Pronterface (PrintRun) can also do the PC-to-CNC using a USB cable.
It has a similar interface to the WEBui that is available on the Jackpot ESP32.
Mike
Ug, just downloaded estlcam and my brain hurts. None of my files look like they’ll move over and I’ll have to start from scratch on everything. It won’t open gcode, only “cnc files” is listed as an acceptable format. I’m guessing it’s because the gcode I have isn’t the right post, so I’ll generate a grbl test file the next time I’m at the shop. And I’ll see if I can export a design in some way it will open it. I have so many hours into tweaking toolpaths the thought of starting over just isn’t a happy one.
Whether it opens your files does not matter when you don‘t want to use it as a controller. You need to check whether your controller supports your files. For Estlcam, you could try to rename the gcode files to nc. But then again, you need to use Estlcam as your controller as well (which most people here don‘t do).
I misunderstood your situation with my original answer. I’m now guessing that you don’t have access (i.e. have not purchased) VCarve for your home setup? To reuse your files, you will need to have VCarve. I don’t know of a path where you can take even the “right” g-code and go back to the CNC file.
A g-code file is a list of move commands. It doesn’t know anything about the width of your bit or any other concept you used to author the file. You can open g-code files with any text editor (notepad for example) and look at it. It will be mostly G0, G1, G2, and G3 commands. Different firmware has slightly different g-code, but it will be very similar. The reference for the Marlin’s g-code can be found here, and GRBL 1.1 reference can be found here. EstlCam will open g-code files (when named with a .nc extension), but it will just be simulating the g-code or acting as a g-code sender.
You can take your VCarve files, and, at the makerspace, generate g-code that will run on your home machine, but you will always have to return to VCarve to edit your projects.
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That’s correct. I’m mid-build on the cnc now, all of my cnc time has been at the makerspace on the x-carve. Over the last year I’m the only person that uses it 95% of the time. 4% is dave who does the open houses and demonstrates it every now and then. He has a shapeoko at home and we’re pretty on par with each other at this point in how to make them work.
1% is people who want to see how it works and decide the best way is to get into the software and just randomly click buttons until it tries to tear itself apart, and then leave without telling anyone. What I do know is basically self-taught as no one really knows how the machine works. So if I’m doing things wrong, I know who to blame :laugh:
This (assuming the pic attached) is the controller screen I’m used to using. It uses planetcnc as the controller.
My process.
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secure the wood to the bed. If no one is around spend a few minutes using profanity to describe the previous users who have turned the bed into a garbled mess of un-levelness. Then a few minutes of telling myself I need my own machine so I can quit dealing with this one.
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Home the machine (bottom left) because this machine will miss steps and I’ve found there’s no way to get it re-set without establishing home before every project is started (more profanity in the learning process here).
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Jog the machine to match material-wise where I set origin in vcarve. Hit the tan x/y (5th button up) to set the origin in the controller. Throw in some more profanity because I’m an ex-cop and when I’m alone I let myself talk like one again (daylight I’m a real estate broker and can’t talk like that).
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Set touch probe in place, hit the blue Z (3rd up) and let it measure to set surface position.
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Pull the probe, put in my earbuds and start it. Then I watch a movie while I babysit the machine. It really likes to make it 3 hours into to a 3.5 hour piece and then make scrap wood for me so I’m never far away from the kill switch.
When things go right I can do 2 sided cuts but I also have a pile of failure to look at from the learning process.
The green x/y just sends the tool back to it’s set origin. All the P1 and other green buttons I’ve not really explored. I’ve been sticking to what works.
I can stop/pause, re-home it, and then send the tool to and restart the cut at any of the gcode lines if things start going off the rails. Since it tends to miss steps unless it’s being used very gently that has come in handy a lot.
100% of my cnc experience is on this machine, it’s literally all I know.
I know I’m using very basic functions but so far that’s all I really need. Doing real ‘carving’ would be nice eventually but I’m not there yet. I’m just hoping for budget friendly similarity I guess. My oldest is going to college next year and my youngest is only a couple years behind.
For the DIY Primo, there are many different pathways to control the machine. You might want to take at the V1 Software Workflow document, and the graphic at the top of this topic.
Your steps 1 through 5 will largely be the same for your Primo. You could purchase VCarve, but, at $700, it is around the cost of your Primo build. Most people look for cheap and free CAM solutions. EstlCam is the most popular, with Fusion 360 coming in a distant second.
I wouldn’t recommend it, but it might be possible to use the Planet CNC hardware and/or software solutions with your Primo. It was difficult to decipher their site and products. I would recommend taking the plunge and learning a new g-code sending solution that has been tested with the control board you select.
Actually it will use files with the gcode extension, that is a setting in the program shown here. (fourth image).
Mike
It creates files with the gcode extension to use with other programs, Estlcam itself reads nc files.
I’ve been watching utube vids and reading faqs today. I’m waiting for the mailman to deliver my steppers and a few other bits so I can move on and finish the build. I think I’ve got everything except the control board and tool head, which I haven’t decided on yet either. I’m holding off on it until I get things moving on their own.
I started printing parts about a year ago using the MS printers, decided they weren’t giving me good results so I bought one. Then re-did the prints with a nice 2 tone color pallet. Then used up some of the colors doing other stuff so now I’m going to have all the colors :laugh:
But I’m looking at 24x30 or 32" actual work space. I’m going to put in some mid rail supports, a cover etc at the end and do some other fun things to the table. But that’s all down the road a bit.
Despite my natural inclination to get things done, I’m keeping myself from rushing. Re-arranging my garage to accommodate the table has been… fun.
I mean… You could always go crazy and setup Mach3 or linuxCNC through a smoothstepper or some other computer based stepper driver. Then you’d have a familiar computer based input method and would be able to setup gamepads and all types of other systems.
But that’s all pretty overkill for most of these machines and would cost as much as the MPCNC itself. 
I, personally, use a marlin based controller and I send the gcode using a raspberry pi running cnc.js. I use the local TFT to make manual movements when setting up my workpiece. I access cnc.js over wifi through my home network. I could put a 7" touch screen on the raspberry pi and have it boot to a GUI with a web page loading the local cnc.js, but I haven’t felt the need to do that.
You will not be able to use the steppers until you get a control board. Stepper motors are not standard motors, so you cannot just apply power to them to get them to move. The stepper driver on the control board alternately energizes a pair of coils to step precisely.
where are you located, states? if so, Ryans controller is very hard to beat for function and Cost.
It will get you in very well around here. Also the new Kobalt router is very hard to be beat for performance and cost as well.
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From a little bit of research I was able to do, it looks as if Planet CNC runs grbl. In essence, if you go with the jackpot board, fluidnc is also grbl based, so you “should” be able to run the gcode files produced by v-carve already on the primo once you have it up and running. I use v-carve, and if it were me, I would open up your v-carve project files, and verify what PP it used when saving the gcode files. If grbl-in or grbl-mm, then you should be good. If not, then change the PP to one of those, and resave your gcode files.
I have not used the Webui for fluidnc (currently building an LR3), but from the pics I’ve seen, it should not be that much of a transition from Planet CNC that you have used to the WebUI. All the buttons you have described you use in PlanetCNC should be in the WebUI, but may be labeled a bit differently, which should just be familiarizing yourself to it. If you learned PlanetCNC by yourself, this shouldn’t be too hard to figure out. Not to mention, this place will always be here to help, no judgement!!
I went to the shop today and exported one of my designs as a dfx and also checked the vcarve for post-processors. It doesn’t have grbl installed, but I think that’s an easy fix.
But most importantly I was able to open the dfx file on eastl and actually play with the program and it looks like besides rebuilding the toolpaths it has most of the functions I need. And since I know the depths of every cut like the back of my hand, that’s nothing. Setting origin on the material appears to be a simpler method than I’m using now. And I see it has edge detection and camera integration for setting origin, which is better than what I’m using now since getting the material locked in parallel to the Y looks to not matter. So I’ll be milling some aluminum eventually. I haven’t found yet how to start a design from blank, so far it looks like I have to design elsewhere and then import the drawing. I’m going to watch some more instructional vids on it, I’m probably just not seeing it yet. But as long as the import comes across at 1:1 for what I already have this looks to be much more promising than I first thought, thanks for the recommendation. It looks like this route will work so I’ll be ordering the jackpot controller and sticking with the budget.
Now I just have to teach myself german…
Geared pulleys showed up today, but no belts and no steppers yet
The important thing is you can only use this feature if you use Estlcam as your controller as well! You need a special board for it, a little (and mostly shitty) CNC Shield or, like me and a few others, the Open CNC Shield 2, not the Jackpot or SKR.
Yes, you can use FreeCAD, AutoCAD, Fusion…
To clarify, if I use the jackpot it will need an add on board to make edge detection work, assuming I’m using eastlcam as the controller?
Please save yourself the headache and don’t use a camera. I deal with a camera to edge find in a robot welding cell… if a $40k industrial camera system has difficulties consistently finding an edge, you’ll be cursing for hours with a diy setup. Dust and dirt will make you crazy
No, you just can’t use Estlcam with the Jackpot as a controller. You need a completely different board.
If you use the Jackpot or SKR, Estlcam is just there to generate the toolpaths and gcode.
Are you honestly telling me, a middle aged man building his first cnc machine in his garage with pawn shop parts and with as far as you know the IQ of toast will have difficulties just because trained professionals with huge and massively expensive machines is having them?
I’m choosing to be offended.
I’m confused a bit, and of course I ordered the board last night. On the V1 site the board is listed
“The Jackpot Control board can use most any control software that supports GRBL.” and the video I was watching on estlcam shows it as a feature on v9. They’re using the touch probe/grounding on 90 degree plate.
If the controller is just feeding the gcode to the board, why wouldn’t a feature on the software work?