Favorite CAM software?

gera229 wrote:

How would I close the paths?

Draw extra lines in the 2D drawing.
If you look at the attached drawing, the top-left drawing section has extra lines added, and they are in layers according to depth.

Also, what is the difference between profiles and pockets? Or what is each and what do they do?.

With a profile the cutter runs round the inside or outside of the line. With a pocket the cutter spirals and moves to remove all material inside or outside the line. image missing http://www.linuxcnc.org/media/kunena/attachments/legacy/images/Handle2.png

Oh ok, so that would involve modifying the original drawing and adding lines as toolpaths.
And as far as layering goes, how does that set the depth?

I still don't understand what you mean by runs around, or sprials. Both sound like the same thing to me lol.

gera229 wrote:

I still don't understand what you mean by runs around, or sprials. Both sound like the same thing to me lol.

In that picture, the brown was a profile, to cut the part out of the block (last op, obviously). The green was a pocket, as I wanted all the metal inside it gone.
Red was a pocket, to remove all the material inside it, all the way through.
blue was a profile, as the metal inside was nearly all gone (due to red)

This might not be the most explanatory of examples, as all the internal circular features were done on the lathe.

That seems to make a bit more sense.
The way I understood it is for example you pocket a circle, the bit is going to take 1 round, move in take another round, etc repeatedly until it is all gone.

A profile on the other hand takes only 1 round correct? While keeping the inside of the circle still full of material assuming it was not pocketed yet.

My favorite CAM?
MasterCam and Vectric Aspire.
And the free one..., sorry but no one offers high speed machining and I wouldn't know how to work without it

I'm using CamBam for 5 years and I'm very satisfied with its functions plus the price is very good.
I do only 2.5d machining and CamBam has a lot of usable functions when you learn how to use them correctly.