G-Code editing for dummies

1

Broke a bit towards the end of the cut. Want to try and save the piece.

What are you guys using to view/edit gcode?

2

Notepad++ or Visual Studio Code both work well for me.

3

:+1: for visual studio code

Make sure and set your color scheme to something dark for that realistic ā€œI write codeā€ experience!

4

VScode has a plug in and makes editing easier.

5

would like to WRITE some simple g code programs for 1F where ? how? what is required?

6

Hey Douglas,

you need no special program to write G-code. As G-code consists of plain text, any text editor program will do. After having written your G-code as plain text, save the file with a ā€˜.ngcā€™ file ending which will allow it to be recognised as g-code file.

There are however a lot of G-code editors available. Also your favorite IDE may or may not support syntax highlighting for G-code, as an add-on or plugin. If you want syntax highlighting for G-code under Emacs, put this into your ~/.emacs file.

If you want to see a simulation of the G-code you wrote as a 3D toolpath, you can use CAMotics. It is Free and Open Source Software. By the way, after writing CAMotics, its author and his uncle created the Buildbotics CNC Controller.

If you want to learn how to write G-code, a standard work is:

  • Smid, Peter: CNC Programming Handbook, Industrial Press, South Norwalk, CT, USA, Third Edition 2008, ISBN 9780831133474

This book will also answer your question in the other thread on what one would expect from a CNC Controller that the Onefinity Controller canā€™t do. In fact thereā€™s a lot. One example that is frequently requested is the ability to adjust the feedrate during operation.

7

Thank you Aiph5u, for your great reply, a huge resource to this forum. This line of interest and learning is a must for the 1F community. Any craftsman that decides to ā€œdiveā€ into the cnc waters with a 1F, MUST learn about g code. It is the foundation of what is happening with the machine. Your answer about ā€œplain textā€ is exactly what I was trying to understand. The resources you give are fantastic and I do greatly appreciate.

8

Iā€™m so used to doing that in Mach3 that itā€™s weird not to have it.