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07
MODELING
SOFTWARE TO
MACHINE
Computer-aided manfacturing or CAM software is where the virtual design
converges with the physical material and machine. In the past, program-
ming toolpaths and operating CAM software were the realm of expert
machinists. Recently, however, there’s been an explosion of affordable,
user-friendly CAM programs to set up your project for fabrication. “Pro-
gramming toolpaths” is now far simpler than it sounds. Rather than write
code from scratch, modern CAM software interfaces help you create cut-
ting definitions for the parts you want to machine.
FROM CAD TO CAM
As introduced in Chapter 2, a CNC uses a spe-
cialized tool called an end mill to cut and carve
a digital design. The machine follows user-
defined toolpaths, or instructions, that tell it
where and how deep to cut. In Chapter 3 and
Chapter 4, you went through the process of lay-
ing out and organizing parts into SketchUp
components, and assigning 2D profiles to tool-
path layers. Now you’ll create actual CNC tool-
paths in a CAM program.
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