CNC Software toolchain (Slic3r equivalent)

Hey,
I'm used to 3D printing for 4 years now. I've never had problems with my Toolchain. It's really simple... I design a part in OpenSCAD, I slice it with Slic3r (in Repetier Host) and send the gcode (also using Repetier Host). Never had issues or the feeling that something is missing.

Now I own a CNC router, and I don't know how to start... I can design my part (or the negative / cut-out) in OpenSCAD. But what next? What software is used for gcode generation? I haven't found something similar/popular like Slic3r...
Can someone please give me a hint in the right direction?
I'm using Windows and "Candle" to control the machine btw.
For the first project, I just want to cut a rectangular hole into a acrylic sheet... I could write the gcode on my own for this, but I also want to be prepared for more complex jobs
Thx

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/02/2017 10:06AM by RFZ.

Actually, after few hours on the interwebs, HeeksCNC seems to be one of the best tools. Guess I'll look more into it.
Any other recommendations?

I'm starting to use Fusion360 for CNC and 3D modelling. It's free, but requires an internet connection.

I didn't want to use Fusion 360 because I've been a linux fan boy for a long time but I've started to use it and it's really good. Unfortunately there's no great OS solution but HeeksCNC should be fine if you only want to do 2.5d operations.

You probably do want to use fusion even though is nasty closed source cloud based propriety

I *really* wish there was a good 3D milling solution that could handle STL files in a reasonable manner (Fusion 360 sucks at it). I'm tempted to roll my own, but I know I'll never have the time to really do it right.

My toolchain on Shapeoko 2 with GRBL

Inkscape (with plugins) ----- Paths SVG
Maker cam ------- Generate paths, pockets Gcode

Universal G Code sender ---- Shapeoko 2 CNC

Bmp2cnc
[www.mr-soft.net]


See

[www.shapeoko.com]

Software - CAD, CAM, Workflow Help

[www.shapeoko.com]

for all answers

Not to hijack the thread, but I have what seems to be the same question.

So I got a little engraver/mill. It's not ever going to be anything spectacular, but I have hopes that it'll manage some simple things, and maybe help me put together some more complicated things. Software that it came with gives me something that will visualize the GCode before it engraves, and send the code to the machine, but nothing to generate the GCode.

I wanted to do some engraving with it, as that's what it ships able to do. I got some end mill bits, which should be able to do some cutting. I think I might have more luck with cutting at present.

Inkscape seems good to make SVG files, but I get some really weird results trying to turn those into tool paths, so the SVG file doesn't seem to do me much good.

MakerCAM.com seems to be highly recommended, but is frustrating the crap out of me. I get a tiny area at the top of the screen that sort of does what I expect, and a huge blank area (8-0% of the screen) with a label "About This..." Presumably something with Flash, but it happens on multiple machines and multiple browsers, and I don't even know if it's worth troubleshooting.

I downloaded Fusion 360, but that doesn't seem to do what I want for this. I think that I could do something with an STL file there, which is great for that part, but not so much to do a "simple" engraving path.

I'm totally out of date for PCB design. I've been doing my boards with an ancient program that puts out 300 or 600 dpi raster graphics to laser print transparencies which I used with photo-resist boards. It doesn't even check against a schematic, I have to choose SMD or through-hole footprints for it to place pads, and I choose a trace thickness. The best that it does is try to keep my traces from crossing. It's not too bad for prototyping, though of course chemical etching is smelly, slow, and somewhat season limited, as it's not something that I want to do in the house. It would be nice to be able to engrave, drill and cut out PCBs all at once. I suspect that I'm going to need to do some fancy footwork to make that happen. It would be super sweet to have it work with the schematic, but for the circuits that I usually want to work with, it's probably not necessary, as most of my circuit boards are for fairly simple circuits. My most demanding ones were for an array of LED lights for a pair of tail lights. (Actually pretty simple, but had to have the LEDs very regularly spaced.)

So if someone has some tips on what I might be missing, or has better suggestions.

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MBot3D Printer
MakerBot clone Kit from Amazon
Added heated bed.

Leadscrew self-built printer (in progress)
Duet Wifi, Precision Piezo parts

... for editing PCB's and exporting the paths for different CNC-file formats, you can use Target - the "Explorer" version is free and only limited for two sides and pad-counts:
[ibfriedrich.com]

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Viktor
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Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]

That looks perfect for PCBs, Viktor! Thanks!

Still struggling with etching graphics though. I think that I have milling out a part figured out, though I'll want to be careful with that, as I'm not 100% confident in how to do that with having things clamped down. I guess I'll see when I give it a test run.

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MBot3D Printer
MakerBot clone Kit from Amazon
Added heated bed.

Leadscrew self-built printer (in progress)
Duet Wifi, Precision Piezo parts

... with some of my CNC-mills, I'm pastedispensing or laserengraving too - here I've adopted 3D-printing-electronics and -software to drive them with G-code.

In the "more common" setups it's a RADDS-board with Marlin4Due or Marlin2.0 as firmware and Pronterface as PC-software.

Did some modifications for Marlin and Pronterface for specific finctions (some of them laser-related too) -- and have written some converters and external tools for importing vector formats into the G-code too ... but this is mainly meant for our "comercial" systems ...

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Viktor
--------
Aufruf zum Projekt "Müll-freie Meere" - [reprap.org] -- Deutsche Facebook-Gruppe - [www.facebook.com]

Call for the project "garbage-free seas" - [reprap.org]