Question Software for 4th axis?

Hi folks. What software are you guys using to generate your 4th axis tool paths? (We have UCCNC so executing the path is covered, I'm concerned with generation the path.)

All I can find is uber-expensive industry software, or more toy-like "single rough then single finishing" hobby offerings.

What am I missing? There must be something affordable that can generate individual 4th axis paths.

Cheers,

Owen S.

I have used CNCwrapper. It converts the X or Y axis into A axis commands. So you generate a normal XYZ axis gcode program and run it through CNCwrapper. You end up with a XAZ or AYZ program.

www.cncwrapper.com

Maybe Fusion 360?

Owen S wrote: Hi folks. What software are you guys using to generate your 4th axis tool paths? (We have UCCNC so executing the path is covered, I'm concerned with generation the path.)

All I can find is uber-expensive industry software, or more toy-like "single rough then single finishing" hobby offerings.

What am I missing? There must be something affordable that can generate individual 4th axis paths.

Cheers,

Owen S.

Hi Owen.

I don't think you're missing anything. In time-honoured "ask a question on an internet forum and get anything except the answer you want" tradition, I'm going to tell you what I'm not using. I'm not using MeshCAM (for 4th axis work at least).

I looked into this early on in my CNC journey because I thought that the best way to mill a guitar neck was to mount it in a 4th axis rotary table and either index it through 90/180/270/360 degrees and mill each quadrant as a separate file or rotate to achieve the curved sections. I eventually bought the Stepcraft system and MeshCAM 6 which had a 4th axis option but indexing only. I then set about generating test fourth axis toolpaths only to find that the cut durations were horrifically long so I gave up. It didn't seem to automatically not cut a region it had already cut on a previous index. I didn't like the idea of trying to second guess it by getting clever with setting specific keepout regions and maximum depths for each index because this is what I thought it should be doing itself. Sadly, it didn't seem smart enough.

I have since become more experience with CNC parameters specifically and MeshCAM generally (now on Beta 7 version from which the developer has deleted the 4th axis option completely) but I have found that I can generate a guitar neck quite satisfactorily using a two-sided cut.

Sorry I can't be more helpful on this occasion but at least you can eliminate MeshCAM (which is otherwise great for generating 2.5D and complex 3D toolpaths) from your enquiries.

Doug

Most of the people are using Deskproto to generate toolpath for 4th axis.
There is also one non comerical version available for much lower price.
I think Deskproto is THE software for the 4th axis and there are not much (i do not know any) alternatives.

mr_cg wrote: Most of the people are using Deskproto to generate toolpath for 4th axis.
There is also one non comerical version available for much lower price.
I think Deskproto is THE software for the 4th axis and there are not much (i do not know any) alternatives.

That's interesting, thanks.

I came across Deskproto via a Google search, not by recommendation. I was impressed what I read on their website and it almost made me wish that I had discovered it before MeshCAM. I might give it a try but I've persevered with MeshCAM and I can work with it and around it now. Besides, I don't want to outlay £200+ on something I don't need, only a "nice to have". Back-up CAM software is not a priority for me. A table saw and substantial planer-thicknesser is!

Doug

I use Deskproto too. Very intuitive and does a hell of a lot more than it appears at first glance! You can chain numbers of operations with different strategies, cutters, tolerances, parameters etc for different purposes.

Oh, and the support is really helpful, one asks a question on the forum and The Firm replies on the same day, even for the non-pro package.