IS there a way to get estlcam to cut both forwards and backwards? When I have straight lines it cuts the line then retracts and then goes to the beginning of the line and repeats, this wastes so much time when you have a lot of straight lines.
Has anyone downloaded the newest version of Estlcam and tried the Surface scanning/auto leveling feature? Any suggestions on what input to tie this to on the standard Mega/Ramp 1.4 setup? Should I wire up to the Z down endstop?
I’m not familiar with estlcam but most Cam software allows you to choose between conventional and climb milling. This could cause behavior like this when cutting straight lines. Google up on it and see if your Cam software allows you to cut in any direction.
Yup is the z min endstop.
I would also like to get the Surface scanning to work, but it seems that only the USB CNC Controllers that are compatible will work 
I might be wrong but it seem only GRBL and ESTLCAM firmware will work as for Estlcam needs to talk to the controller via USB for this function. Really hope that Christian will find some time someday to add marlin to his software - I purchased his product because I like the ease of use and it works for me very well.
I contacted Christian and this only works with the UNO controller. It would be nice if he can get the software to work with the Mega or if there was a way for us to use the UNO on our machines.
Surely someone smarter than I will have this figured out sooner than later.
This is SICK
Hi, is someone here able to make Estlcam 8 work on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS? Without using a Virtual Machine please (otherwise I have DualBoot, but it’s really boring to switch from an OS to another).
I tried this: http://www.cnczone.com/forums/uncategorised-cam-discussion/246464-running-estlcam-linux-using-wine.html and it wants to work, but Estlcam doesn’t find 3 files (werzeug***.dat and 2 other .dat) and doesn’t want to open.
Otherwise, i’ve got an old slow netbook with windows XP to play with it, but my screen is small and Estlcam has too big icons! I can’t see the ‘stamp’ icon at all, and just part of the last icons :=/ I tried everything to fool Windows to have the whole screen (resolution, extra softwares to make a ‘bigger desktop’, but didn’t find a solution. the icons are too big (and I’m sure people use old computers with small screen fot their CNC, and icons take one quarter of the screen…Christian, if you read me…)
I tried jscut and markercam to find an alternativ solution, but they only open .svg and just do 2.5D. Not perfect so…
I did not try Bcnc, but it seems very limited in CAM (I may be wrong) and they claimed to be "small screen friendly’, so I guess it’s a common issue in the CNC ‘old computer’ world ;=)
Has someone some ideas?
[edit] I tried Blendercam too: as a newbie in Linux, took me hours to install, and as a newbie in Blender: I was unable to understand anything!! But on video, it looks great. But no tutorials for total beginners, etc…very hard to understand.
Aze, I am in the process of setting up my software under linux as well. The site you linked suggested using playonlinux as it worked. I’ve built a couple POL install scripts in the past and here shortly I will see what i can do about writing another one up for estlcam. Did you ever get your install running and if not were you running it with dotnet, gdiplus, and dx9 installed?
Another note, are you running 64 bit or 32 bit?
so, estlcam appears to run fine under linux using wine using the libraries i mentioned earlier except for one (game breaking) behavior issue. The mouse loses focus to the child windows when interacting with the parent window. I can fix this behavior when switching to a virtual desktop but a different issue crops up (the child windows now appear behind the parent window and get locked in place). I am researching how to fix this behavior but it might require some heavy changes to wine and/or estlcam in order to get it fixed. Other than the mentioned problems the software appears to work flawlessly (so fingers crossed I can get it fixed. If i can I’ll write up a HOWTO install and get it running for everyone)
Update, if you run estlcam under wine while allowing the window manager to decorate and control the windows you run into the focus issues I mentioned. However, a workaround is to set your window manager focus settings to follow your mouse (gnome3 users: run gnome-tweak-tool, windows tab, change focus mode to mouse). Its not perfect but it runs and it was usable with some quirks. The quirks I mentioned are sometimes the focus still jumps to the text boxes on the child windows and backspace to undo doesnt like to work (because of the jump in focus) however using the select tool and right clicking on an object allows you to delete previous mistakes easily.
Hi Gotsanity, sorry I didn’t check your message earlier. No, no I wasn’t able to make it work on Linux, even trying all the things (Dirext X, etc). It’s the last Linux LTS in 64bits and I did the 32 bits windows thing, without success (the software start, but tell me than 2 files are missing).
But in fact, it took me less time to make another old windows laptop with different old laptops I had. Then, I’ve a dedicated windows laptop for all my CNC Stuff, and it’s a lot easier like that. I like Linux for a lot of reason, but as a newbie, it’s worst like pain to install/update software sometimes.
But thanks for your help.
I installed what i believe is the latest Estlcam version (8.505), but there seems to be some ‘bugs’ regarding gcode Marlin output. OR maybe I simply don’t have the settings correct?
Here is what I see:
I have simple 2.5 D dfx line drawings where i am cutting out pieces -
The gcode Estlcam created - where i see are issues - have to do with movement Speed when it switches between the XY axis and Z axis movements
Here are snippets of the code as it created it:
;Project BoardW1x8_TB
;Created by Estlcam version 8 build 8.505
;Machining time about 12:04:48 AM hours
G90
;M03 S24000
G00 X0.0000 Y0.0000 Z0.0000
[// I use limit switches, and after I home all axis I move the spindle to the start location and i change this line to:
G92 X0 Y0 Z0 ]
G00 Z5.0000
;No. 1: Cutout 1
G00 X198.0864 Y-6.8200
;// NOTE G00 is ‘rapid movement’ To move the head/spindle to new location without cutting (/printing)
no mm/min speed is given for the G00 commands in Estlcam, but, Marlin seems to need them to be given.
When the MPCNC with Marlin firmware gets the G00 before any speed has been declared the movement is excruciatingly slow
G00 Z0.5000
G01 Z-7.0000 F300 S24000
G01 X104.7800 F1200
;NOTE on the G01 command Estlcam sets the speed to F300 for the Z axis and F1200 for the X-Y axis movements. This is correct
G01 X104.7811 Y47.6195
[SNIP…]
The program is creating a cut out, and is cutting around 7mm deep per pass… for a total depth of 21mm (cutting 3/4 inch wood)
At the end of a cut out, the spindle is moved back up, so it can move to the next cut out area. I used the default 5mm above the surface
This is where the PROBLEM is:
G01 Z-21.0000 F300 ;// this is where the Z axis is set to the last pass 21mm depth at F300 (300mm/min)
G01 X104.7800 F1200 // X-Y speed is set to F1200
G01 X104.7811 Y47.6195
G01 X199.9959 Y47.6200
G01 X200.0195 Y47.6187
G01 X200.0217 Y47.5149
G01 X200.0200 Y-6.8200
G01 X198.0864
G00 Z5.0000 // PROBLEM At least with the way Marlin works *********
The Z axis is being moved from the -21mm depth to +5mm total 26 mm… using the G00 command, with NO SPEED setting given
The last speed setting was the G01 command for the XY axis which was F1200 = 20mm/sec
Even though that speed was set using the G01 command, and the Z-Axis is being moved using the G00 command, Marlin uses the last speed set, period. Which was the 20mm/sec - and tries to move the Z-axis at that speed. For our Lead Screw Z-Axis that is way too fast… the Z-Axis at this point is told to move 26mm in just over a second…
Sometimes it makes it, but, other times it skips (or slips), and the head doesn’t raise up far enough.
It does this at the end of each cut, so what happens is the head cuts lower and lower at the end of each cut out
One workaround is to simply slow the machine way way down - but that isn’t a solution…
What I have to do is do Find and Replace all the Z axis movements that don’t have speed set and set the speed to F500
;No. 2: Cutout 2
G00 X451.7053 Y-6.8200 Z5.0000
G00 Z0.5000
G01 Z-7.0000 F300 // Here the speed for Z is set to the slower speed, but, AFTER the damage was done on trying to move the Z up too fast
G01 X358.7800 F1200
So, either Estlcam should have an option of setting speeds on the G00 rapid movement commands OR is there something in Marlin Configuration.h file i need to change?
The problem is, at the beginning of the Code no speed for G00 is set and the movements are extremely slow
Once a speed is set using the G01 command Marlin uses that speed for the G00 commands as well, it uses the last speed that was set, period, regardless of type of moving command or axis.
at the end of the cut when the Z axis is raised up because no speed setting is used Marlin uses the last XY faster speed to raise the Z axis - which causes Slip/Skip height problems