← CAD / CAM / files
Ch 16
CAD, SheetCAM, and G-code issues
Import, cut order, posts, units — ViaCAD / SheetCAM / Mach3 stack.
⚠ Caution — One change at a time
Record the starting condition, make one controlled change, and test again. Restore the original setting if the change did not help.
ℹ Note — Your machine profile wins
Machine-specific profiles, wiring diagrams, pin maps, motor tuning, and cut charts always override generic examples. Escalate when unsure.
Symptom
File won't import, wrong cut side/order, or Mach3 rejects G-code.
Quick checks
- ☐Supported 2D DXF with closed contours
- ☐Units match CAD ↔ SheetCAM
- ☐Premier-approved plasma post selected
- ☐Simulation shows interiors before exterior
Fix
Fixes
- Missing contours → join endpoints, remove duplicates, correct layer, re-export
- Wrong side of line → inside/outside offset; regenerate
- Holes last → optimization + keep-parts-together
- Bad character / unknown command → restore Premier post
- Huge extents → units/stray geometry
- Missing torch/touch-off → matched Premier post/profile/macros
Still stuck?
Text a photo — fastest path to a human who knows these tables.
We're in Glendale — same people who build the tables. Text beats voicemail.