Looking for CAM software free or Cheap, Mac OS compatable

Software / Firmware
1

Hello, it’s been a while. My knife making hobby has taken me away from my MPCNC build.

At this point I only have access to a Mac, and I don’t like fusion 360. I don’t mind figuring how to run grbl on my board, I forget which one I have.

Software suggestions?

Thanks
Ben.

2

I use Onshape along with the Kiri:Moto add in for CAM. Both free!

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3

Thank you! This doesn’t seem to output Cam gcode in marlin, right? I don’t mind switching to grbl if that’s the only way.

4

The output is Marlin flavour as far as I understand. I have no problem on my Lowrider with the SKR Pro from V1.

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5

Thank you. I will try it.

6

Grbl and main are mostly the same. The biggest difference is how they handle the Z speeds. That isn’t a huge deal anymore. You can mostly get by without caring. If your Z rapids are causing you to skip any steps, then you either need to slow them down with CAM, or adjust the global maximum in the firmware (which isn’t a terrible idea anyway).

Some other small differences in things like homing commands or coordinate offsets are probably only in the start and end scripts you write. Any differences in talking to the boards is going to be handled by cncjs, which does talk marlin or grbl.

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7

Thank you.

8

Just a small hijack here - I saw the founder (?) of Onshape interviewed a week or two ago, and in that conversation he mentioned that they had bought a company with a fully developed CAM system that they will be working to incorporate in the product.

It wasn’t Kiri-moto and there’s no timing and no word of whether it will be free, but I just thought I’d redirect this conversation! :slight_smile:

9

Thanks. I ran one test using a patten I had created and a pen vs a cnc removal process. I will deal this successfully.

I found open builds web platform easier to use compared to kiri:Moto.

Thanks!

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10

Thanks Ben, I will investigate!

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11

Here’s the latest I’ve seen:

As you mentioned - no word about whether it’ll be available in the free/edu versions. I don’t have high hopes, as it seems that lately all the high end Onshape improvements seem to be for the enterprise versions. Too bad, as I love Onshape - would use it exclusively for modeling, except for the public files, and commercial use limitations (like F360). Use it when I can, but need to keep up to date with FreeCad, in case I do something saleable. Also, FreeCad has KiCAD integration, and it’s the open source schematic and PCB/PCA program I use the most.

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