One rather simple question for folks; why use hardware and software beyond the requirements of the machine in use? Windows XP SP3 with Mach 3 or LinuxCNC with 2 to 3 Gig of RAM and a solid PP or Ethernet connection is more then enough to run a machine at very high speeds. I know, as I do that. Now the area not to skimp on is the drives and hardware on the machine side of things.
  1. Good quality drivers that are in line with the need of the machine and the product to be produced on it (a hobby machine does not need digital drivers and is a cost over run).
  2. A solid machine that not only meets the rigidity needed but has enough work and cutting area to truly be useful (remember that it is good to have clamping points set up outside your work area).
  3. Quality BOB that makes sure the signal gets to the drivers and a motion control card if you want to improve the ability of the machine and unload the PC from a good bit of signal processing.


These things and a good bit more important then having a computer attached that is so far overkill that anyone who truly understands CNC knows you are either a tech geek or gadget geek with little to no understanding of what is needed (truly needed, not pretty lights, bells and whistles). Heck the amount of folks on here and other forums that are trying to get speeds out of motors that will do them but not with the very low voltage that they are using (and where told by the seller of said motors that the power supply with them was all that was needed) is just sad. There are a good amount of folks that try to help and there is also folks talking out their backside (Don't mean to offend, just being blunt and honest). For the benefit of your wallet before you start any of this go back and really figure out what you are going to use it for and how much time you have to invest in learning all there is to learn and building the data base of information that you are going to need for your machine and the materials that you use as well as the programs. I spend about 3 hrs per week on just going through the manuals (even ones I have read completely) to brush up my skills and learn new ones to improve my ability to use my machine better and get better results.

To the OP, The work flow you have will works with the plugins mentioned for your data flow and part of your control flow. I would suggest learning an additional CAD program as while sketch up is increasing in use by a lot of folks it is still NOT an industry standard and still gets costly to run if you are using serious data for not only yourself but clients. Now if it is only for you, great go for it. CamBam is great, I love it and it has a great support forum and I am biased towards it (Though there are other CAM programs I use). The down side of CamBam is that to truly use it well means learning it and doing the full set up for your machine and your tooling and getting all the data in there and keeping on top of your MOP's and everything for different materials and tooling. Mach3 is another one that takes time to use it well. Simple set up is one thing and it will work. Getting the most out of it is another entirely and requires not only set up on the machine but also the software.

To all those on this forum and those who are no longer on the Forum (please pass the word to those not on normally), I thank you. I have learned a lot and it has helped me and my business grow. I hope this helps you newbies that are serious.

Michael