Old craft meets new technology !

Projects Discussion and Showcase Robotics
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I'm running ubuntu 22.04/Arduino Ide 2.3.2 with GRBL, and UGS 2.17 installed.

My drawing program is Inkscape 1.3.2, and so far I've had no luck in using the 'Gcode tools' extension, without it throwing up incomprehensible errors.

I've built my second cnc mill (the first one SuperCam on Windows 98 successfully many years ago with no major problems.), and I'm used to writing Gcode from scratch.

Now in the USA, I've decided to try the Arduino Uno route. I've successfully got my Powermax 2 motors running back and forth, so the hardware is good to go, but at the moment no limit switches are installed. I'm assuming that I will manualy set the home position for now.
The attached drawing is a simplified example of what I'm trying to achieve. I'm a fan, and fan frame maker, and while I have made the frames from pieces cut out on my Glowforge laser, I'm now trying to produce decorative surfaces on the top face of the frame. The circles indicate a repeat pattern that would be the first step.
If I can achieve that, all is possible !

Finally, the first question - Can I write my designs in Gcode trig expressions, saves as a .txt file, and pass them into Grbl ?

MTIA
John
EDIT .svg file not appearing, though it's a supported file ?
fan_frame
Changed to screenshot !

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Export to .PNG

3

I built myself a cnc router a good while back but struggled for a long time finding a way I got on with to convert my Inkscape files to gcode.
JsCut is ok (https://jscut.org/) but I eventually settled on Krabscam which I can't recommend highly enough (GitHub - mkrabset/krabzcam: Online CAM tool for generating G-code from vector graphics and bitmaps).

4

Thanks for that - will explore.
John
EDIT 2. Alan, I can't thank you enough. First glance of the manual tells me this is good !

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Thanks xfpd. I think this is more suitable for my laser than the cnc, but I need to explore this also.
John

7

Yes, I had really struggled with several different programs for ages until I found this one - it's not totally obvious at first how to use it but it all just works with minimal fuss.

Another couple of programs well worth a look: ScorchWorks

BTW - For checking your gcode is going to do what you expect etc. I find these very handy:
Chillipeppr and QAD simulator

8

There's also a gcode "postprocessor" for inkscape.
viaconstructor could also be a way to go.
And then ther is the free version of Deskproto
Or write the gcode by hand, it's easy.