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Post by kevin59 on Nov 26, 2020 3:30:05 GMT
Happy almost Thanksgiving CNC family OK Received my Carve King last week, have it all put together, and wired (hopefully correct) will build the control box after i get the Computer to talk to the machine.
But first things first....HELP!!!
I have tried to follow directiong on the Millright CNC page how to download/Find the G Code. For a MAC OSX But cant seem to find what im looking for.
If anyone out there knows how to download the G Code for Mac. Please please im asking for some help.
I also downloaded Fusion 360.
But if there is an easier free software out there that has the G Code built in and will save some time. I would sure appreciate some help or advice.
Thanks You
Kevin
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hans
Full Member
Posts: 151
Machine: Other
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Post by hans on Nov 26, 2020 4:38:02 GMT
I'm also a MAC user -- for the last 20 years or so. (IMHO, the last decent Windows offering was Windows 3.0 running Norton Desktop.) But after I built my Carve King, I dug up $350 for Vectric's VCarve Desktop and another couple of hundred for a Windows laptop. The laptop doesn't have to be at all powerful, though a decent screen size/resolution is convenient during the CAD phase. (VCarve Desktop may run a bit slower on a slower machine, but that really isn't a problem.) After you design your part using the CAD section of VCarve, you then use the CAM section to create G-code files. You'll then load those files into UGS Platform which you can download for free. And UGS Platform runs your Carve King.
VCarve Desktop is quite capable yet easy to understand -- it's a first-class piece of software and there are LOTS of tutorials on the web, both from Vectric and from many others. UGS runs clean and requires VERY little compute power. The combination of VCarve Desktop and UGS Platform running on a low-cost, used Windows laptop will drive your Carve King flawlessly. My only caveats are to note that many people have USB cable issues and many have homing switch issues (apparently due to electrical noise pickup), so I'll suggest use of a new USB cable and forgetting the homing switches (at least to get started -- though I'm two years in and have no need for them).
I'm typing this on my MAC and find it a much friendlier machine than my Windows PC; I use it for all my computer needs -- except CNC.
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Post by jreimers on Nov 27, 2020 20:28:23 GMT
I use my Mac for everything including cnc. I run vectric in parallels on my iMac and my carve king is hooked up to a Mac mini.
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Post by kevin59 on Dec 6, 2020 8:34:30 GMT
Thanks for your help, I did download Parallels onto my Mac, I did get the homing devices and yes kind of a pain to get calibrated. Im not sure where in Parallels is the Vectric. I also did download Fusion 360. But do not have a lot of experience setting up programs like this. If you have any other information to make this as easy as can be that would be great. Right now i do not have a lot of extra money to fork out on more software...
Thanks much for your insite.
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Post by fracturedtom on Dec 6, 2020 19:58:32 GMT
Thanks for your help, I did download Parallels onto my Mac, I did get the homing devices and yes kind of a pain to get calibrated. Im not sure where in Parallels is the Vectric. I also did download Fusion 360. But do not have a lot of experience setting up programs like this. If you have any other information to make this as easy as can be that would be great. Right now i do not have a lot of extra money to fork out on more software... Thanks much for your insite. I'm a Mac user as well. I would really suggest Carbide Create to get started. It's free and there is a Mac version. It's a great learning tool, pretty straightforward and no cloud garbage. If you're familiar with vector programs like Illustrator, it's even easier. It's not really for 3D, but it can get you used to the process without being intimidating.
Here's a site with ready-to-run projects from the sane folks.
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