Which software should you use to run your first CNC project on your LongMill?

Just starting up in the CNC world? Wondering which software to use with your LongMill? Want a quick rundown of 4 software programs that will do the trick? This video is what you’ve been looking for! In under 5 minutes, we take you from start to finish through a project and give you some tips and tricks along the way. Check the links below to find the software and tools mentioned in this video. If you liked this video, click on subscribe to be the first in line to receive new videos.
Chapters:
0:00 What is this video about?
0:50 My history with CNC machines
1:33 Are all the software free?|
1:49 Designing your project
2:23 How to use V-Carve Pro
10:04 Loading your file into gSender
13:00 How to zero XYZ with the touch plate
16:37 Checklist and carving
17:33 Dust collector
18:55 How to use Easel
24:00 How to use Carbide Create
29:47 How to use Carveco Maker
36:05 Quick summary of all the software
Checklist Poster
bit.ly/checklist_LongMill_Sie...
Know the LongMill MK2
sienci.com/product/longmill-mk2/
// FEATURED TOOLS & SOFTWARES
▸ Softwares
gSender l Sienci Labs
sienci.com/gsender/
Vectric V-Carve Pro V11
sienci.com/product/vectric-vc...
Vectric V-Carve Desktop V11
sienci.com/product/vectric-vc...
Carbide
carbide3d.com/carbidecreate/
Easel
easel.inventables.com/
Carveco Maker
sienci.com/product/carveco-ma...
▸ LongMill Add-ons
Dust Shoe l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
TouchPlate l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
▸ Resources
LongMill Resources Page l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
Feeds & Speeds l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
Toolchain Software Helper l Sienci Labs
resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
// PROJECT IDEAS
▸ resources.sienci.com/view/lm-...
// JOIN US
▸ Facebook Group | / mill.one
▸ Instagram | / siencilabs

[@nscr2]

That’s so much for this video, I’ve had my longmill since late November and have been very timid about using it. After watching this video I’m much more confident about using it for the first time

[@SienciLabs]

That's wonderful! Keep practicing Dave!

[@andreroussel]

I like the pace of this video and hope you make more of these. Thanks!

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks Andre, will do!

[@joewilson65]

Hi Scott, thank you for this very helpful video. I purchased a 30x30 Longmill in March 2020 and have been using Easel Pro ever since. I'm just switching over to Carveco Maker to do more 3D work and your brief overview will help me get started. Thanks again.

[@SienciLabs]

Glad it was helpful!

[@hankvana2149]

Thanks Scott! The second viewing (after doing some tutorials) makes a lot more sense to this newbie 😀 I'll be starting with Carbide Create to do some simple stuff and once I get familiar with my LongMill and the work flow/process I'll be switching to FreeCAD to design my projects. I'm most impressed with the design and manufacturing of the LongMill - parts are robust, precision made, hardware is good quality and documentation is excellent. The assembly was fun and easy, enjoyed putting it together. Cheers!

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks for the kind words! The more time you put into learning about it, the easier it becomes!

[@KenDo_creation]

Thank you very much for the tips and tricks. :)

[@SienciLabs]

We're glad you found them helpful!

[@mikeremillard5414]

new to cnc... great video

[@ApexWoodworks]

Chris, I found this to be extremely helpful. Not to sound like a luddite, but the material you covered here really helped clarify things for me. I have purchased (through your website, thank you for carrying it) Vectric VCarve Pro and am planning to use your gSender in concert with it. Again, terrific explanation. Thanks.

[@SienciLabs]

Glad it was helpful Marty!

[@adiringer1959]

Scott, thank you for the video. It was very helpful to watch you go through the first carve and I learned a few things non-software related from it. Suggestions for other videos: In depth look at GSender (I always wondered what the "test" function did but was afraid to click it LOL); Using the touch plate with various bits - or why not to; tuning up the LongMill, especially the darn V-wheels. I look forward to more videos!

[@SienciLabs]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for your suggestions.

[@chuckcoughlin3112]

Thank you as I was trying to use ink scape because I have not idea what I am doing. Never could get it to work, but this looks promising. Although a simple video for those that have no clue it very helpful😀

[@SienciLabs]

Beauty! We're glad it helped out! Keep practicing, it really does pay off in the long run 👊

[@williamhanna5224]

Awesome video Great work !

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@michaelbruner3555]

Very good! In Carbide Create I found that you can move (jog) your project (once selected) around your material by using the arrow buttons. Pushing ctrl button at same time jogs object via your grid and using shift key moves object slowly one space at a time. Just using arrow key moves it 3 spaces each time.

[@SienciLabs]

Cool! Thanks for the tip Michael.

[@ForgeForget]

Thank you.

[@SienciLabs]

You're welcome!

[@Kyle7K]

Placing an order tonight for the 48x30 and some add-ons. Never used a CNC machine before but I want to build all the guitars I've had in my mind for years. A little scarey to spend the money with no real idea of what I'm getting into, but WTF...here we go! I have some other less ambitious ideas to maybe make a few bucks along the way too.

[@SienciLabs]

We've got the first video for a guitar tutorial coming out shortly! Stay tuned!

[@Nissan300zxshowcar]

Great video! Just curious, how would you have corrected the 'e' where the preview showed it not carving correctly? Thanks again!

[@SienciLabs]

Hey Michael, You’d have to use a smaller bit to get in there, or scale your font up. Or a bit if both if you can 😊

[@steverowland1898]

Hi, Can you add Estlcam to your video? I am planning to use AutoCad plus Estlcam. Also, it seems you use a comm port to connect the computer to the controller. Are you planning a USB connection in the future? Steve

[@ClintonCaraway-CNC]

The example of Carveco in this video is not Carveco Maker. It is for full Carveco and that cost a significantly amount more than Maker.

[@craig12272]

Awesome video !! Can all this be done with MacBook ?

[@SienciLabs]

Most but not all software works on a macbook, you can find a full list and which operating systems work on our website here resources.sienci.com/view/lmk2-choosing-software/

[@westonpulley6525]

Just getting started with my longmill and will be using Easel. Do you suggest sending the file to gsender or directly cut from Easel? Is one way better than the other? Is Easell the only "all in one" program? Sorry for all the questions.

[@SienciLabs]

You can do either, whatever you're comfortable with. Easel has some perks to it and it's "all in one" but it's also a bit more constrained than gSender. Feel free to play around with both options!

[@edmelzark1069]

When you do a project and you need to do different bits does the software need setup again or ??? Thank you Ed

[@SienciLabs]

You'll need to tell the software what bit goes with what toolpath and save the file for it. Hope that helps!

[@ianwebster8597]

You say in the video that you can't use the touch probe in Carbide Create - but can you send from Carbide Create to gsender then use the touch probe in gsender?

[@SienciLabs]

Ian I think you mean Carbide Motion which is the Shapeoko sender software. Yes in their software they only have compatibility with their own hardware and machines but if you export your g-code out of Carbide Create (which is the design software) you'll be able to run it in gSender just fine and also use the touch probe 👍

[@dorjedriftwood2731]

How do feel about fushion vs this, I am a 3D modeler so I want to take advantage with 3D files

[@SienciLabs]

Hi Dorje, Fusion 360 is also a great option for more advanced CAM and CAD, especially for engineering-type work. However, there are a lot of settings and it is generally considered one of the more challenging programs to learn for hobbyists, so you may also want to consider some other alternatives, such as Kiri Moto and ESTLCam that might be a little simpler to use.

[@debbiebarnett5729]

I'm using Carbide Create PRO and I'm trying gsender. How does this work with a Genmitsu 4040 Pro. I'm not having an easy time figuring out how to use this cnc.

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks for asking us, but can you please reach out to your manufacturer support for any information related to your particular machine? Thanks!

[@dmesz311]

Newb here. I designed some text on Vcarve that is 3” tall. Once I load it onto gsender it shows my text under a 1/2” tall. I followed your video. Input all the correct measurements for my material. Something in gsender isn’t recognizing my material is 2’ long

[@SienciLabs]

Check that you used the proper post processor when you saved your gcode file from vcarve. It should be Grbl(inch)...You may have selected g-code(inch) accidentally. Let us know if that helped!

[@dmesz311]

@@SienciLabs yeah I figured it out after I made that comment and you are absolutely correct. That’s what it was. Thank you for the reply!

[@jrandallmoore]

Can I use this software to design my own electric guitars?

[@SienciLabs]

It depends on which software you're talking about, but generally speaking, yes. There can be limitations to some software which would probably make it more difficult. We're in the midst of making a guitar video over the coming months ourselves!

[@suntzu6122]

Is there a free program that can make a 2 axis symmetrical drawing for CNC? Or a way to import a picture to be a layer of cnc? Sorry Im a noob at this.

[@SienciLabs]

Carbide Create is free and can do what you're asking. Check it out!

[@christopherbrown6152]

Did mach3 fall from grace with the home/diy cnc crowd ?

[@SienciLabs]

I think it wasn't a particularly popular option for a while, given that you need parallel port hardware which isn't used much anymore. It's worth noting the cost difference as well

[@spetoolrouterbits8275]

Can we affiliate marketing on store operation? We are SpeTool Router Bit official.

[@adaptivediyers]

Love your bits! Been using them since i got started in cnc machining!

[@SienciLabs]

Hi! Send an email to [e-mail] and talk to our team.

[@jessietapia4]

Where do I get a dust shoe like that?

[@SienciLabs]

It's the dust shoe for the LongMill CNC, they're available on sienci.com

[@onseriojr]

You're running through what you know and understand leaving the rest of us behind.

[@hankvana2149]

Henry, I'm a newbie to CNC. The first time I watched this video the details/terminology were a bit overwhelming. Scott is giving an overview of various programs and is just skimming through the process flow of each program. Found that after watching some tutorials I got used to the lingo/process and at second viewing, things made a lot more sense. Cheers!

[@talegunner4414]

But I have a Onefinity!

[@SienciLabs]

Most of our recommendations would still apply 🙂 the only difference is you don't need a g-code sender since the Onefinity has it's own proprietary one

[@wkduff]

Why would you start with $500 to $800 software? Ppl want to start out learning for free. The free version barely gets you by

[@SienciLabs]

Thanks for your input. Everyone is different, we try to make as many people happy as possible!

[@mattivirta]

i not underst why someone use old pre history cavemen inch imperial dimensions because 95% all world use only metric dimensions today. more accurate and lot better simple easy use. real dimensions not need think inches and what have

[@SienciLabs]

Agreed, you'll see that much of our materials, instructions, etc. use metric when we can because imperial units are such a hassle. At the end of the day we still end up having to use inches in some places because in North America many people are still familiar with them - sometimes more than metric units

[@Actio83]

Vcarve pro is just overpriced, looks like good software though

[@SienciLabs]

It's pretty good!

[@Actio83]

@@SienciLabs yes. After looking around it was the software i wanted to Go with but then checkin the price of 6-700 usd it’s a no go. Just out of principle as it’s overpriced. You see this time and time again in the software space

[@SienciLabs]

It's a tricky thing for sure! Hopefully you find one you're happy with that doesn't break the bank!

[@Casenundra]

I went with Vcarve Pro ($$$) and are using Carbide motion ( free) to take advantage of the bitsetter and bit zero add ons.for my Shapeoko 4 You can now use a corner touchplate to zero the routers' x y & z and correct for different tool lengths after bit changes.

[@SienciLabs]

Very cool! Thanks for the input!