With any luck, we haven’t punched the router bit through part of the CNC machine (as happened in my first experiment), and we haven’t broken the router bit (which can happen if the material we’re cutting is too thick to cut in a single pass). At this point, we’ve cut a diagonal line from x 0, y 0 to x 100, y 100. If you’re following along, you can see that we’ve moved the z axis (and, therefore, the router bit that does the cutting) up, then we move to the x, y zero point, lower the router to zero (probably drilling through whatever it is that we’re cutting), move the router to x 100, y 100, and then raise the router. It’s just like moving an object using InDesign’s Control panel or Transform panel.Ī CNC machine can also (at a minimum) control the vertical axis, or “z,” so our G-code is more likely to look something like this: g0 z 30 “g0” means, “move at the fastest speed you can manage,” while “x 100 y 100” specifies a point 100 units (mm, in my case) from a defined zero point. An example line of G-code looks like this. CNC machines are driven by G-code, a programming language composed of simple operations (move, set speed, etc.) and geometric coordinates. I realized that I could write scripts that would convert InDesign paths and path points into cutting instructions (“toolpaths”) for a CNC machine. There’s an old saying that goes, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail.” My hammer is InDesign.
More after the jump! Continue reading below↓įree and Premium members see fewer ads! Sign up and log-in today. Sure, the 3D CAD tools can do a lot more, but all I need is a way to define a path that’s cut through a flat sheet of acrylic. Even the relatively modern SketchUp or Autodesk 123D seem a bit clunky when you’re accustomed to InDesign’s drawing tools. The trouble is that the user interfaces of CAD programs have nowhere near the sophistication of InDesign. (“CNC” stands for “Computer Numeric Control,” and CNC machines are usually digitally controlled routers or lathes.)Īnd to design the parts for my musical instruments, I needed a CAD program. Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools exist to help you turn your design ideas into drawings, which can, in turn, be used to control machines, such as 3D printers or CNC machines.
To build physical things, you need parts. Don’t run away just yet-even though you may not be doing this yourself, there’s a reasonabyly good chance that you’ll be able to use some of the tools that I’ve created in your everyday InDesign work.
In fact, I like to build synthesizers and robotic musical instruments.
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Physical things, not just software and page layouts.