Importing gcode from other software

[CraigBix (Craig Bixler)]

I am loving MM and for re-using previous gcode files created from various software such as Fusion or Estecam is there a way I can open in MM if I want to modify using MM? I assume I can just run the gcode but wondering if I can backward into opening?
Not sure if this makes sense.
Thanks

[NicholasL (Nicholas Leqeta)]

@CraigBix

wondering if I can backward into opening?

MillMage can import and backplot gcode, but only to a limited extent, so it’s not recommended, as discussed in this topic:

Importing gcode silently fails

I feel like it’s worth mentioning that importing GCode into MillMage isn’t a recommended way to work. You can run the GCode from MillMage, which is effectively using it as a gSender replacement - if you did that, it would run fine. You seem to be trying to import the GCode files, expecting some reasonable representation of whatever is in there, and MillMage was never intended to work this way. The GCode import in MillMage was created as a way to debug and valide our own GCode output, just so I…

[MikeyH (Mike Hembrey)]

@CraigBix

is there a way I can open in MM if I want to modify using MM

As @NicholasL indicates, you cannot make a design file from the GCode source. The GCode contains none of the stuff used to create it. Basically, you cannot reverse engineer it.

Maybe you can go back to those original Fusion or Estecam design files and export them as DXF, STL, or PDF outputs. Then import into MillMage and assign the settings.

[CraigBix (Craig Bixler)]

Absolutely makes total sense. And even after asking I realized pretty silly questions​

I think what drove it was my happiness with MM and wanting to stretch. Also as I look through all of those files realistically I’ll never run them and as you said so easy to just reopen in the original program.

Thanks

[MikeyH (Mike Hembrey)]

@CraigBix

look through all of those files realistically I’ll never run

That is the important detail. Means a lot less work.