QCAD/CAM Automation

Do you have a question you want to ask an existing QCAD user about QCAD and what you can do with it? Do you want to know if a particular feature exists? This is the place to ask.

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adam
Registered Member
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Aug 26, 2016 12:17 pm

QCAD/CAM Automation

Post by adam » Fri Aug 26, 2016 1:02 pm

I'm considering purchasing QCAD/CAM on behalf of the business I work for, but have a few questions first, to find out whether it fits our needs.

1 - Is it possible to convert SVG->DXF from the command line (without limitation) using the free open-source version of QCAD?
2 - Does the QCAD/CAM module:
a) Support creating/defining Tools for CNC machining? E.g. (Router bit diameter etc)
b) Ready to export G-Code without configuration & scripting? This page left me confused http://www.qcad.org/en/qcad-cam-configuration
c) Export G-Code using the command line?

Basically I'm looking for a way to automate our current production workflow of producing name puzzles. Currently we use blanks (500mm x 10mm x 9mm Plywood) and route out the names (5mm deep) by manually creating a DXF file in Illustrator, which then gets imported into Type3. Tool (Router bit) selection, cut path and contouring is manually configured before exporting the design as G-Code.

Is QCAD/CAM suitable for our current needs? I'm a developer and looking to automate ALL of it.

Cheers!

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andrew
Site Admin
Posts: 9036
Joined: Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:07 am

Re: QCAD/CAM Automation

Post by andrew » Tue Aug 30, 2016 7:43 am

Thanks for your interest in QCAD/CAM.
adam wrote:1 - Is it possible to convert SVG->DXF from the command line (without limitation) using the free open-source version of QCAD?
No. The command line tool svg2dwg is part of QCAD Professional only.
adam wrote:2 - Does the QCAD/CAM module:
a) Support creating/defining Tools for CNC machining? E.g. (Router bit diameter etc)
Currently not, though this is planned for one of the next releases along with cutter path compensation (using G41,G42 or calculated coordinates).
adam wrote: b) Ready to export G-Code without configuration & scripting? This page left me confused http://www.qcad.org/en/qcad-cam-configuration
Yes. However, G-Code exists in various dialects and things like headers, footers, tool changes, etc. will likely have to be configured for your particular machine / controller.
adam wrote: c) Export G-Code using the command line?
Yes, it's possible to convert a DXF file that is ready for machining to G-Code using the command line only.
adam wrote: Basically I'm looking for a way to automate our current production workflow of producing name puzzles. Currently we use blanks (500mm x 10mm x 9mm Plywood) and route out the names (5mm deep) by manually creating a DXF file in Illustrator, which then gets imported into Type3. Tool (Router bit) selection, cut path and contouring is manually configured before exporting the design as G-Code.
adam wrote:Is QCAD/CAM suitable for our current needs? I'm a developer and looking to automate ALL of it.
It's certainly fiesable to automate such tasks using QCAD/CAM with its ECMAScript interface, yes.

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