There’s also a second issue to consider: most CAM applications are built to meet the needs of users who are looking to create optimised toolpaths for final parts, intended for production, in the shortest time possible.īut if you’re doing prototyping work and just want to grab a chunk of model board and rip out a concept model, the functionality that these high-end applications offer is overkill in many respects. This is where a system like MeshCAM comes into its own. Developed by GRZ Software, it’s become a favourite among users running affordable CNCs, for a few reasons. The first is cost: MeshCAM pricing starts at $250 for a perpetual licence. Second, it’s cross-platform, working on both Windows and Apple OSX.īut above all, and unlike many production-oriented CAM systems, it’s geared to deliver in ways that don’t automatically come to light straight away - so let’s take a look at how it works and why we think MeshCAM’s a solid bet. The MeshCAM user interface is pretty sparse.Īlmost all of the operations and commands are driven from a smattering of icons positioned on the left-hand side, which the user works through sequentially. MeshCAM only works with STL data, so you’ll need to ensure that your part is output at the highest resolution your CAD system can manage.Īs you import that part, the system will ask about the type of job you’ve got planned. MeshCAM supports 3-axis cutting, 4-axis if you have a rotary axis on your machine, and two-sided cutting.
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