I just ran the crown test and I think it looks good. Also including a 40 second clip of my build. This is the first time I have ever built anything this complicated and I am pleased that it all went well.
I feel like I know just enough to be dangerous. I am not sure where to go next. The ESTL program is a few versions ahead of the documentation so I am deciding whether I should work on ESTL or try and get Fusion working with the router. I use Fusion for my 3d printing so I am very familiar with the CAD functionality. The Fusion CAM for a CNC router - not so much. If anyone uses Fusion and has pointers or links that were helpful they would be most appreciated. Or if ESTL is the way to go please let me know so I do not go down a rabbit hole.
I can’t believe I’m saying this… I agree with Philipp.
Seriously, there are some third-party plugins that can help generate some reasonable CAM and gcode from Fusion, but it’s not very good, and more than a little bit of a pain in the tuchus. Even OnShape (which, IMO is easier to use than Fusion, but that’s a personal opinion) doesn’t have the best built-in support, although Kiri:Moto does a pretty good job of converting CAD to 3D creation files (@stewart will stop by sometimes, and provide some support now and again).
But overall, at the moment, your best bet is to use the CAD tool of your choice, export your parts to ESTLCam, generate your gcode, and then use whatever gcode sender you prefer (including direct SD-card transfer) to actually execute your job. Also, unless your piece is a 3D sculpt of some sort, I’d export it as a DXF, and then carefully set up each cut as a pocket, island, etc., rather than trying to import it as a 3D shape. ESTLCam is some solid software, for all its foibles. It’s run by one one guy (@christian-knuell, who also stops by occasionally to check in on us), and well worth the purchase price.
Things have picked up this year with KM and a related mesh editor project (MT). KM got a new UI and lots of love for lingering requests. I’ve been using the mesh editor as a test bed for new ideas and functionality.
Of potential interest here, I’ve started building a 2D sketch editor which will eventually have a constraints system. It’s part of the mesh editor, so it’s mixing 3D and 2D editing (including boolean goodness) with the ability to attach sketches to faces (not yet exposed).
Oh, and Desktop builds are now available so you can install it as an app and run it all offline (including the mesh editor). KM and MT will become more closely integrated in the next month or so making it easier to share models between workspaces.
I echo and concur with those who recommended ESTLcam as the best way to go. It is easy, simple, powerful and if you need to do something more complex than what is normally needed, there is probably a way to do it in ESTLcam because it is more powerful than what you first realize, or what most people need. Great ease-of-use, and if I could see it this way, “no muss no fuss.“
