[NitroXide]

Hi

I would like to hear your opinion about the most suitable software to handle AT LEAST Gerber,Excellon,BMP (maybe a GCODE simulator included) and generate basic ISO G-CODE:

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M03, M04, M05 Spindle CW, Spindle CCW, Spindle Stop
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M08, M09 Coolant/lubricant On, Coolant/lubricant Off
M02 Program Stop
M30 Program end, rewind
M98 Subprogram call
M99 Subprogram end
M00, M01 Program stop, optional stop
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G96, G97 Constant surface speed, Constant Spindle speed
G50 Maximum spindle speed
G95, G94 Feed mm per revolution, feed mm/min
G00, G01 rapid movement, Linear Interpolation (cutting in a straight line)
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F Feed
S Spindle Speed
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direction Coordinates X Y Z A B C U V W

The only software I found flexible enough and with a nice interface is Galaad.Anything else ?

Thanks, Nitro

[DareBee]

VisualMill 5.0 (version 6.0 is scheduled for release any time now)

[NitroXide]

Hi DareBee , thanks for your reply.I've downloaded Visual Mill 5.0 but I'm afraid I can't find anything about importing gerber, excellon, or bmp files.
Other ideeas?I'm gonna use it mainly for PCB routing,cutting 2D shapes,engrave images and text maybe a little 3D.
Thanks!

[Torchhead]

Look at SheetCAM. It will handle all of the 2D and 2.5D projects you list except bitmaps but then do you REALLY want to cut bitmaps on a CNC? MACH3 will let you import a bitmap and "photo engrave" it. It pecks a series of dots like a half tone. Better have something else to do for the next 4 to 8 hours for an 8X10. Vetrix (Vcarve people) have a bitmap engraving tool too.

If you want something that will cut lines (vectors) from a photo (bitmap) then you need to look at the various bitmap to vector conversion packages (sometimes called auto-trace programs). None of them work very well if you want detailed or smooth arcs or non-jagged angled lines from anything other than a line drawing and even then it takes a lot of clean-up.

I cut PCB's using the Excellon file from the PCB layout software in SheetCAM. I use a little program called DeskPCB to take the Gerber and give me trace outlines in DXF. SheetCAM then lets me merge them on the material and register the drills with the traces and even step & repeat them.

SheetCAM teamed with MACH3 is a hard combo to beat to go from drawing to finished cut and it's only about 300.00 for both.

[NitroXide]

Thanks Torchhead!I actually had no idea about this software but I'll try it and decide if it suits me.The fact is I just can't find something flexible enough to handle all my needs and export ISO GCODE which I'll use in an embedded (GCODE interpreter+stepper controller).That is all I need and Galaad was quite that but I just wondered if I can find something better.
And about bmp I guess it was my mistake I was thinking about a built-in converter to allow auto-trace of bmp files ( this too for pcb ,when you have only the high resolution bmp of the pcb layout).
Thanks again and I'll try it and post my opinion!You should try Galaad too if u haven't yet, it's quite intuitive and flexible and has a standalone module for PCBs.