[X3D-Public] G-code - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Vincent Marchetti]

Just to reiterate what John said, and expand: G-code specifies the motions of the motion-control axes of a machine, the corresponding motion of the machine's cutting element in real space is dependent on what type of machine it is.

STEP-NC, a part of the STEP manufacturing standard, is the latest attempt to develop (and have accepted by users) a machine-independent and standardized description of the motion of a machine tool's cutting element in real space, that could then be converted into the machine-specific instructions to the motion control of a machine.

So , recent and hoped to be soon evolution of these standards would be: from a STEP-NC file (also known as ISO 10303:238) you can

-- prepare a G-code file using a machine specific translator, also called a preprocessor. This G-code file would be read by currently available CNC controls

-- directly read the STEP-NC file into a CNC machine tool, once 'smart' CNC control software is available that understands the STEP-NC format.

-- convert the STEP-NC file into WebGL instructions to be rendered on a web page, for visualization of the machining process.

The above three efforts are underway by the STEP Manufacturing Forum, spearheaded by STEP Tools Inc, Troy NY. (www.steptools.com)

I am working on converting STEP-NC files into X3D files, for visualization in a X3D browser or simple in X3DOM context. 

Vince Marchetti

On Sep 26, 2013, at 12:34 PM, John Alexander Stewart wrote:

> Don;
> 
> Lots of experience.
> 
> http://cnc-for-model-engineers.blogspot.com
> 
> is one of the things I do for fun, believe it or not.
> 
> There are cutter simulators, but you do need access to a (specific) machine's tool table to determine the geometry of the tooling.
> 
> It's easier to just export the model before converting to GCODE.
> 
> I keep asking my (professional) machinist friends if they'd want to see material as trimmed by GCODE, and usually, the answer is "no, if you see the results of a cut simulation (the output), you don't understand the input".
> 
> John A. Stewart
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Vincent Marchetti
vmarchetti at ameritech.net



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