Desktop CNC software
and one man's search for affordable power ...  

This is an area on the outer limits of computing as we know it. CAM software, needed to calculate the toolpath files needed by cnc machine control software, is produced by relatively few companies. The market is (numerically) quite small and the important customers are to be found in industry. Until recently, there has been little motivation to develop CAM software for the small business or individual user. If, like me, you bought a small cnc machine expecting to be able to use it effectively with one of the low price CAM products which have appeared in recent years, it is likely you will be disappointed.

Budget CAM software will tend to only allow models to be imported in a "mesh" or "triangulated" format like .stl. This can be a big hassle since if you are converting a 3D model with a lot of detail an .stl file can be huge - and if you have unexpected results you will always wonder if you specified the correct mesh parameters.

However, the great problem with budget CAM software lies in the lack of cutting strategies. This means that some machining jobs will take much longer than they should and some jobs will not be possible. Those new to the field must research the topic on the Web for pointers to software which will suit their needs. It might be worthwhile to check the Vectric website. Vectric software has similarities to Artcam but is available in modules for various tasks.  

 
CNC notes