Hi I’m a bit bewildered by the options and what is most suited for different needs and which ones need particular post processors for the duet controller. To give a it of context. I'm able with CAD using Solidworks. I have workbee and I'm mainly will be milling parts out of standard sheet goods MDF, Ply , etc I’m looking at * fusion 360, * Vectric * estlcam * solidworks cam Here are a few questions : What software is compatible with the GBRL out of the box and thus with duet controller? Which software has post processors available to produce GBRL for duet? Is any GBRL post processor I can find compatible with duet or are there nuances i need to be aware of? Which ones is best to start of with? I want to create a surfacing toolpath to surface my spoilboard. I found a tutorial video for Vectric software , where the guy manually draws the paths and projects them across his workpiece (ie the spoil board). Are any of the cam packages more featured for this type of stuff?
First a word of caution - the Duet uses Rep-Rap firmware similar but not exactly the same as grbl, so no, not every grbl post processor will work. I use Fusion 360 and this post processor https://ooznest.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Fusion-v1.0.1.zip How to install it here https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAGegQIBxAB&usg=AOvVaw3EIv1rWl5WzuBM-hcenJxL I also use Vectric V-carve and the grbl (mm) post processor. Both have their strengths - I use Fusion for "engineering" type jobs and Vectric for more "artistic" stuff. Fusion is free for hobby use and has a surfacing toolpath. Learning curve for Fusion is probably steeper than some, but there are people here who know it well. I've only just started using Vectric, but many people here use it. I can't advise on estlcam (especially regarding post processor for the Duet) but again there are people here who swear by it, and I know nothing about solidworks. If you don't find cad intimidating I would recommend Fusion as it is free and powerful enough to do just about anything you might want. Alex.
OK, my first instinct is to pick Fusion 360 as I'm used to CAD. Solidworks has CAM, but looks like no-one is using it in the hobby cnc community and as you say the Post Processor might not be fit for purpose without one written specifically for this machine. I'm assuming that the reason people say Fusion 360 is hard it's because of the CAD stuff then. It's not that the GBRL it produces (with post processor), is less optimal for these type of machines , right? Sounds like you've been using it successfully , so I'm going ahead with it and get to know it. Thanks again!
Quite a few people here use Fusion, almost all of them more knowledgeable than me. I started using it in February and can now use it for any 2 or 2.5D work I want to do. See Tramming aid for an example. Alex.
Also have a look at Duet Controller/Fusion 360 post fix. Ignore the later stuff about V1. 07 for now. Alex.
OK, so I got the face operation for my spoilboard surfacing setup. I've offset the 15mm on each side ryan suggested to avoid dust shoe clipping the beams. Those green loops going past the stock area, I'm hoping are within machine bounds. I'll double check tomorrow So now I need to get this producing a gbrl/duetcontroller program. I'm assuming I need to create an NC program and select post processor in there after installing it. Anyway, I'll have a dry run this week when I can find some time.
