When starting a project for a CNC router, the design may seem daunting at first. It is not obvious that most CNC projects are simple in their design. It often isn’t necessary, for instance, to have a 3D model of the project. This is because many of the operations a CNC router performs need only two dimensional paths. Take 3D lettering or engraving as an example. Although the object is three-dimensional, the paths required to make it are simple and only two dimensional.
3d Printing vs CNC
It used to be that CAD software and other 3d design solutions were complicated and difficult to use without years of training. Today, however, the traditional forms of software are becoming easier to use and there are alternatives such as Google sketchup which allows users to intuitively design 3d models for free. The creation of physical objects from those models is also within the grasp of the average user today, thanks to 3d printing and other types of automated manufacturing. [Read more…]