2D software for newbe

**martin54** · 05-11-2012

Originally Posted by njhussey

If you want to do your own drawings then Draftsight is free and almost as good as AutoCAD.

Yes but how easy is it to learn & are there tutorials available for it Neil, I'm lucky in that I can just use my signmaking software so that's at least one thing i won't have to learn lol.
Suppose it is down to each individual but personally I am prepared to pay a reasonable price for software if it comes with the right support especially if it is going to be used to make money.

**Ricardoco** · 06-11-2012

Originally Posted by martin54

Yes but how easy is it to learn & are there tutorials available for it Neil, I'm lucky in that I can just use my signmaking software so that's at least one thing i won't have to learn lol.
Suppose it is down to each individual but personally I am prepared to pay a reasonable price for software if it comes with the right support especially if it is going to be used to make money.

I still think you should have a look here...

Download Trial Versions and Tutorials

There are video Tutorials to get you started on the sample files and you can import DXF files easily. its a really magic program although not for everyone you can be cutting to see how you feel about it long before you part with any money.. Whats it going to cost you?? and although it seems like it is for wood that isnt the case

Rick

**martin54** · 06-11-2012

Originally Posted by Ricardoco

I still think you should have a look here...

Download Trial Versions and Tutorials

There are video Tutorials to get you started on the sample files and you can import DXF files easily. its a really magic program although not for everyone you can be cutting to see how you feel about it long before you part with any money.. Whats it going to cost you?? and although it seems like it is for wood that isnt the case

Rick

So what are you suggesting rick, sorry must be an old age thing lol. Are you suggesting that I use cut2d to generate the g code instead of something like cambam or lazycam. Quite happy to look at anything that people suggest as you say it doesn't cost anything to have a look & I might find I get on better with that than something else.
Lazycam came free with mach3 but I have to be honest & say that I haven't really looked at either of them yet, I did read that there was next to no support with lazycam so maybe not the best, still need to get the machine finished yet so no big rush to just now.

**Ricardoco** · 06-11-2012

Originally Posted by martin54

So what are you suggesting rick, sorry must be an old age thing lol. Are you suggesting that I use cut2d to generate the g code instead of something like cambam or lazycam. Quite happy to look at anything that people suggest as you say it doesn't cost anything to have a look & I might find I get on better with that than something else.
Lazycam came free with mach3 but I have to be honest & say that I haven't really looked at either of them yet, I did read that there was next to no support with lazycam so maybe not the best, still need to get the machine finished yet so no big rush to just now.

Well you can try Cut3d but I used Vcarve first and it did all the ali parts for one of my mills and it was easy to learn, Its about the easiest one i came across because the tutorials were great and the support from the company was great too and that was before i even bought the full version of V-carve.

As far as im concerned it let me generate g-code for mach3 without the huge learning curve, and with the toolpath simulation being built in i got to see what it cut before it even got to mach3

Its best to just have a look at what people have been making and down load a copy to have a play with im sure you wont be dissapointed but if its not for you then you have lost nothing, as i said its not for everyone..

Its also good for doing the designs in the vcarve program itself if you havnt got a dxf file

Rick