Knowing that it was a bit hard to locate, and also knowing I would want to revisit it again, I posted it here in my own build thread:
…It’s the first in that post, dated March 2, 2020.
As for sample output of it, attached is an actual posted file:
I am starting to have a doubt that I may have accidentally tested the wrong file. I am going to resend and retest.
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That last ngc file loads without errors in my sim!
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I feel sheepish. It seems I tested with the old, wrong file at first. I just now redid the test, being extra careful, and the file from the PlasmaC named PP opened in QTPlasmaC without any errors!
Don’t. There’s a lot going on here.
Time to get dirty!
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I’m over the moon. I’m actually cutting out that project, with the NGC file outputted from Fusion 360 CAM, using the PlasmaC Post Processor linked above, with no manual edits to the file, and no errors! It’s going like gangbusters! Video forthcoming!
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Quick pic of my first plasma cut project, finished except for polyurethane protection from rust. Video of the cut and other helpful details as soon as I can get to it. Cut from a 2’ x 4’ sheet of 18ga steel. 20 amps on cutter, 30 PSI on air. Art created in CorelDraw, exported as SVG, imported into Fusion for CAM, outputted using “PlasmaC” Post Processor.
I learned so much. The cut recovery tools in QTplasmaC are outstanding.
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I like your style. Test a small circle, cut a whole incredibly big sign. 
When I got the Prusa Mini my first project was the Prusa sign, second project Benchy, third Project Primo Core. 
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Wow, you’re like me. We swing for the fence!
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Those tiny strips in the middle came out crazy good!
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I’m thrilled. I learned a lot. The cut recovery options are top notch!
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One of the possibilities that I did not even realize was an option, is to have the magnetic breakaway torch mount include a built in shut off circuit built into the breakaway. I only just recently learned of it as an option. I still don’t know how it would be done, but the sense is that a wire would go to a magnet on the mount side, and then “continue” from the matching magnet on the torch holder side, and only when the magnets are aligned does it complete the circuit.
In a related note, during this first big cut job I did, I ran into one instance where the torch snagged on something (maybe a bit of already cut metal that came loose and was jutting up?) and the magnetic breakaway worked exactly as I intended. It was a cool moment.
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that cuts looks fantastic. I agree the detail in the middle looks like $1M.
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I wonder if you could just put a microswitch behind the mount, so it is pressed when the mount is secure. Then wire the switch to the logic for turning it off and stopping the cnc at the same time. That would have some advantages. a) it would stop the motors, b) it would keep you from having any breaks in the hugh current wires, c) it would keep you from running high current through magnets. Do you have a door switch? That would have the same purpose, I think.
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All my end stop switches and my emergency stop button all are running 24v. I think running an extension of the estop wiring over to the mount would be a doable solution. I would essentially gain two ways to break that circuit.
The nice thing about LinuxCNC is that when it is running on a realtime kernel like is recommended (which is what I am running) its estop happens right away instead of after a buffer of commands gets executed like on Marlin. The LinuxCNC estop is a real estop, like you’d want it to be, if your kernel is right.
A few months back, we needed a concrete cutting saw for what was probably a one-time use job. I shopped for the most affordable decent one I could find. I bought it from the VEVOR brand website. The concrete cutting saw came with the smallest little water pump you ever saw, and some clear tubing, intended for getting water from a bucket onto the concrete cutting blade. If you have a water spigot and hose you don’t need the little pump. Well, turns out that tiny little pump is pretty handy for emptying the water from the plasma table!
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Similar situation for me. I had some random tiny 12V water pump I bought for a solar project. I have my table drain with gravity, but I fill it with that little pump, takes about 10 minutes or so. I start it before I plug everything in and it is full before I am ready.
Just needed to prove I am not a hoarder. Those random things eventually have a use!
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Thanks again for the cool simulation tip!
I’ve installed LinuxCNC 2.8 (Debian Buster) from .ISO in a virtual machine on my MacBook Pro using Parallels Desktop, and I’m working to get it setup so it matches my Acer touchscreen laptop I use for controlling the plasma machine, which has been updated to LinuxCNC 2.10.
For my own notes:
The repositories for upgrading to LinuxCNC 2.10 are available at:
In addition to updating to 2.10, I also switched which flavor of Linux GUI I use. I think I switched to Cinnamon.
I tried to use the terminal command tasksel to switch to Cinnamon but it would not work. However, I was able to do a sudo apt-get install cinnamon (or some such) and got Cinnamon installed.
An important thing to install in a VM based on Parallels Desktop is called Parallels Tools. I could not install it at first because it required a couple of packages and the auto install of them was failing.
This article was helpful but I still could not get the Parallels Tools install to succeed:
Helpful, but the specific path(s) in the commands did not work, and I had to drag the “install” script into the terminal to get the path right. Then, some needed packages failed to install and the overall install of Parallels Tools failed with this message:
'An error occurred while installing the following packages:
- linux-headers-4.19.0-17-rt-amd64
- dkms
Install these packages manually and start the Parallels Tools install again.’
I was able to get DKMS manually installed via terminal fairly easily, but “linux-headers-4.19.0-17-rt-amd64” proved to be a pain.
I finally realized that at the initial Linux bootup choice screen, there was an advanced choices option, and “4.19.0-17-rt-amd64” was an older choice that I could select. Doing so seemed to install “linux-headers-4.19.0-17-rt-amd64” — which, interestingly, had me in the older kernel and Parallels Tools install was failing, but when I rebooted into the newer kernel, the Parallels Tools installer seemed to “see” what it wanted as far as “linux-headers-4.19.0-17-rt-amd64” and yet also was finally able to succeed.
I’m now trying to get the QTPlasmaC simulation to run. No success yet. Still working on it.
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You meant linuxcnc v2.9, correct?
Hmmm? As long as the upgrade to ‘master’ went ok I’d think the sim machine would just run. I haven’t messed with mac/parallels in probably 15 years so I don’t know if I could be much help from over here.
No, it’s 2.10. At the time when I setup my laptop, 2.9 was unavailable on buildbot for some reason and the guys on LinuxCNC forum told me to go for 2.10.
I think it’s some issue with graphics. I see something about a GL error in the logs.