selecting the correct software

[mccafferty]

I am converting a combination machine to UC300ETH-LPT5. I have used Mach3 a bit on the original machine. It was quite buggy.... I really like the looks of the UCCNC software for milling. However, I need lathe functionality and they have made it clear that that is a very low priority. The documentation indicates that there is a Mach3 plugin (I haven't found it)

I am quite sure the UCCNC will meet my needs for milling and will continue to evolve. My question really pertains on how to best handle the lathe. I have done a lot of CNC routing and have a good grasp of that and it feeds nicely into milling.... I have only tinkered with the lathe functionality and the version that came on my MillTurn was so buggy, I didn't really do much with it. I never could get decent threads turned in my experimenting.

I use RhinoCAM for my routing and milling. I also own the turning module for it although I really haven't used it. I assume it will generate lathe GCODE. I think you can set if for radius or diameter mode so will that get around some of the limits in UCCNC?

Should I limp with UCCNC for lathe and if so, how much am I missing. Or, should I implement a version of Mach when running it as a lathe? Again, I have never run a "real" CNC lathe so don't really know specifically what to ask.

Thanks for shedding any light you can for me...

[A_Camera]

I am converting a combination machine to UC300ETH-LPT5. I have used Mach3 a bit on the original machine. It was quite buggy.... I really like the looks of the UCCNC software for milling. However, I need lathe functionality and they have made it clear that that is a very low priority. The documentation indicates that there is a Mach3 plugin (I haven't found it)

http://www.cncdrive.com/UC300ETH.html

You can download the plugin and use Mach3 with the UC300ETH. The plugin works nicely. I haven't used Mach3 on lathe, so I can't help with that part of your question, but the plugin for Mach3 is available and I use it, but less and less, and eventually will only use UCCNC, unless I have to go back to Mach for checking out something.

Good luck.