Cbeam Software Full-bandwidth, three-way element (60 Hz - 20 kHz) CCT I built a CNC Router using 3/4 MDF, 1/8 aluminum angle for bearing races and various other odds and ends. How can the answer be improved?
MeshCAM is the fastest way to generate gcode
You have a simple goal, to take a CAD file and get your mill to cut it. You don’t want to become an expert on CAM software, you want parts today.
MeshCAM is made for people who just want to make parts now.
Here’s the MeshCAM process:
- Load a file from almost any CAD program
- Build an efficient toolpath with minimal input
- Save gcode that works on your CNC machine
Don’t let the simplicity fool you, MeshCAM has lots of flexibility and options for advanced machining.
MeshCAM works with your CAD
MeshCAM works with almost every 3D CAD program by opening the two most common 3D file formats, STL and DXF.
If you just want to make 2D parts without using a 3D CAD program, you can load 2D DXF files (in R12 format) and extrude them to a 3D part.
We’ve got lots of users of:
- Solidworks
- Autodesk Inventor
- OnShape
- Rhino 3D
- SketchUp
- Viacad
- Autocad
- Freecad
- OpenSCAD
- Tinkercad
- Alibre
- Blender
- ZBrush
- And many many more...
If your CAD file can generate an STL file, it’ll work.
No CAD- No Problem
Sometimes you need a part that cannot be designed with a traditional CAD program.
Sometimes you don’t even have a CAD program.
If this sounds like you, don’t worry. You can open any image file (JPG, BMP, or PNG) in MeshCAM and the image will be converted to a 3D surface that can be machined directly.
Users have come up with incredible uses for this feature to make parts that would be almost impossible with a traditional CAD program.
Works with your CNC machine
MeshCAM has a built-in post processor to transform the gcode to work with your machine. It supports lots of machine types as-is and it can be extended to support most other
If your CNC machine takes normal gcode then it will work with MeshCAM.
The post processor format is fully documented in the help file so you can make changes if you find the need.
Here’s a partial list of included post processors:
- Mach 2/3/4
- Linux CNC
- Fanuc Compatible
- Haas
- Shopbot
- GRBL
- Roland
If you find problems with the built-in post processors then email us, we’d be happy to see if you can make modification for you for free.
No machining knowledge required
The worst part of any new CNC software is being confronted by a wall of settings to create a toolpath.
Stepover, stepdown, waterline, threshold angles… Do you want to learn a whole new language just to get your first toolpath?
MeshCAM has an Automatic Toolpath Wizard that picks as many of those values as possible so that you don’t have to.
You just pick the cutters, tell MeshCAM the desired quality level, and it will analyze the model to pick values to get you started. You can tweak them to make them better or use them as-is.
If you already know what you’re doing then don’t worry- you still have complete control over all of your toolpath settings.
Machine almost anything
Every part requires a slightly different approach to machine it efficiently. If your CAM software doesn’t give you enough toolpath strategies then you’ll spend more time to machine your part or you’ll give up finish quality. This is not something you have to worry about with MeshCAM.
MeshCAM has more toolpath options than any competing CAM program.
- Parallel Roughing (planar and 3D)
- Contour Offset Roughing (Planar and 3D)
- Parallel Finishing ( X or Y direction)
- Waterline Finishing
- Pencil Finishing
This combination of toolpaths will machine almost any part you can imagine.
Eliminate complicated fixtures
Some parts are very difficult to machine because they're very difficult to hold down. Clamps and vises get in the way and turn what should be an easy job into a complicated one.
MeshCAM lets you add supports/tabs to your part so that it remains connected to the stock during machining. The supports hold the part in place so you can keep the cutter away from your vise.
MeshCAM does this without help from your CAD program so it doesn't depend on anything but MeshCAM itself.
Machine HUGE parts
MeshCAM was designed from the start to support HUGE 3D files. Huge in physical size and huge in file size.
Users are making boats and large museum exhibits in MeshCAM using large CNC routers.
Jewelers and engineers are making incredibly detailed parts with files that contain millions of polygons.
See what your part will look like when it's done (PRO Version)
MeshCAM Pro includes a 3D toolpath simulator that will show you not only where the tool will go, but how the finished part will look.
Sometimes you don't have time to run a toolpath to see how it will turn out, or you can just use simulation to try different settings to see how the part changes.
This is the absolute fastest way to see what your parts will look like with no wasted time, cutters, or stock.
Works on PCs and Macs
On Windows, MeshCAM runs on Window Vista, Windows 7, 8, and 10 and on Macs with OSX 10.9 or higher. It requires a minimum of 2GB or RAM .
Try it before you buy it
You can try MeshCAM for 15 days with no restrictions, totally free. Click here if you’d like to get started right now.
Try it with your files and your CNC machine. The only limit is time, the ouput is not limited in any way.
Honest, open pricing
Look around for pricing for other CNC software and you’ll see a lot of “Request a quote” or “Call us” buttons.
Do you really want to get on the phone with a sales guy just to get a price?
Can you even be sure that you’re getting the best price?
MeshCAM pricing is totally open and transparent. It’s $250 for MeshCAM Standard or $500 for MeshCAM Pro. No calls, no requesting quotes.
You can buy it online without talking to sales people.
MeshCAM Standard | MeshCAM Pro | |
Load 3D STL files | X | X |
Load image files | X | X |
Roughing Toolpaths | X | X |
Parallel Finishing Toolpaths | X | X |
Waterline Toolpaths | X | X |
Pencil Toolpaths | X | X |
Two-side Machining | X | X |
3D Toolpath view | X | X |
3D Toolpath simulation | X | |
'Art' functionality | X | |
Price | $250 | $500 |
No maintenance fees, free updates, and no 'cloud'
It’s no secret that software companies are doing everything they can to move their software to the cloud. It would be great to believe that the transition to cloud software is for your good but it’s not. It’s a way to extract more money from the customer.
When you buy MeshCAM it runs on your machine, not the cloud. You will not pay monthly or yearly fees to keep it active.
Here’s the update policy for MeshCAM:
- You will get all updates to the current version of MeshCAM (currently Version 7) forever.
- If a new version is released within a year of your purchase, you’ll get it for free.
MeshCAM will be around for the long run
MeshCAM was first released in 2004 so it’s been around for a while.
Since then, there have been 7 major versions, hundreds of releases and tens of thousands of downloads.
We have plenty of ideas left and a big todo list. We’re going to be doing this for a while.
Try it free today
Go to the download page to get a totally free 15 day trial. You’ll be up and running instantly, with no limitations. If you have any questions at all, contact us!
It’s no problem if you need more time to try MeshCAM. Just email us when the trial code expires and we’ll send you another one (or two).
GSA Export: NASTRAN Keywords
Introduction
GSA exports basic data to a NASTRAN bulk data file. All data should be checked carefully as there are no direct equivalent features in NASTRAN to some of the GSA features. For exampleGrid loads cannot be exported directly to NASTRAN. These loads must first be expanded to beamloads.GSA exports basic data to a NASTRAN bulk data file. All data should be checked carefully as there are no direct equivalent features in NASTRAN to some of the GSA features. For exampleGrid loads cannot be exported directly to NASTRAN. These loads must first be expanded to beamloads.
Beam
Beam pre-stress
Note
Transferred as thermal loads
CBAR,CBEAM,CELAS2,CONM2,CGAP,RBAR,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CONROD
CBAR,CBEAM,CELAS2,CONM2,CGAP,RBAR,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CONROD
Description
Elements
Parameters
CBAR | CBAR,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,z.x,z.y,z.z,BGG,rls_1,rls_2,off_1.x,off_1.y,off_1.z,off_2.x,off_2.y,off_2.z |
CBEAM | CBEAM,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,z.x,z.y,z.z,BGG,rls_1,rls_2,off_1.x,off_1.y,off_1.z,off_2.x,off_2.y,off_2.z |
CELAS2 | CELAS2,no,k,topo_1,topo_2,dir |
CONM2 | CONM2,no,topo,axis,mass,off.x,off.y,off.z,Ixx,Ixy,Iyy,Izx,Iyz,Izz |
CGAP | CGAP,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,y.x,y.y,y.z,rl1_1,rls_2 |
RBAR | RBAR,no,topo_1,topo_2,dir,dof |
CTRIA3 | CTRIA3,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,topo_3,off |
CQUAD4 | CQUAD4,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,topo_3,topo_4,off |
CTRIA6 | CTRIA6,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,topo_3,topo_4,topo_5,topo_6,off |
CQUAD8 | CQUAD8,no,prop,topo_1,topo_2,topo_3,topo_4,topo_5,topo_6,topo_7,topo_8,off |
CONROD | CONROD,no,topo_1,topo_2,prop,area,torsion,coeff,nsm |
GENEL | GENEL,no,u1,c1,u2,c2,... |
'K',K11,K21,K31,...K22,K32,... |
CELAS2
CELAS2
Note
Spring supports
Parameters
CELAS2 | CELAS2,no,k,topo_1,topo_2,dir |
CORD2R,CORD2C,CORD2S
CORD2R,CORD2C,CORD2S
Description
Axis
Parameters
CORD2R | CORD2R,no,origin.x,origin.y,origin.z,z.x,z.y,z.z,x.x,x.y,x.z |
CORD2C | CORD2C,no,origin.x,origin.y,origin.z,z.x,z.y,z.z,x.x,x.y,x.z |
CORD2S | CORD2S,no,origin.x,origin.y,origin.z,z.x,z.y,z.z,x.x,x.y,x.z |
EIGRL,LOAD
EIGRL,LOAD
Description
Specification
Parameters
EIGRL | EIGRL,modes,MAX (modal) |
LOAD | LOAD,case,1,<factor,case> (buckling) |
ENDDATA
ENDDATA
Description
End of data
FORCE,MOMENT
FORCE,MOMENT
Description
Node loads
Parameters
FORCE | FORCE,case,node,axis,value,x,y,z |
MOMENT | MOMENT,case,node,axis,value,x,y,z |
GRAV
GRAV
Description
Gravity
Parameters
GRAV | GRAV,case,0,gravity,x,y,z |
Note
Gravity loads should be defined in a separate set (SID) to other loads - it is up to the user to ensure that this is the case.
GRID
GRID
Description
Nodes
Parameters
GRID | GRID,no,x,y,z,axis |
GSA/NASTRAN
GSA/NASTRAN export
ID,
ID,...
Description
Title and control
Parameters
ID | ID ,title | ||||||
SOL |
SOL
|
||||||
CEND | CEND | ||||||
TITLE | TITLE,job | ||||||
METHOD | METHOD = 1 | ||||||
DISPLACEMENT | DISPLACEMENT(PLOT,PHASE) = ALL | ||||||
FORCE | FORCE(PLOT) = ALL (static/buckling) | ||||||
STRESS | STRESS(PLOT) = ALL (static/buckling) | ||||||
SUPER | SUPER(PLOT) = ALL (static/buckling) | ||||||
OLOAD | OLOAD(PLOT) = ALL (static/buckling) | ||||||
SPCFORCES | SPCFORCES(PLOT) = ALL | ||||||
SPC | SPC = 1 | ||||||
MPC | MPC = 1 |
for each case
Parameters
SUBCASE | SUBCASE case |
SUBTITLE | SUBTITLE = load_title |
LOAD | LOAD = case |
TEMPERATURE | TEMPERATURE(LOAD) = case |
LOAD | LOAD = buckle (buckling) |
BEGIN | BULK BEGIN BULK |
PARAM | PARAM PARAM,AUTOSPC,YES PARAM,EPZERO,1.0E-8 PARAM,GRDPNT,0 PARAM,POST,-2 |
In-plane
In-plane loads
Note
Transferred as thermal load
LOAD
LOAD
Description
Static load combination
Parameters
LOAD | LOAD,comb,1,factor,case,factor,case,... |
MAT1
MAT1
Description
Cable properties
Parameters
MAT1 | MAT1,mid,e,g,nu,rho,a,tref |
MAT1,
MAT1, MAT8
Description
Material
Parameters
MAT1 | MAT1,E,G,nu,rho,A |
MAT8 | MAT8,E1,E2,nu12,G12,G13,G23,rho,A1,A2 |
MPC
MPC
Description
Constraint equations
Parameters
MPC | MPC,1,slave,dir,-1,master,dir,1, |
MPC
MPC
Description
Joints
Parameters
MPC | MPC,1,slave,dir,-1,master,dir,1 |
PBAR,PROD
PBAR,PROD
Description
Section properties
Parameters
PBAR | PBAR,pid,mid,area,i1,i2,j,nsm,k1,k2,i12 |
PROD | PROD,pid,mid,area,j,c,nsm |
PBARL
PBARL
Description
Section shape properties
Parameters
PBARL | PBARL,prop,mid,group,type,dim1,dim2,...,nsm |
PBEAM
PBEAM
Description
Section properties
Parameters
PBEAM | PBEAM,pid,mid,area,i1,i2,i12,j,nsm,c1,c2,d1,d2,e1,e2,f1,f2, |
so,x/xb,area,i1,i2,i12,j,nsm,c1,c2,d1,d2,e1,e2,f1,f2, | |
k1,k2 | |
PROD | PROD,pid,mid,area,j,c,nsm |
PBEAML
PBEAML
Description
Section shape properties
Parameters
PBEAML | PBARL,prop,mid,group,type,null(4),dim1,dim2,...,nsm |
PGAP
PGAP
Description
Tie, strut properties
Parameters
PGAP | PGAP,prop,gap(0),preload(0),stiff,0,0, |
PLOAD1
PLOAD1
Description
Beam loads
Parameters
PLOAD1 | PLOAD1,case,elem,type,scale,pos_1,value_1,pos_2,value_2 |
PLOAD4
PLOAD4
Description
Face loads
Parameters
PLOAD4 | PLOAD4,case,elem,value_1,value_2,value_3,value_4 |
PSHELL
PSHELL
Description
2D properties
Parameters
PSHELL | PSHELL,pid,mid1,thick,mid2,12i/t3,mid3,ts/t,nsm, |
RBE2
RBE2
Description
Rigid Constraints
Parameters
RBE2 | RBE2,no,master,comp,slaves... |
SPC
SPC
Description
Restraints
Parameters
SPC | SPC,1,no,spc,0 |
SPCD
SPCD
Description
Settlements
Parameters
SPCD | SPCD,case,node,dir,value |
SPCD
SPCD
Description
Applied displacements
Parameters
SPCD | SPCD,case,node,dir,value |
Note
Axis ignored
TEMPD
TEMPD
Description
Reference temperature
Parameters
TEMPD | TEMPD,case,0, |
Note
GSA doesn't use this so assumed value is zero
TEMPP1
TEMPP1
Description
s 2D thermal loads
Parameters
TEMPP1 | TEMPP1,case,elem,T,G |
TEMPRB
TEMPRB
Description
Beam thermal loads
Parameters
TEMPRB | TEMPRB,case,elem,Ta,Tb,Gya,Gyb,Gza,Gzb |
Index
Beam
CBAR,CBEAM,CELAS2,CONM2,CGAP,RBAR,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CONROD
CELAS2
CORD2R,CORD2C,CORD2S
EIGRL,LOAD
ENDDATA
FORCE,MOMENT
GRAV
GRID
GSA/NASTRAN
ID,
In-plane
LOAD
MAT1
MAT1,
MPC
MPC
PBAR,PROD
PBARL
PBEAM
PBEAML
PGAP
PLOAD1
PLOAD4
PSHELL
RBE2
SPC
SPCD
SPCD
TEMPD
TEMPP1
TEMPRB
07 Feb 2014 at 13:33CBAR,CBEAM,CELAS2,CONM2,CGAP,RBAR,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CTRIA3,CQUAD4,CONROD
CELAS2
CORD2R,CORD2C,CORD2S
EIGRL,LOAD
ENDDATA
FORCE,MOMENT
GRAV
GRID
GSA/NASTRAN
ID,
In-plane
LOAD
MAT1
MAT1,
MPC
MPC
PBAR,PROD
PBARL
PBEAM
PBEAML
PGAP
PLOAD1
PLOAD4
PSHELL
RBE2
SPC
SPCD
SPCD
TEMPD
TEMPP1
TEMPRB
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