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Control CNC mills with Blender using the nCNC v0.6.3 Add-on [Pre-Release]

15

Allows you to control the CNC machine and generate G-code to milling.

manahter writes:

G code and CNC control operations:

  • Currently only curves can be converted (will be developed for 3D objects as well)
  • This addon has been tested with GRBL v1.1 - CNC 3018.
  • This addon is under development.

Tutorial Playlist:

Simply Engrave Text in 5 minutes:

About the Author

Nuh Ayvaz

I like blender

15 Comments

    • I did not use blendercam. Because it was working with the old version of the blender. I looked at the link you sent. It working with 2.8 and 2.9.
      I took a look at it. It looks a lot better than I was developing.
      One good thing is that it can be CNC controlled with the add on I developed. Still, I will continue to improve. If nobody uses it, I will.
      Thanks :)

    • Here is my experience with the two addons:

      - nCNC is simpler to install than BlenderCAM. ( 1 step instead of 2 (or 3) )
      - nCNC is very quick to to setup simple engravings based on curves or SVG files.
      - nCNC can communicate directly to grbl. no need for another software like UGS, Mach3, bCNC
      - nCNC is much younger and lacks some basic features like tool, path, and machine presets, multilple actions of the same type are tedious to setup.
      - nCNC does have presets available for visualizing the tool path, but they're only applied as a theme to the file. There is no way to visualize individual carve/drill/cut operations.
      - BlenderCAM is currently the more mature robust gcode generator/slicer.
      -BlenderCAM allows user to configure machine presets setting bed size for soft limits, feedrates, and already has presets available for several machines.
      -BlenderCAM has tool presets, many of them, for different cutters and engravers. This is a necessity if you're trying to machine parts, not just art.
      -BlenderCAM Cutting operations like adjustments for different bits are an essential that is completely lacking in nCNC. BlenderCam will adjust toolpath with a given strategy based on width and shape of cutter, for each cut. ( inside, outside, or on the line. nCNC currently only offeres "on" the line. )
      -currently nCNC only offers 2D cutting stragies for profiles and basic fill and relief techniques.
      -BlenderCAM has far more options for relief carvings, especially for more organic curves.

      My opinion after a week:
      Right now nCNC is awesome if you want to make art or signage with acrylic or wood. If you are familiar with blender the nCNC addon is simple to setup, and as easy to operate as Cricket, or Silhouette software.

      If you are trying to make plywood gears with insets /hole patterns for hardware, or more ornate reliefs, then probably BlenderCAM will have more features tthat help simplify the workflow. It still requires a dedicated controller for the machine, but probably a mute point if your doing more advanced operations anyway.

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