath
generation.

l.

_______________________________________________
arm-netbook mailing list arm-***@lists.phcomp.co.uk
http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook
Send

[Normand Chamberland]

Post by Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton
---
crowd-funded eco-conscious hardware: https://www.crowdsupply.com/eoma68

Post by Lars Kruse
Hi Luke,
I just read your last update [1], even though it is already three weeks old.
It was a good and interesting read - thank you for that!
There you mentioned the bad shape of Free Software in the fields of CNC milling.
In general I have to agree. But I think, it is not as bleak as you experienced
it.
There is indeed a usable toolchain of Free Software for 2D or 3D design,
toolpath generation and machine control. Sadly especially the toolpath
generation process is far from being as fast and full of features as it should
be.
Personally I maintain PyCAM [2] (a toolpath generator).
The toolpath generators are the weak link between a range of good libre 3D and
2D design software and linuxcnc [3] - an excellent and mature software for
machine control.
Feel free to contact me, if this topic is of any practical interest for you
right now.

appreciated lars - we tried pycam: it failed to do the job, throwing
an exception on the first shape it was given in "rough prototyping
mode" and listing an estimated 2 hours to complete the "finished"
(experimental) path. some help resolving that would be great.
trieed blendercam but blender is so shit and user-hostile it was
impossible to use. also it can't cope with STL files due to the
assumption that the object is designed in blender: a property of the
object is assumed to exist which in STL objects does not.
heekscad's "libre" version is deliberately crippled as a loss-leader
for the *windows-only* proprietary variant.
linuxcnc we're already using, it's the firmware / driving stuff, that
seems stable and useable but as you say doesn't do the toolpath
generation.
l.
_______________________________________________
http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook

There's a CAM module under active development in FreeCAD called "Path".
Not being a machinist I have no clue how usable it is (its main dev has
put some video tutorials on Youtube), but I'm pretty sure it won't work
on mesh objects, you'll need to convert it into a CAD solid. The Path
module in current 0.16.6707 release provides limited features, the best
is to used the latest development build.


_______________________________________________
arm-netbook mailing list arm-***@lists.phcomp.co.uk
http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook
Send large attachments to arm-***@files.p

[Luke Kenneth Casson Leighton]

There's a CAM module under active development in FreeCAD called "Path". Not
being a machinist I have no clue how usable it is (its main dev has put some
video tutorials on Youtube), but I'm pretty sure it won't work on mesh
objects, you'll need to convert it into a CAD solid. The Path module in
current 0.16.6707 release provides limited features, the best is to used the
latest development build.

i believe i got as far as compiling up freecad but not the path
module. the desk is currently occupied by a china $300 mendel clone
(which amazingly works!) we will get back to the CNC later :)

l.

_______________________________________________
arm-netbook mailing list arm-***@lists.phcomp.co.uk
http://lists.phcomp.co.uk/mailman/listinfo/arm-netbook
Send