On 2010-07-30, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Ignoramus18915 fired this volley in
:

I am realizing that CNC is easy in concept -- "the machine follows
instructions from computer" -- but it is complicated in practice.


It boils down to this, Iggy:

Even a complex, path-optimizing package depended at least originally on
the skills of an accomplished machinist to establish the methods and
approaches to a given task.

When you're working at a 'lower level' coding your own toolpaths, your
work will only turn out as good as your machining skills would have
allowed without the computer. All the CNC machine is doing is automating
your personal approach to the task.

This is VERY well put. Exactly. I coded this function to cut a
mold. The mold represents a cone inside a cone:


\___ ___/
\____/

And yet the code to mill it out, while it works is very suboptimal. It
reflects my poor understanding of the process.

i