Can anyone recommend a cnc milling simulator ? I need to learn how to write a short program for a mill, i have done this before when i was serving my time, but have done any cnc since.
Just google G code simulator loads out there. If it's for you and private use and not and massively time consuming (I'm very busy) send me the drawing and i will plonk it through Onecnc for you. You do say A mill though and not your or myMill, so not keen if it's for commercial use. I'm sure you can appreciate software like this doesn't come particularly cheap. I can't promise the output will be totally correct for the controller on the machine what ever it is but there are generic posts with OneCnc for a whole variety of controllers which generally work. It will give you all the base code and edit as required. The other option is just code it as you think then dry run the machine you will soon see if its not going where you want.
Its not really a case of powering the Axis down. It's a simple case of if the controller has simulation or not. So many controllers out there of varying capabilities over the years. Some will give you a drawing as you code but not a simulation other controllers can give full simulation. But it's kind of expected these days that most will have cad cam of some kind and many have simulators. keep in mind a simulation is showing the cutting and not just a wire frame drawing. But Anyway I expect Ronan will explain what he actually needed as i found out by PM. It wasn't quite as it seemed.