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CNC Software

Right now we are going to discuss the initial element of computer numerical control.  That element is CNC Designing .  Before you begin a CNC project, you need to have a plan of action.  The design is like a blueprint, you know what you are going to build before you ever build it.

Here are some important elements of design that need to be answered:
What size will it be?
What material will it be made of?
Who is the customer?
What will it be used for?

Your design can be anything.  It could be an industrial part or a work of art.  This is only really limited by your imagination.  Many people use CNC every day to manufacture parts.  Many hobbyists use CNC every day to create art and various home projects.

Before I design I like to sketch a few ideas out on paper.  I like to toy with different ideas to spark my creativity.   This is the equivalent of brainstorming.  When I really get my juices flowing, that is when my best designs rise to the top.  I generally carry around a notebook with me to note designs that I think of during the day.
After I have a few likely suspects, I try to look through each of the ideas to see if I can merge them somehow.  Some designs have different parts or components to them.Some components are better than other components.  Can I take some of these parts and add them to another design to make it better?  Just like writing, editing your designs is a critical step in the process.

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CNC and CAD

Intro to designing
Designing is arguably the most important step to the CAD Design Process.  Why you might ask?  Because it is at the beginning.  This is the planning stage of the process.  If you come up with a bad design, all of your work after this point is lost.  I also think of designing as the planning process.  You need an inventory of what you have to work with before you begin.

Every thing needs some planning to start with.  Whether it is a family vacation or buying a home.  CAD and CNC Processis no different.  You need to think about what you want to accomplish before you ever invest any time or money.  Now I am not saying you need to have a perfect plan.  What I am saying is that you need to at least have a plan.  Believe me I have had many plans and virtually none of them ended up perfect.  What it did do was give me a guide to follow.  A roadmap of sorts.

You also need to know your limitations.  For example, don’t go designing a metal sign if you have a CNC Wood Router and nothing else.  Or, you want to make a 2” thick wood routed sign, but your CNC Wood Router only has 1” clearance.  You will need to know you own personal capabilities and your shop’s capabilities.  Once you know that, you can improve your situation either through training or purchasing other tools.

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