Hello all, I Just put my Crosssfire w/XL kit together. Now it is time to load up on software and plug my laptop to it and watch the magic so many of you already enjoy. I have no clue as to which software programs to download or how many. I thought I just needed Fusion 360, and Mach 3. I see things like Fire controls, Auto fusion 360 downloads, Mach 3 downloads, Break in programs… The download page scares me.
I couldn’t find this topic in the search of older discussions. So please forgive me if it is covered already. Please give me a link to it if available.
I have an HP laptop running window 10. My plasma is an older Hypertherm powermax 600.
I believe what you will need for sure is Mach 3 which will control your crossfire. You will also need the post processor from the downloads page for the program you will be using.
They downloads page tells you what to download and install for Mach 3 and then what to add to it after.
You don’t need Fire control, it is for the crossfire pro tables only.
The rest depends on how you design your projects and how you generate the code that goes into Mach3. You can use Autodesk Fusion 360 (that’s one program) to design your part and generate the path that the plasma will follow to make the cut. (There are other option for design that once made in a separate program they can be imported into fusion 360, but that’s getting ahead)
Once you have the tool paths set up, you need to run the post processor (this is what generates the g code that controls the table).
I watched the tutorial videos several times until in understood the process and what is being done, then went about figuring out what worked for me. If you just want to understand what part of the workflow does what, then download fusion 360, mach3, and your post processor and you are set to go through the tutorials and cut something.
The break in program is a .tap file, meaning it’s ready to go straight into Mach 3 as code that will run the machine.
I typed this at work, I hope it’s roughly what you were looking for!
I’m waiting for my standard Cross Fire to show up and also had the same questions. Thanks for that answer it helped me too.
An additional question is if you download SheetCAM I assume that you do not need Fusion 360?
Fusion is a do it all program. design to gcode. Its overkill for what we do but if you plan on building a space shuttle it would be awsome. It takes a good PC to run it on . Inkscape is free for design. many others free - pay. I dont have sheetcam but as brownfox stated its just for making a gcode.
thank you.
do you know anything about my Mach3 problem. I cant load the tap files. It just sites saying generating path. and when I can get it to work I only get one part of the drawing I did. I do the toolpath, I simulate it and it runs it all. I do the g code and if it opens it is only 1/8 my drawing
Correct. I checked a rather simple gcode the other day and it had like 10k lines to it. Demo may make a circle or a square. But anything that amounts to anything you will need the full mach3 And I do use Fusion 360 and I like it, many hate it.
LS is in the process of designing a design program called firecam. Not sure if it will work with all crossfire tables or just the Pro. I know its not there main priority right now due to the Firecontrol program getting tweeked.
Firecontrol is the program that runs the Pro table. I dont think its compatable with the regular crossfire. In the future there will be a z axis upgrade for the regular table that firecontrol would work with, ( If im remembering correct ) Mach is one of them unforseen things for many. Its buy buy buy for awhile till you get set up, then its fun fun fun.
Thank you so much for the info.
I guess mach3 it is.
Im mad because Fusion dropped my small business because of their new innovative invention thing. I have a month of use the they want $490 a year. that is a big deal for me ,especially right now with things.
I’ve had my table for 1.5 years. Best advise I can give all you guys is :mach 3 to run the table, inkscape to design (use svg files instead of dxf, they are much easier to work modify and scale IMO) And use sheetcam to get your tap(cam) files.
They all take time to learn but no freeze ups or glitches.
Interesting. I run sheetcam on the computer I design with so that I can quickly correct design errors I find in sheetcam. I’m not criticizing, just a different perspective. I can see the value of SheetCam outputting directly to the Mach3 file system, but I guess I make more mistakes in the earlier phases
I do the same. I have sheetcam on all my computers to check my piece for fallouts forgotten lines ect, but lately I’ve had several files that have imported with small issues (cutting 1/4 inch short, pierce… 3 instead of 300ms, scale just a small percent bigger and hit my limit) It was one of the tips I got from sheetcam a while back) If a setting is different on one of the computers your tap file may read wrong)
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Yep, I can relate to that.