[strut310]

How does one learn to be a programmer while being a machinist? My job is not in need of a programmer now, but I would like to learn programming for a switch in the future. Doesn't seem as easy as enrollment in a school.

Thanks

[gwayne]

Are you referring to NC programming (gcode) or just programming in general? There are many options for the latter. I've been a programmer for 25 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[strut310]

Are you referring to NC programming (gcode) or just programming in general? There are many options for the latter. I've been a programmer for 25 years.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm talking about being the main programmer for a shop. I have been editing programs in my controls for years just looking to get off a machine.

[rbraeking]

Then you will want the VCarvePro. It will import .dxf, .dwg, .skp, and .pdf files. If your customer is using other file formats there are converters available but some of them don't work too well. Watch the videos on the vectric website (http://support.vectric.com/tutorials...goryIndex.html) and decide if their software will do what you need.
Bob

[davidmb]

I would suggest getting a basic understanding of g-code by hand first of all, get hold of one of the many cnc simulators and that way you can 'see' what happens.

I still find it easier sometime to code up basic parts by hand, and some complex parts ( fancy curved surfaces and stuff ) you can only do with a cad cam system but there are lots of these and they are all expensive.

Try and find out what shops in your area use as a cam system and then try and get a course on the most prevalent, that way you have more opportunities later on if you need to move.

[ger21]

Start reading everything you can about programming. Download free CAD and CAM software and start learning.

[strut310]

Start reading everything you can about programming. Download free CAD and CAM software and start learning.

Aren't they thousands of dollars. And don't company's usually by the program for the employees to use.

[elfrench]

What hardware will you be programming for? What software does the shop use? The answer to those questions will tell you where to start. Get the manuals, then start writing small programs and as you progress, write more complicated programs.

[strut310]

What hardware will you be programming for? What software does the shop use? The answer to those questions will tell you where to start. Get the manuals, then start writing small programs and as you progress, write more complicated programs.

I don't have access to their smartcam so that's not an option. Looking to do this on the side at home. Is it feasible to by a program like smartcam or mastercam. I could teach myself.

[A_Camera]

I don't have access to their smartcam so that's not an option. Looking to do this on the side at home. Is it feasible to by a program like smartcam or mastercam. I could teach myself.

You mean using a CAD/CAM software to generate g-code? That's not programming at all. Never the less, I am convinced that to become a professional you need to learn them on courses and schools, possibly and preferably mixed with on the job training. Self learning may be a bit more time consuming, but if you are young and have all the evenings available it may be possible. Software can be incredibly complicated to use, and if you want to become professional it will again take time. Talk to your boss, it is no idea to buy expensive software and believe you can learn it professionally at home.

[Fletch_CNC]

You mean using a CAD/CAM software to generate g-code? That's not programming at all. Never the less, I am convinced that to become a professional you need to learn them on courses and schools, possibly and preferably mixed with on the job training. Self learning may be a bit more time consuming, but if you are young and have all the evenings available it may be possible. Software can be incredibly complicated to use, and if you want to become professional it will again take time. Talk to your boss, it is no idea to buy expensive software and believe you can learn it professionally at home.

What would you consider programming, then?

You're right though, it does take a while to become proficient. I'd say the about the best thing a guy could do is go to school, and at the same time work in a small shop, preferably something prototype-oriented. Someplace where he will have a variety of parts/problems thrown at him, and will be expected to solve them. If he is stuck at a large production shop, where they have one or two programmers and 100 parts changers, he's probably never going to advance. But definitely, be patient: getting good at this stuff takes a lot of time.

[A_Camera]

What would you consider programming, then?

A programmer is a person who creates a program, using a specially defined language (for example Ada, C, C++, Visual Basic, HTML...), which is interpreted by a machine (for example a computer or a CNC) to create something. A programmer creates a program, for example a CAD/CAM program, which can be run on a computer and which is used to AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE code, based on a drawing the user made. The AUTOMATICALLY generated code can then fed into a CNC, or some other type of machine, but entering that code, even if you manually type the code generated by the CAD/CAM program does not make you a programmer. I consider programming when you have actually created the code on your own, not generated automatically. A programmer actually writes the code, similarly to a writer who writes a book or an article, using a language he/she has learned.

Using a graphical design tool is not the same as programming.

[gwayne]

There are dozens of free or inexpensive CAD and CAM programs to play with and lots of books on the subject. Of course, having access to the software and hardware you want to program is helpful, but there are often simulators or other alternatives.

[elfrench]

Do you want to design the parts, then create the machine paths in SmartCam, take drawings from customers and create the drawings and machine paths in SmartCam, or just take SmartCam drawings and create the machine paths?

SmartCam doesn't show a price on their website which probably means it's expensive Anyway do a search for SmartCam tutorials and training to get started and proceed from there. You could also talk to SmartCam to see what kind of training programs they have or recommend.

[strut310]

I'm looking to take a customer drawing and put it into a program that will spit out gcode that can be put into a machine to make the part.

[rbraeking]

I use a combination of VCarvePro and TurboCAD. Dolphin CAD is an all-in-one CAD/CAM program that works well for machining metal and plastic parts. CabinetPartsPro is a program that works with VCarvePro for creating cabinet parts. It is just a matter of what you want to do and what material you will be working with.
Bob

[Fletch_CNC]

I don't think you want to buy Mastercam, unless you can do work with it. It's like 15 grand for full 3D. If you go to school-- maybe night school?-- they will have an education version of it for you to use. You can learn on the job, absolutely, but it can be a pretty slow process. And you have to work at a place that will give you the opportunity to advance into a better position. If you show some initiative, your boss might help you advance, so talk to them. And if the company doesn't want to help, you might want to look at moving on to a place that will let a guy get more skills. If you are doing code edits, that's a good step on the way to being a programmer.

[A_Camera]

How does one learn to be a programmer while being a machinist? My job is not in need of a programmer now, but I would like to learn programming for a switch in the future. Doesn't seem as easy as enrollment in a school.

Thanks

If you want to become a programmer then you have to learn it in school. It is a trade, just like any other engineering trade. Don't believe anyone will hire you after a few evening courses, but some evening courses would at least give you an idea if it is something you really are interested in, or if you have a "programmer's head and mind". It may seem easy at first, but in reality, it is quite complex and demands a special kind of thinking, at least if you really want to change trade. It takes years to become a professional. If you just want to learn it as a hobby then some evening courses and reading books may help, but again, if you want to be "good enough" to really use it then you may need to spend quite many evenings with some boring exercises and useless snippets first. If you have the patience and the capability to learn it or not is only you can answer to.

Learning g-code programming may be easier, but I am not sure how professional you can become on your own.

[ger21]

You are right, but a "programmer" to me is a software or firmware programmer

But in the CNC world, a "programmer" is someone that creates g-code programs, whether by hand or via CAD/CAM.