Millmage as my cam

MillMage Software Questions
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Hi im looking to maybe use millmage as my CAM for when i design in onshape. I have lightburn and use it for a laser i have. I also have a home built cnc plasma table and printNC cnc.

I like using onshape to design parts in and there is a free option in onshape kirimoto to output cam but i really dont like it all that much. Looking for different options that wont break the bank.

I saw millmage and seems like it might be a good option. My question is what are the different ways to get my cad from onshape into millmage?

Millmage has options to design as does lightburn but somethings are easier to design in onshape. Any input would be great. Thanks!

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If your asking how to import your designs into Millmage I would imagine you convert to a format that millmage accepts.

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Yeah im aware of that. Just trying to figure out what would be the best file type to use. I guess i should have listed output file types that onshape will output. I guess i should ask what file types i can import into millmage? Guess i should just lookup in documentation. Thank

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Here’s the list of supported formats:

When exporting from Onshape, .dxf is likely the best option.

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millmage is far far from be a cad program,
look for polish pikocnc (pikocnc.com) there is cad, cam and sender as one.. 1300 pln total cost of software and control board.I want to change PicoCnc to Millmage, because PicoCnc is written by one guy, and whether something gets added or not is entirely up to him. Besides, if the guy dies, the project is dead.
I’m rooting for Millmage… I think in two years it will be as it should be; everything takes time.
I strongly encourage the Millmage developers to install PicoNC and simply exploit the simplicity of the software. Everything is exactly as it should be. CAM is a separate subprogram, CAD is the same. And sender is sender, not like here, everything in one window. As for Laserburn, it works, but as for the milling software, it’s very inconsistent.

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That is a RasPi Pico based $43 shield board running GrblHAL.

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that pikocnc is not that pikocnc what you thinking about… this is not hal firmware compatibile device

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Possible. My McAfee blocked your URL, and I did not risk it. I did a Google PikoCNC instead.

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im aware of that, that is not a first time when av blocks sth. :wink:
“my” pikocnc is full polish product, it has lot of usefull function, im using it on my home made machine until 2020… so i can see diferences beetween piko and mill mage

here is my machine

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What controller board?

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dedicated from pikocnc.. the man build own board, own firmware, own cad, cam.. simulator until 2020 do not make any mistakes… price is low for functionality of that product.. but as i writed.. only one man… project can die fast when author pass away… so im searching for next software

That’s why I’m rooting for Millmage to grow into what it should be, what every other larger product that is useful is.

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I really don’t want to spread hate on the forum or encourage people to use another product. If it came across that way, I sincerely apologize. Whether it’s Mach, Piko, or other software, the CAM is separated from the sender. If someone wants to mill a single groove, separating it doesn’t make sense. For larger projects with more operations and polylines that need to be processed, it won’t work without separation.

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Nice machine, and beautiful work, @BartekN

Challenge accepted! It took me a moment to discover that it needs a dedicated PikoCNC controller.

It seems to be very comprehensive. Wow, “since 2011”! Then this guy must be doing something right.

I’ll take a closer look when I have more time. Unfortunately, my Polish is not good enough to look for help on the forum.

I don’t see why combining the CAD, CAM, and control into one application wouldn’t work.
Can you explain what makes you say that?

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Hey, thanks for your interest… I took a mental shortcut; it’ll kill me someday… CAD, CAM “sender” in one application is perfectly fine, but not on the principle of having everything on one panel. In Piko, you go to the CAM, and you only have the CAM… you program, set the motion trajectory, click the build/generate button, close the window, and you only see the machine control panel, with the G-code..
I think that nothing else should clutter the screen.

Just look at other machines, serious ones, Mazatrol or Sinumerik controls… each panel has nothing but speed and feed controls, some mist, parking positions, some micro-settings, but nothing like Lightburn. Putting everything on one screen makes no sense ( of course in my opinion) … I am a happy Lightburn user (if it also shows the position in real time and allows to connect grblhal via ethernet (websocket?), then I don’t need anything more. you make a great great job.. I wish you all the best and patience in developing the product, keep doing what you are doing…

to see how software work, you do not need controler.. there are two options. first use it “as is” but with some limitations, or buy a key, and have fully functional sw, of course without posibility to move any machine, as you said, dedicated controller ( full stable, not hainging even once from 2020) is needed
for me, there is no problem to show you how it work by anydesk.. i can install ipcam so you can see in realtim to moves or etc.

As for my machine, thanks for the kind words… two years of building, the frame is welded, annealed, and milled so that the linear guides are straight on the surface… designed for wood, and in stainless steel it also copes with gentle treatment.

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The is a stout looking little machine, nice.

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I appreciate, but it is still not as stiff as it should be, such a drawback of devices with a moving gate and not a table

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FYI, The motor (or laser) is mounted on the Trolley, and the trolley moves across the Gantry. Like an overhead crane.

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I completely understand the mechanics, which is why, for example, the Z-axis rails are relatively wide, and the same goes for the X-axis. Despite the use of Hiwin carriages with preload, there’s some play between the parts wherever something moves.

The gantry, when touched with a dial gauge and pressed firmly, moves by 0.1mm. This means the device isn’t rigid.

The next machine will have a fixed (bolted) gantry.

And the table will move, this time on 32mm rather than 20mm guides, and with three carriages per rail, not two.
everything is a compromise, it is not possible to have a small machine with a large working area without sacrificing stiffness

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Gentlemen, leaving my machine aside because that’s not what this thread is about… please take a look at how much pico cnc takes up after installation… 36 megabytes. I understand that the guy who’s the master only has one controller to support, but looking at the grblhal sources… adding a map for another processor doesn’t seem like a lot of space…
It would be ideal (which will definitely not happen) if Pico and Milmage started cooperating

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If PicoCNC’s developer wants to make their hardware MillMage compatible, the easiest thing they could do would be to support a command protocol that MillMage already supports (GRBL, LinuxCNC) or to build their own with the Custom Gcode: Device Settings: Custom GCode - MillMage Documentation