Hi Rob, No. I use AlibreCAD and the now old and discontinued AlibreCAM which is the integrated Mecsoft VisualCAM.
As for I/O I think you might be missing the point. I've certainly had enough people stress to me the ease of setting up their Centroid system. They are happy with 3 axis and possibly 4. The almost vitriol resistance to LinuxCNC is really quite amazing considering how powerful it is. But it's not easy to set up. As the tutorial on Tormach's install shows, get the wrong MESA version and it resets and updates and you lose everything. Handy if you have a Tormach and don't want to think about the underlying OS. Difficult when you get into asking users to start editing files on non-Tormach machines. So here's a suggestion since you were originally asking about Tormach. Why not create a tutorial with diagrams for a simple 4 axis system using the Raspberry Pi4, 7i92 from MESA (7 in stock today) and two of the Chinese BoBs. (I reverse engineered them so I have the schematic). Of course this should also specify exactly how to set up one of the common smaller mills. Maybe something like this: https://www.busybeetools.com/products/milling-machine-with-digital-readout-cx601.html Drawings for the brackets. Motor selection. Power supply. The works. Or even just AXIS instead of Tormach. The point is I've had absolutely no luck in convincing anyone to move from MACH3 or any other CNC 'package' to LinuxCNC. Why? That's the question we need to answer. John > -----Original Message----- > From: Rob C [mailto:rclandro...@gmail.com] > Sent: January-24-23 11:04 AM > To: Enhanced Machine Controller (EMC) > Subject: Re: [Emc-users] Running PathPilot on non-Tormach Machines > > have you tried nativecam? > > easy to add to axis (when you've done it before). > > centroid acorn is nice, but very expensive and has very few iOS (compared > to Mesa hardware and linuxcnc) and only 4x step and direction ports...... > your choice. > > On Tue, 24 Jan 2023, 18:42 John Dammeyer, <jo...@autoartisans.com> wrote: > > > > From: Andy Pugh [mailto:bodge...@gmail.com] > > > > On 24 Jan 2023, at 15:38, ken.stra...@sympatico.ca wrote: > > > > > > > > But seriously, in my opinion a major impediment to the widescale > > adoption of > > > > LinuxCNC is the lack of an appealing and intuitive UI. > > > > > > There are around 12 user interfaces. Are you saying that they are _all_ > > terrible? > > > > > > > I'll jump in on this one. They are _all_ great and they are _all_ > > terrible. > > > > Imagine your average home shop machinist. His kids are finally out the > > door and he's at an income level where he's got his lathe with a DRO and he > > just bought a small mill. He starts looking at CNC. > > > > At work and at home he uses Windows. And he's bought into the free Fusion > > 360 con job for CAD/CAM and is now looking at how to add CNC to his mill. > > > > OMG. What a hodge podge of systems. > > > > So he starts on the various groups looking for what is available including > > even AliExpress which has CNC boxes for $300. > > > > Not having used CNC before and not knowing anyone local the youtube videos > > become his other source of information and education. The most interesting > > ones appear to be ones with 10's of thousands of subscribers that in fact > > are really long mostly to have multiple advertisers. But at the time he's > > not aware that the videos are short on information, long on con for > > supporting lots of advertising. > > > > IMHO, the more advertisements in really long videos the more likely the > > poster is there to monetize than to actually provide useful help. How > > interesting to watch a milling cutter for 2 minutes go back and forth > > making chips. Oh, and now another advertisement. > > > > So someone on a forum recommends MESA. > > > > http://store.mesanet.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=83_84&product_id=215 > > Hmm. Out of stock. And even if it were, there's no diagram like the > > ACORN one. So no idea where to start... > > > > Oh but then someone suggests > > > > http://store.mesanet.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=381&search=7i92 > > > > Now I need to wire to it. A suggestion comes up for two of these and > > cheap too. > > https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33015669728.html > > > > Next motors and power supplies. What to buy? People rave about these new > > step-servos. One brand in particular. But what size? Direct coupled or > > with belts and pulleys? > > > > So back to the internet and youtube. Ah, this guy has a mill like mine. > > He used the Leadshine step servos and ACORN. Ordered, installed as per > > the youtube video. Making chips. > > > > And he doesn't have to wade through deciding which of _all_ 12 or so LCNC > > user interfaces to use. > > > > The above is I think the typical thought processes. > > > > I'm still using AXIS. Can't be bothered to spend the time trying to > > figure out whether I should spend $400 for a touch screen HDMI 21" screen > > or some other user interface. Really miss the MACROs from MACH3 though. I > > think that's what's called the conversational interface on Tormach? > > > > John > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Emc-users mailing list > > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users > > > > _______________________________________________ > Emc-users mailing list > Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users _______________________________________________ Emc-users mailing list Emc-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/emc-users
