Help for an old noobie

Software
1

I am buying the shapeoko 3 in 2 weeks and want to get my designing up to speed in the interum. I have sketchuo 2017, been using sketchup for years, very comfortable with it. I downloaded the svg file saver, no problems and seems to work. Now I want to use makercam offline so I downloaded adobe flash player from adobe and got trojan:win32/Spursint.Flcl with it, window defender quarentined it. I can not find the makercam offline download, at makercamcom it only runs the adobe flalsh online, no options. It seems I need a gcode previewer to verify the gcode before I send it to the shapeoko ( i know I don’t have one yet ) so not needed yet? Also makercam writes the gcode and is there another app or file I need?
What would be good is if someone would simply write the steps for sketchup, svg, makercam , gcode optimizing for not yet cnc people. Currently it seems too much knowledge about everything is expected. No indepth explanations just the steps , where to find the files needed and installing them.
If it matters, I’m 60, was an autocad expert 25 years ago and a dos dinosaur. I have my mental focusing limitations so reaeding alot is difficult. Simple steps 1 2 3 would be a charm. The internet scares the hell out of me (example current trojan aquired fr,om adobe) and do all my work offline. The web is great for research and you people are terrific…If I seem to be confused I am, I’ve been reading for 3 days off and on as I can but it keeps getting deeper Please help, Thank you.

2

Sorry everyone, I work only in wood, building toys. Had planned on 80 gifts this Christmas but bombed because I could not repeatedly cut the small precision parts needed for my toys. Some of them have over 100 parts, interconnected and many moving. That’s why I need the shapeoko 3. Most is hardwoods and some plywoods and limited softwoods. Realized that you need my working environment to properly advise my question… Thanks again.

3

First off, if you’re not dead set on opensource, you won’t need MakerCAM — Carbide 3D’s CAD/CAM software Carbide Create will work fine if you have a computer running a recent version of Windows or Mac OS X. Please let us know if:

don’t address this.

If you want a G-code previewer (one of the advantages of using Carbide Create is that it includes a previewing feature), there’s a list of the opensource options here: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Previewing_G-Code — please note that in order to get plain G-code out of Carbide Create you’ll need a machine (it requires a connection to the machine in Carbide Motion — see http://carbide3d.com/carbidemotion/userguide/#load )

When you run up against limitations in Carbide Create, one thing which you can do is draw up files in InkScape, then import them into Carbide Create.

I believe there’s some information about using SketchUp at: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Commercial_Software#3D_CAD

For MakerCAM tutorials, please see:

For cutting hardwood, please see: http://www.shapeoko.com/wiki/index.php/Materials#Hardwood

Hopefully all that will get you started — if there’s something specific which you were wanting which I missed, please let us know.

4

Thank you Will, When I get the Shapeoko 3 and carbide create and motion then it looks like I don’t need any other program to cut my parts on cnc, correct? What I can see about C Create it looks easy to use and compatible to my brain. I do all designing in sketchup, so when I’m ready to cnc, In sketchup, I can copy a part (3d component) in plan view, explode that new component, “pull” all surfaces level (replace holes with filled circles) , remember the depths of the holes and recessed surfaces and save a svg file with that svg plugin file. Than I open that svg file in carbide create and off I go into cnc nervana…
Sorry for rambling, I’m an old recluse, here is what I specificaly wanted but missed asking you directly - Sooo Carbide Create can open svg files made from sketchup, correct??? If that is the case than I’m sure all will be fine with all you wonderful people at Carbide. Christmas has been delayed but we’ll get it back for all the kids. I did get a few toys made and 2 off my grandkids gave them and other toys to some kids who didn’t have anything for Christmas, first they asked if I would be able to replace their toys I made because they can wait while those other kids need them now. Years of giving pays dividends for sure. Thank you for giving your knowledge and time.

5

Correct. Carbide Create is a stand-alone program which does both CAD (design) and CAM (assignment of CNC operations to paths) — it installs locally, doesn’t need an internet connection, and isn’t copy-protected.

Carbide Create is quite simple, embarrassingly so at times.

I believe Carbide Create will import an SVG from SketchUp — I’d be surprised if it wouldn’t (I think we’d’ve heard by now about any difficulties) — if you have any difficulties with a file, please send it to support@carbide3d.com and we’ll have a developer look into it.

Very generous on the part of the grandkids! (and it reflects well on your children and yours and their parenting skills) — please let us know if there’s anything we can do to help!

6

THANK YOU WILL ADAMS !!! yeah i’m shouting. Downloaded Carbide Create and opened my 1st svg file saved from sketchup. Progress has begun. The entire team at Carbide deserves credit for being so attentive and responsive. No canned answers, results. I can not wait the 2 weeks I have to wait to buy my Shapeoko 3. Thank you all and especially Will. This old noobie feels young again, Happy Days to all and to all a good night. Jude