# G-Code editing for dummies

**URL:** <https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/g-code-editing-for-dummies/7513>\
**Category:** Uncategorized\
**Created:** [August 31, 2021, 9:53pm UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/g-code-editing-for-dummies/7513 "2021-08-31T21:53:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 6

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**Author:** ![349iq2345](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/bb73d2/32.png) [@349iq2345](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/u/349iq2345)\
**Post date:** [August 19, 2022, 4:47am UTC](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/g-code-editing-for-dummies/7513/6 "2022-08-19T04:47:25Z")

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Hey Douglas,

> [@Noganav](#):
>
> would like to WRITE some simple g code programs for 1F where ? how? what is required?

you need no special program to write [G-code](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-code). As G-code consists of [plain text](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plain_text), any [text editor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Text_editor) program will do. After having written your G-code as plain text, save the file with a ‘.ngc’ file ending which will allow it to be recognised as g-code file.

There are however a lot of [G-code editors](https://metager.org/meta/meta.ger3?eingabe=g-code+editor&focus=web) available. Also your favorite [IDE](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Integrated_development_environment) may or may not support [syntax highlighting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syntax_highlighting) for G-code, as an add-on or plugin. If you want syntax highlighting for G-code under [Emacs](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emacs), put [this](https://pixpopuli.blogspot.com/2011/01/syntax-highlighting-for-cnc-g-code.html) 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](https://camotics.org/). It is Free and Open Source Software. By the way, after writing CAMotics, its author [and his uncle](https://buildbotics.com/about/) created the [Buildbotics CNC Controller](https://buildbotics.com).

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

- Smid, Peter: [CNC Programming Handbook](https://books.industrialpress.com/9780831133474/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](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/linuxcnc-on-the-1f-hardware/9667/7) on what one would expect from a CNC Controller that the Onefinity Controller can’t do. In fact there’s a lot. One example that is frequently requested is the ability to [adjust the feedrate during operation](https://forum.onefinitycnc.com/t/adjustable-feedrate-and-spindle-speed/1014).

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