I prefer to model in SolidWorks for solid modeling or DraftSight for 2D CAD, but the CrossFire CAM plugin is designed for Fusion 360 so I’ve been using Fusion 360 to create G-Code.
What good CAM alternatives are out there for creating g-code from a DXF? Any with CrossFire profiles or tutorials available would be preferred.
I use sheetcam and it works good but it is 150 i think but works well for me.
you don’t need Fusiioon, either SW or Draftsight can make you a DXF. And sheetcam can do the G code for you from the DXF. Sheetcam is dirt cheap compared to what you already have.
I like Fusion360 alot (I may be the only one 
) but after working with it and other programs - I don’t think there’s one program for every situation. I went ahead a bought SheetCam after working with it for a few weeks using the demo and watching lots of tutorials on YT. It has some very strong selling points and I think it’s a better solution than F360 in quite a few cases. But not always. For example - Sheetcam is very good a ‘nesting’ if you are doing multiple parts. Can it be done in F360 - sure - but it’s more difficult. SheetCam is not for design work - it’s just the CAM part. You will still need something to design in - like F360, Inkscape, Adobe Ilustrator or other 2d/3d drawing programs. Sketchup is another program sort of like F360 that has a following - might be worth checking out, but they all cost $ when you get past the very basic stuff. Hope that helps… ( I re-read your question - you were asking about CAM part only - yep - SheetCam is worth checking out - and I hear Langmuir is working on something as well - perhaps release in 1Q2020?)
Thanks guys, I’ll check out SheetCam.
To better clarify, I’m not looking for an alternative software for design work. I already prefer SolidWorks, DraftSight, and others like Inventor for this. I have only been using Fusion 360 out of necessity since it has the CAM module included. I was looking for a CAM alternative to create g-code from a DXF. Sounds like SheetCam is what I need to check out.
SheetCam will certainly do the G code for you.
Good luck
I also like Fusion 360, and prefer using it over Solidworks at work now. I find creating small assembly parts much easier and faster in Fusion. And I prefer how it lists sketches,bodies, a other items on the left tree, while placing all of the features in a timeline along the bottom. It makes sharing sketch data between parts easier.
If you already have good designs, sheetcam is friggin awesome… Good design in, toolpath out in 60 seconds or less… I take a little longer as I like to set the start points manual so I know where the torch is gonna start and stop and I have access to grab the cut out with my handy dandy magnet so I don’t get the tip up… but i have just hit the path button and post button… literally 60 seconds or less… sometimes it takes a while to process a large file on input, but the toolpath is crazy fast…
Bump - I also use Solidworks and will take another look at SheetCAM. I believe they have a plug-in for Solidworks. Has anyone used it versus the dedicated program? Solidworks 2018 has a CAM software built-in but we’d have to make the profile for the Crossfire. Has anyone attempted this or know how to make the profile? I’d like to get away from Fusion since I only use it for CAM and it does not compensate automatically for speed reduction on holes, curves, and other features.
Another bump for SheetCAM behind SolidWorks. I’ve been driving SW daily since '98, so it’s like an extension of my brain at this point, so fumbling with Fusion360 for CAM was just a distraction from flow. SheetCAM, once set up, is super fast and stable, and being able to rubber-band a hundred cuts and push them to a layer that is definitely all internal is so much better than looking at those little red arrows in Fusion 360.
There’s a lot to be said to gettin’ s**t done!
serious nice…looks like a filler for the back window of a pick-up
