Hi guys, I need some advice, I need to make some engravings with a CNC, I purchased this app but I don’t think it’s what I need, can you help me understand if there is an app for iPad that allows me to make an drawing to be engraved with CNC therefore with dxf file or I don’t know which. Thank you
What kind of files does your cnc program take? In mine, I can import STLs and OBJs and mill the parts out. Nomad exports in both these formats and I’ve milled things I’ve designed in nomad - just have to make sure I don’t have undercuts.
The process of feeding a CNC machine is tied to CAM software.
CAM creates G-Code; instructions on how the cutting bit moves in 3D space. G-code is also used by FDM 3D Printers to guide how the extrusion nozzle moves in 3D space.
CAM software lives in the PC environment. Not iPads. It expects to be fed all the geeky details like cutting bit size, CNC envelope extents, etc.
Nomad would be used to sculpt a bas relief. This is exported as a ubiquitous STL or OBJ mesh. CAM software ingests the 3D mesh file and calculates the path that the cutting bit needs to carve away material. This calculation results in G-Code which is then fed to the CNC machine.
I think most folks should be smart enough to investigate this process in a YouTube search.
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I have used Nomad Sculpt to sculpt things that I ran through a CAM package and used on a CNC, as @CarterTG describes.
My CNC receives the file for Mach3 directly from Type 31. I’m not very good
Thanks, but from what I see you are really very good, I don’t know if I can become that good. If you want and can give me some advice on which programs to buy to make my Mach 3 work, I would be really grateful, and if necessary I could pay for my trouble, my Whatsapp is this +393395899466.
What specific CNC machine are you using?
Searches for variants of "Type 31” are just bringing up information on a military frigate.
Nomad Sculpt is for modeling. Mach3 is for operating your CNC machine.
The piece that connects between those two is CAM software. That will generate the gcode from a 3D file to load into Mach3. The specific CAM software you should use depends on the specific machine you are using. Usually, the machine manufacturer will make a recommendation in their documentation.
For example, I have a Nomad 883 Desktop CNC machine. The appropriate CAM software for that is MeshCAM.