Hopefully this is a simple question. I bought a Shapeoko 5 Pro specifically for the purpose of designing original guitars and basses. I have been following along on some youtube tutorials both by Carbide and some other random channels. I am at the point where I am wondering when I will be shown how to design profiles, curves etc in 3D, because I’m not seeing them on certain playlists I’m following.
Just a couple days ago I came across this thread (which is now closed, so I can’t ask there). Do I need to buy a copy of Alibre Workshop CAD/CAM along with my current subscription of Carbide Create V8 in order to do this? The comments in the thread suggest that, but I’m left wondering if Carbide is still necessary. Carbide is not an expensive program, I am making use of it, this is more of me asking whats the most direct way of me getting to my goal of making my own 3D designs?
I don’t think it is practicable to do an entire guitar in Carbide Create Pro alone as of v8 — at least, not unless one “allows the program its head” and accepts some design oddities due to the inability to completely control how the program creates the 3D model.
If you have 3D files for an already drawn-up guitar design, then Carbide Create Pro would be fine:
If you wish to draw up your own/a unique design with full-control, then you’ll need some sort of 3D CAD program which affords that ability.
Yes, I need 2 programs to do this practically, correct? I am not interested in being another exact copy strat/Les paul etc builder, I am making my own designs. I’ve found plenty of SVG files for repair work or to copy existing designs,but I am wanting to make originals. MeshCAM doesn’t directly make a G code SVG or any other type of file for carbide motion to run the CNC, my design has to be made on Mesh/Alibre (where ever) and be imported to Carbide V8 to have toolpaths laid out then I can run it to the machine/carbide motion.
Sorry if it’s obvious. When I read the thread I linked i worried that I bought the wrong software.
Arguably, depending on how you count, and which hardware/software you select, you need as many as 4 programs:
CAD — Computer Aided Design — this is what you will actually do your drawing/3D modeling in, e.g., AutoCAD
CAM — Computer Aided Manufacturing — this is the program where toolpaths are created working from the drawing/3D model exported as a file (DXF or SVG or STL usually), e.g., MeshCAM
Communication/Control — this program loads the file from the CAM program and allows controlling the machine so as to set zeroes and load tools and so forth and sending the G-code to the machine
Firmware — for Carbide 3D machines this is Grbl — a program which takes the G-code and based on it and machine state, sends the electrical impulses to the stepper motors/drivers so as to get the machine to move
This is confused a bit by some programs fulfilling multiple rôles:
Carbide Create is both CAD and CAM, but is often used as “just” CAM, esp. with a Pro license when importing 3D CAD files
Alibre Atom 3D is available as “just” a CAD program, and also as Alibre Atom 3D Workshop which incorporates MeshCAM for CAM
and one competitor’s program does the first 3 functions, Mach 3’s software/hardware architecture has it doing the last two functions, while another can function in a fashion where it does all 4.
If you want control over the design, I suggest a real 3D CAD package.
I say this with the caveat that its more expensive and harder to come up to speed, but the results will be much more predictable. The data is suitable for use with other machine shops systems.
If the package does not have a CAM component, you should be able to export the CAD data and import to the real CAM package of your choice.
If these instruments are acoustic, you are creating a piece of mechanical art.