Hello. I hope I’m not opening a can of worms here.
First: New to CNC fabrication but I’m an experienced 3D modeler and Designer from the Cinema world.
I’m new to creating CAM files. in GCode for CNC Machines. I come from the Design side of creating 3D objects for film and TV. I’m a MAYA guy and would love to stay in this App because I understand it well. But I’m researching buying a CNC machine for my shop and caught off guard by the CAM side of this, which is new to me.
I’ve dabbled in Rhino before but I’m completely MAC. It seems like if you want to get to the CAM plug-ins of Rhino you need to run windows. I’m curious what anyone’s options are for this?
I’ve researched a couple of forum threads. Most of them are 5-6 years old or go nowhere.
So it’s looking like I need to either:
• Get a PC. (I really don’t want to do this)
• Run Parallels and boot up in Windows and run Rhino from there (that would be ok if it works)
• Learn Fusion 360 which I’ve been reading mixed reviews about.
• I’m open to other options. I was really hoping I could build in MAYA I can export out a wide variety of formats, OBJ, STL 3DS and more… and then use some kind of CAM app to send to my CnC machine… like maybe VCarve or Aspire? But I do know Rhino a bit so if I could use that APP instead I think it would be beneficial.
Any thoughts are helpful. Thanks in advance. Sorry if this is a topic that get’s bounced around a lot!!
At home, I also excursively use macOS and I used to have a MPCNC that I toyed around with.
As a student I learned Maya and used to love it, but the licencing was to much for hobby use, so I moved on to Blender.
As you might be aware of, you currently need 3 pieces of software for CNC:
a) 3D modelling application
b) CAM software that outputs g-code, much like a slicer does for a 3D-printer
c) CNC driver software that reads in the g-code and runs the machine
There is a really good and inexpensive German software called Estlcam that covers points b and c, but you need Windows to run it.
If you need a computer to run your CNC any way, I’d say get a cheap, second-hand Windows laptop and Estlcam.
If you don’t and are looking for a macOS solution, I’d recommend MeshCAM. It costs a bit more, but you can try it first for half a month or so. It only generates g-code though.
If you’re into Grasshopper, you can try this convoluted definition that can generate g-code for a Rhino model.
Mesh modelling is not really a good match for CNC, 3D-printing, and any kind of production.
You should use N.u.r.b.s. modelling, like Rhino offers, since the precision is much greater.
Rhino also makes it much more straightforward to work with accurate dimensions, compared to something like Maya.
Hi @Drew_Weininger ,
You could consider using VisualHull.eu’s CAM module, as It is well-suited for CNC applications.
One of the advantages is that It can create perfect nestings & GCode from BREPS (rhino 3d objects), including marking lines and reference texts, to facilitate building and assembly.
It has been tested on various CNC machines and can provide excellent results. Feel free to reach out to me at f.serragedine@shipdesign.it for more information or to discuss how the CAM module can be adapted to your specific CNC machine requirements.
Diff-Arch, Thanks for the A,B,C example. Make sense. I know very little about setting up my CAM software. If I run with the MeshCam… do you have any good advice on where to learn it or how to learn setting up CAM software. I know no idea if it’s straight forward. In my mind it would be something like… select material, select a bit, select a cut’s per minute kind of setting or something and hit go…
Also, what is Grasshopper? I looked it up and I still don’t really understand what it does.
Copy that on Mesh Modeling. Makes sense. Seems like it’s Polygon’s vs Mathematical Curves. Maya does build in Nurbs if you want but it’s difficult, it is really is good with Polys. If that makes sense.
Farouk… I’ve never heard of a BREP before. I looked it up. My understanding is that it’s a poly surface… but more accurate at close inspection as it retains curves… do to magic or math or something.
It’s inevitable. It doesn’t make sense to needlessly limit your self to the whole mac thing, especially ever since they started using intel based cpu’s or whatever way back when and are no longer that “amazingly secure”.
Emulating windows is silly – imo.
The cloud based programs are principally not secure.
That’s good.
Much easier said than done. The whole CAM / CNC industry is full of trade secrets and annual fees.
I guess it depends what CNC kinematics you need and what toolpaths you desire.
Don’t go the mecsoft route, whater you do – waste of time.
Meshcam is very limited.
The light at the end of the tunnel. A miracle in the making. The answer to everything.
Basically breps are everywhere in Rhino. In the past I had no idea. I thought it was a new thing cause of GH. And I used to think it was only a solid thing. Boy was I wrong.
limits always have two sides… they make things easier more secure, faster, less involving, but also restricting of course.
besides all the esoteric drama one should also not forget that buying several computers might not be in the budged or in the capacity of space.
ok now you are killing all the mac sensible people but alright you have a point there. but dont forget that from all rhino licences a third is already mac if i remember that correctly being said just recently.
Indeed it is a miracle that a CAD user can in fact use Rhino on mac these days. I would have loved to be able to do that back in 2008.
But good luck getting CAM on a mac, especially inside Rhino.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of mac. But like you said, it’s expensive having multiple computers of different types and OS’s etc.
I’ve been there done that too. The last mac I bought was a mac book pro in like 2017 and within the last 2 yrs the battery basically stopped working and has become more time consuming than it’s worth.
I might buy anew mac someday, but will probably buy a new microsoft based computer first.
i wish more developers would open their eyes that mac is not settling down and constantly growing. so many important plug in developers like vray just dont give a F***… but also close to mcneel plugins like bongo visual Arq and what not… amazing how much ignorance. but ok i sound like a frustrated mac fanboy now.
In terms of CAM software, MeshCAM is probably as straightforward as it gets, but it’s also limited. You load in your 3D-model, setup a CNC bit to mill with or chose one from already saved ones, change a few other parameters, and simulate the milling process.
If everything is to your liking and no conflicts are in sight, you can then export the g-code. There are tutorials on YouTube by the creator.
Be warned though, CNC in general is not an easy thing to tackle and there’s lots to learn for a beginner. The CAM software is only a small piece of the puzzle.
Grasshopper is an add-on for Rhino that ships with it nowadays. It’s meant for parametrical modelling and much more. You can launch it by entering “grasshopper” in Rhino.
Instead of doing a one of model of something, you can create a definition with nodes and sliders that let you adjust the model. Instead of modelling by hand, you basically do it with maths.
Brep means “boundary representation”, which is jargon from the N.u.r.b.s. (or solid) modelling world for polysurfaces, which are geometrical objects that are composed of more than one N.u.r.b.s surface, like for instance a cube.
I still dream of a future though when CAD/CAM/CNC can be done easily on a mac
It can be done easily, I sent you a video of a crossplatform plugin specialized in CAD/CAM/CNC.
It works on MAC and has been throughly tested on more than 50 superyachtes (80+mt).
Bent plates, planar plates, CNC, Milling It’s all supported.
You simply select any 3d object and It will generate all the CAM documentation for it.
We can also customize it based on your specific task / CNC machine.
www.VisualHull.eu
From my perspective all I see is some dabbling in 2D geometries. And no actual CAM/CNC functionality.
I’m not seeing it.
I guess all these ‘boats’ are built out of 2D planar / some bent sheets…
2D, 2.5D ? Where’s the 3D, and 5axes?
lol. I’m not seeing it.
Ok I’ll check it out some more… Yep, just a bunch of 2D technology. That doesn’t help me in the industries I’m in. The requisites for my industries are 3D stuff, and 5 axes kinematics and even 6 axes, so visualhull doesn’t help me.
but alright you have a point there. but dont forget that from all rhino licences a third is already mac if i remember that correctly being said just recently.