Since we can’t use canned cycles for these operations how do people do drilling? Without the canned drilling cycles (like pecking) how does one manage especially on something like a MPCNC? I can understand if you had a Bridgeport mill but not this into metals.
Estlcam handles all of that for us.
Oh, so MPCNC is very reliant on using only the one product then? Is Estlcam the maker of MPCNC or some way connected?
No, many CAM programs can handle drilling. MPCNC also doesn’t require Marlin. Estlcam is just a really easy to use program.
Well, I don’t know how to say this properly but everything I have looked at is very reliant on the controller as they all seem to shove out canned cycles. GRBL does not do Canned Cycles and Marlin being a fork (at least in design) of GRBL it doesn’t do them either. I am not really sure what DIY’er solution of a controller does.
fusion works fine, if you don’t like estlcam
The CAM in Fusion outputs to gcode but within Fusion what do I tell it the dialect of gcode to use? There is Marlin dialect, GRBL dialect, Repetier dialect, etc… whatever the dialect is Fusion’s CAM has to know to do the pecking but do not use canned cycles.
There is a post processor written for Marlin, by guffy.
Have a link to it? I need to read up as I found Fusion will load up my Solidworks file (parts and assemblies) and I can use Fusion’s PP. I have not even cracked open that part yet as I need to do some viewing and reading first.
Thank you as I am not going to fight Solidworks, and their ignorant/selfish VARs, who treat us like mushrooms anylonger and will take the path of least resistance.
EstCAM’s creator has provided a good post-processor.
I am curious and looking into alternate control programs, both hardware setup and software control. Still a novice in the CAM stuff and tried a part in Fusion all the way except milling. Haven’t had time for that.
Big thing is working on Linux CNC for control. Lots of cool features there. I’ve done all sorts of gcode making tools though.
Actually just want some help from you to clarify your question. Are you looking for a control solution such as folks use with Repetier host or with CNC.js or more after CAM creation?
I am used to Solidworks and went over to the CAM last week and was surprised to not see one thing for any of us. No Marlin, or only a rudimentary (filled with bugs) GRBL post processor. Until recently I had no idea what a PP was so I decided to write my own only to find out the makers of Solidworks doesn’t want us to do that so they keep us in the dark and feed us BS. Go to your VAR has been their response to everything over the decades only I have found their VARs to be no better than the average person. As one said in a post on their forums they try to enslave us and keep us trapped to them (like a drug dealer). It would not be hard to write a Marlin based gcode flavor of a PP if they would just show us how a few remaining things (like pass variables for instance) but they don’t. You have to know such things because Marlin does not do canned cycles so you must do each step manually. For instance a G83 is a canned pecking cycle so I would have to take it and make it G0, G1 and G4 and in my example part there were 55 G1 lines of 0.1 down each time and 55 G0 going back up to Z-12.
What this means is that I will have to use their CAD (I very much dislike Fusion to work in) then get that CAD over to FUSION (which is horrible since it is 100% web based for this so is horribly slow on my connection) so it can do the CAM then PP to Marlin. So much trouble thanks to Dassault Systèmes that makes Solidworks.
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For what it’s worth, I see a PR to add G81-83 to Marlin… 
OMG, yeah after I played with this I found how easy it would be for Marlin to do it so now just to wait.
| G73 | High speed peck drilling cycle |
|---|---|
| G74 | Left-hand tapping cycle |
| G76 | Precision boring cycle |
| G80 | Cancel any fixed cycle |
| G81 | Drilling cycle |
| G82 | Drilling cycle with dwell |
| G83 | Peck drilling cycle |
| G84 | Right-hand tapping cycle |
| G85 | Boring cycle |
| G86 | Boring cycle |
| G87 | Back boring cycle |
| G88 | Boring cycle |
| G89 | Boring cycle |
All of those need to be added I think but not 100% sure.
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This dynamic is at the core of the whirlwind I felt like I was entering when I first started getting into CNC work. Closed hardware systems and closed software systems. Not quite complete open hardware systems and software systems (although rapidly improving). How does one make a choice for CAD platform and then CAM work and then hardware and control software? Each choice is going to narrow your options as much as it is going to allow you do get work done.
So many folks walked away from Onshape after they restricted to non-commercial for the free use. And that they don’t have the CAM available is tough. But at least the tools for CAD are there. I don’t want to move to Fusion for CAD because Onshape’s web platform allows me more easily to jump between computing platforms. But now that I have the MPCNC, I have started working with it again to get to the CAM.
I have paid for EstlCAM. I do understand that I can’t expect to have my tools given to me free. But even if I am willing to pay, I know I am always at risk of a dead end software unless I go pro and even then we aren’t immune.
The Solidworks thing is fascinating. My nephews are doing engineering and it is all Solidworks at their university. It’s going to be interesting how it all shakes out in the months to come.
And I spent a couple hours reading up about canned cycles and the history of gcode once again last night. Thanks for sharing your frustrations. It helps me understand more about a world that is so remote from my day job.
Marlin is still developing and it is good that it is getting beyond only the simplest of gcode for moving an axis. Witness the work on arcs, but that evidently isn’t quite there. And the whole thing to disallow an extruder. I understand why Marlin would be used to allow the MPCNC to be flexible as a 3D printer and CNC mill. I do want to try out a GRBL installation to see what that provides since I won’t be doing 3D printing with my MPCNC.
Yes, CAD I know but all of this CAM and especially post processing is frustrating. Shoot, I thought the CAM was the next piece and it output the code required but I was so wrong.
To add to my frustration I just found out that if I have a free version of Fusion then I can’t open Solidworks files in it. You can open a STEP file though.
All videos I watched (there are quite a few) for Solidworks to Fusion 360 showed how to do it in a step by step progression and when I followed them I ended up with my .sldprt file uploaded then time to grab it into Fusion 360 but no go. I suspect this functionality was removed so, as you said, what works now may be stripped from you in the future and that is even for paid solutions.
edit: This just recently changed I was just told and here is the current scheme from Autodesk - https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/learn-explore/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/Fusion-360-Free-License-Changes.html
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I know your frustrated trying to establish your tool chain, but in the meantime you can just use estlecam for your cam. Free version of fully functional, it’ll just make you sit through a timer before saving your gcode. That way you can get to using your machine and get familiar with cam.
How? I have my .sldprt and I am used to saving it out as .stl for my 3d printer but all of this is new to me.
I have to say that I have been anti Autodesk since before the 20th century ended and with F360 I still despised them but figured F360 was a huge step towards an open world so I cut them some slack. Almost 4 years later (Feb is when I tried F360) I see they have put so many restrictions on it that I am just uninstalling the thing for good.
I believe estlecam will open stl files as well as dxf or even svg. if your doing flat 2d parts I like to use librecad or inkscape, super easy and free.