Hobby-CNC Workflow - SKETCHUP + CAMBAM + MACH3

[Jonathan]

If you want to contain costs then 4,5,6 aren't required:

4) In 2) you only mention needing 2.5D, in which case you can just use the free version of cambam since it does that just fine.
5) Try LinuxCNC, contrary to popular belief it's not difficult to set up and is completely free with plenty of features. If you have problems with either Mach3 or LinuxCNC, be it in general use of just setting up, you will easily get help on this forum. Once you've tried both programs decide weather it's worth about £100 for the Mach3 licence.
6) See 5).

[JAZZCNC]

5) Try LinuxCNC, contrary to popular belief it's not difficult to set up and is completely free with plenty of features. If you have problems with either Mach3 or LinuxCNC, be it in general use of just setting up, you will easily get help on this forum. Once you've tried both programs decide weather it's worth about £100 for the Mach3 licence.

Yep then with the 6months of your life wasted it will have give you time to save up for Mach.!! . . . And Before you say it Numb nuts . . . This is not bias based purely on bias I've seen hundreds of people either start or jump to LinuxCnc or EMC has it used to be known only to return to Mach because they couldn't get on with it.!!

Simple fact is Mach3 is THE BEST control for New folks has it's easy to use out the box(Very soon to get much much better with V4.!!) and there's 1000's of very willing NONE GEEK users willing to sort any issues.!! And that includes the program designers.!!

USB -Cnc is an ok option and eliminates any PP issue's but not keen on the software.!!

[HankMcSpank]

USB -Cnc is an ok option and eliminates any PP issue's but not keen on the software.!!

Horses for courses I guess...Mach3 (for me) had a DOS 6.1 vibe to the window where the cutting animation takes place (it was often hard for me to make out WTF was going on!), whereas CNC-USB is much more larger, current and easier on the eye'. It was also nice to get away from parallel ports (which again, have an early 90s vibe!). The main clincher for me was the integral 'warp' feature, which if - like me - you mill pcbs is a godsend (I'm sure the same thing can be achieved in Mach3, but having tried, it has a voyage of exploration ...a few months later, maybe you'd have something cobbled together, but CNC-USB works right out the box)

Anyway, I'd advise anyone considering either to at least download the software(for no other reason than there are some handy conversion utilities even in the trial ....eg import gerber, export DXF etc)....

Planet CNC