gEDA-user: Comments on pcb's g-code exporter & HeeksCAD/HeeksCNC FOSS program for pcb milling

[dfro@xxxxxxxxx]

The g-code exporter looks great! Right now I am looking at EMC2 simulate 
the milling of a pcb design!!

I like that the gound plane outline is machined. The circular pads could 
use some more lines to round them out. Have you thought about 
programming g-code arcs (G02, G03) for them? HeeksCAD/CNC does this (see 
below).

Please, consider a dxf export of the outline so that users can put the 
artwork into a cam program that can pocket out all of the copper, and 
make the board look just like the pcb program's artwork.

Having a dxf file allows people to tweak all of the milling variables 
(depths of cut, jogs, feed rates, number of passes, pocketing, drilling, 
etc) in a CAM program, rather than go through the g-code by hand.

Speaking of CAM programs...

I want to share with all of you a FOSS program that I am excited about - 
HeeksCAD/HeeksCNC. It is an integrated CAD/CAM software project started 
by Dan Heeks.

http://code.google.com/p/heekscad/
http://code.google.com/p/heekscnc/

Dan has a great blog where he shows parts he has made with HeeksCAD/CNC:

http://heekscnc.blogspot.com/

The current Vol. 5, No. 3, Fall 2010 issue of Digital Machinist Magazine 
has an article on it.

I was able to compile it from source easily on my EMC2-Ubuntu-10.04LTS 
system. At only 2 years old it has an incredible level of CAD and CAM 
functionality. I am most interested right now in its 2.5 axis and 3 axis 
CAM abilities. It freezes, crashes, and runs very slow at times, but 
heck, its only 2 years old.

Several months ago I wrote the gEDA-user list about my attempts to get a 
dxf outline of gEDA pcb's artwork using FOSS software like inkscape and 
pstoedit. The goal was to get an outline of all of the traces and pads 
so that I could pocket route away all of the copper exactly as it looks 
in gerbv - using a 2.5 axis cam program.

HeeksCAD/HeeksCNC has the ability to open .grb files and gives you four 
conversion choices:

Produce trace isolation sketches
Produce trace centre-line sketches
Produce mirrored trace isolation sketches
Produce mirrored centre-line sketches

Currently, I am only able to load small .grb files or else HeeksCAD/CNC 
freezes. The program produces a beautiful smooth outline on the circular 
pads using 'G03 - Circular interpolation counterclockwise' g-codes.

However, the program does not recognize the ground plane clearance 
outlines. It only gives the outside border of the entire ground plane 
rectangle. I hope that will come in the future.

Please, share your thoughts on this.

Thanks,
Dave





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