Sucks to not be able to select multiple options in this poll.
For example I use Fusion 360 for a lot of 3D parts, but use Illustrator for easy to reason about 2.5D design, and Vectric when I’m doing v-carving or engraving.
I use CNCjs mostly but use bCNC when I need autoleveling for PCB milling.
What this guy said, sept LOVE Carbide Create for 2D (Yay for the drilling operation…finally) and Fusion for the complex 3D (Ball and Claw Desk legs, B&S Engine Blocks, etc). So perhaps a CAD-2D and CAD-3D Poll
Again? (Maybe not by you, though.) Perhaps you should explain your reasons for collecting this “preferred” information?
PS. This is a C3D forum. If you were on the Vectric forum, they would blank out all those “other” software names! I haven’t seen C3D censor anything like that yet, but I wouldn’t blame them if they did.
I’ve not been around long enough to even know about those forums and, in any event, I was looking for a more up to date view, but thanks for your input.
I have trust issues with Carbide Motion, and am actively looking to dump it in favour of something more reliable. I want to make stuff, but not firewood. CM has let me down several times now, but it does so randomly and is difficult to investigate - and kudos to support who have tried valiantly - but I’m left with having to write a step-by-step log of the next few projects to make sure it’s not user error. If it is user error, I’ll need to look at something more “Peter-proof”.
I’ve not had any problems with Carbide Create.
Thanks for completing the poll, those that did. I’ll close it soon and release the results.
That information is here on the forum. You just need a different sender. The Shapeoko electronics run on gbrl. One alternate sender that is popular here is CNCjs (CNCjs.org). Its function is the same as CM; sends gcode to the grbl control box. You just start CNCjs instead of CM, since they coexist.
There’s more detail available, so search for it, but with alternate senders one moves out of the Beginner’s mode of CM.
Another option by the way is to replace the Carbide Motion controller (the PCB attached to the Shapeoko) with a different one. You’ll also need stepper drivers and such but it gives you the option of using Mach3/4, LinuxCNC and all the other controllers on the market.