zSafe is the height above the workpiece where the tool can safely make rapid moves. Next we set a couple more variables that will be used below. The variable layers now holds the DXF data.

The DXF file should be in the same director as the TPL file. Change the filename to read in a different file. The first two lines load in the DXF library and read in the DXF file. Units(METRIC) // This must match the units of the DXF fileĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Inside, -0.5, zSafe, cutDepth) ĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Tools, 0.5, zSafe, cutDepth) ĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Head, 0.5, zSafe, cutDepth) ĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Ears, -0.5, zSafe, cutDepth) ĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Eyes, -0.5, zSafe, cutDepth * 0.66) ĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Pupils, -1.2, zSafe, cutDepth * 0.66) ĭxf.cut_layer_offset(layers.Outline, 0, zSafe, cutDepth) Var layers = dxf.open('buildbotics_logo.dxf') The complete program looks something like this: var dxf = require('dxf') Double click on buildbotics_logo.tpl from the left hand side of CAMotics to view the program. Here we will look at the 'Buildbotics' example in detail.

Try changing the tool or workpiece options and reruning the simulation to see how it changes. The 'CAMotics' and 'Buildbotics' examples both use DXF files and TPL. Once you've installed CAMotics, try out some of the examples by selecting them from the File menu. If you have no programming experience, then you can use this guide to cut-and-paste the simple TPL program presented here and make small changes to convert your own DXF files. If have experience with JavaScript or similar programing languages then TPL will be very easy to learn. It supports a CNC programming system called TPL (Tool Path Language) that makes it much easier to create GCode. Using CAMotics and TPLĬAMotics is a free and Open-Source CNC simulation software. A quick Internet search will yield guides on using other software.

In this guide, we will focus on using CAMotics and TPL. You can use commercial programs such as Fusion360 or MasterCAM but there are also free and Open-Source solutions such as CAMotics, Inkscape's gcodetools plugin and p圜AM. Once you have a drawing saved in DXF format you will need to convert it to GCode using CAM software. There are many guides online explaining how to install and use these programs. The first step in that process is to create a drawing using a CAD or drawing software such as LibreCAD (2D) or Inkscape (2D). When you first get started with your CNC you will probably try cutting a few preexisting GCodes but soon you will want to make your own.

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