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View Full Version : Even more questions! Will other software work on my cnc? Machcnc?



dray
03-11-2007, 11:54 PM
Will other software work with my cnc besides SB3?

Thanks.

richards
03-12-2007, 10:08 AM
V-Carve is very popular. It meets my needs. I use AutoCAD LT to design my regular work and then use PartWizard to generate the tool paths. I use V-Carve for plaques and 'artistic' type work.

If I hadn't already had AutoCAD LT on hand when I bought the Alpha, I would have started with PartWizard before adding other software. PartWizard seems to be very capable of doing almost everything that I normally do - but I'm an old dog that doesn't like to learn new tricks.

paul_z
03-12-2007, 02:34 PM
Danny,

You might want to download the V Carve demo software. It will let you get the "touch and feel" before you invest. If you search this forum and the Vectric forum, you can see what others are doing with V Carve.

Paul Z

conceptmachine
03-12-2007, 02:40 PM
Danny,
Do you mean cad/cam software or control software like mach3 ?
-shawn

jseiler
03-12-2007, 05:59 PM
Almost anything with a little work will cut on a shopbot. This weekend I was playing around with GIS topographic maps. A free program called MICRODEM will convert these maps into gray scale with white being the tallest feature and black being the closest to sea level (or below). (It does a lot of other stuff too including side view perspective shots, and 3d flythrough). With a gray scale output scaled to height, one can get this to 3d raster cut with many different programs. If you can cut a lithophane, you can cut accurate topo maps too.

http://www.usna.edu/Users/oceano/pguth/website/microdem.htm

Have fun and never stop experimenting.
John

dray
03-12-2007, 08:47 PM
I meant controller software.

richards
03-12-2007, 10:31 PM
Danny,
Sorry, but I misread your question. Changing your PRS-Alpha to run other software is NOT a trivial operation. Basically, you decide on the controller software when you buy a machine. If you like the Shopbot SB3 software, you buy a Shopbot machine with a Shopbot controller. On the other hand, if you really wanted to use Mach software, but still wanted all non-electronic parts to be Shopbot supplied, I suppose that you could order a machine without electronics.

Since you already have a Shopbot controller, it is possible to use Mach 3 software with Oriental Alpha stepper motors and stepper drivers, but you will have to totally rewire your controller box - again, something that is a major, major undertaking. Although I can't speak for Shopbot, I can't imagine them - or, for that matter, any company - being willing to allow that kind of modification without voiding the machine's warranty. There's just too many ways to cause major damage.

I've had my Alpha since July 2004 and I still haven't found a valid reason to switch to Mach 3 software. If I built a custom machine to do a specific task, I might consider using Mach software, but even then, there would have to be a particular need that couldn't be met with SB3 to make me want to change.

There are some Shopbot owners who have added other controllers to their PRT and PR machines, but I'm not aware of any Alpha owners who have made that change.

Personally, I'm of the opinion that the Gecko G202 drivers available with the 4g package give all of the electronic benefits of 3rd party controllers without requiring you to learn G-code. With the same power supply, the same stepper drivers and the same stepper motors you'll get the same results.

To be fully candid, there have been reports of problems with the 4g modification, but whether those problems are totally caused by the 4g electronics or whether there are other factors involved - like inadequate grounding or worn spur gears or many other factors that come into play when adding a new controller to a used machine - is anyone's guess.

I have a test bench where I've been running Mach 3 software with various stepper and servo motors for about 18 months - so I think that I could be classed as someone who's speaking from experience rather than someone who has taken a brief look at an operator's manual or spent a few hours playing with some demo software. Properly configured, Mach software will allow you to do about anything that is physically possible with a CNC router. Properly configured, SB3 will allow you to do about anything that is physically possible with a CNC router. In my opinion, you first pick the software and then pick the machine - just like with computers; if you like to use applications that run with Apple's OS, you buy an Apple computer; if you like to use applications that run with Windows OS, you buy a PC with Windows installed; if you want to rise above it all, you switch to Linux ;>)

dray
03-12-2007, 11:57 PM
Thanks Mike, that was very informative. The reason I asked is that I have been building foamcutting cnc for about 6 years and use mach. I just thought that since I was familiar with the software it would be an easy transition and less changing files around etc..

Thanks

rustnrot
03-13-2007, 12:22 AM
I was looking at the Shopbot website, and found the following sentence under the "Part File Programming Handbook" dated Feb 7, 2007. "If you are already an experienced CNC programmer and prefer G-code or have
software that generates G-code just go ahead an run it on ShopBot."

Are they talking about the new SB 3.5 version still in beta?