SheetCam Software Setup Guide¶

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for installing SheetCam CAM Software. This includes the Avid CNC Mach4 post processor and tool tables for a variety of Hypertherm torches. If you have already installed and licensed SheetCam, skip to Section 3Section 3.

The Pro-Tip video below also shows the SheetCam installation process.

1. Install SheetCam¶

• Navigate to https://www.sheetcam.com/downloads

• It is recommended to download "SheetCam TNG Stable version".

• Navigate to your downloads folder (or the directory you downloaded the installer to) and run the SheetCam TNG installer.

• Click "Yes" to begin the installation.

• When the installer asks for an install location, it is highly recommended to use the default location.

• When you get to the prompt shown above, select the "Create a desktop shortcut" option.

• Select the "Run SheetCam TNG" option and finish the SheetCam install.
• Continue with the setup and license procedure in the next section.

2. Install License File¶

• Select your default language.

• Use the "SheetCam TNG setup wizard" to setup SheetCam for plasma cutting.

• Select your preferred units.

• Select "Jet cutting" machine type for plasma machines.

• Choose your selections for "Output file units", "Z zero", and "Output folder". The post processor selection will be set in Section 3Section 3.

• After completing the setup wizard, navigate to "Help > Install license file".

• Select your license file and click "Open".
• Close SheetCam before continuing with the next section.

3. Install Post Processor and Tool Tables¶

In this section you will download and install the Avid CNC Mach4 post processor for SheetCam and tool tables for Hypertherm torches. Begin by downloading the installerdownloading the installer for these items. ({ { config.build.domain.support } }/instructions/software/downloads/sheetcam)

• Run the installer you just downloaded. The name may vary depending on your download selection.

• Click "Install" to begin the installation.

• Part way through the install, you'll be asked about making changes to your device. Click "Yes" to allow the plasma tools files to be installed correctly.

• Once the finished the installation, open SheetCam.
• Navigate to "Options > Machine".

• On the "Post Processor" tab, verify "Avid CNC Mach4" is the current post processor.
• At the bottom of the screen, select "Set custom post options".

You will see four different options for customizing the post processor.

• Distance between references: Distance between pierces where a second probe move (reference) will not take place. The default value of "0" will reference before all pierces.

  On flat and stable (thick) material, increase this value to reduce the number of probe moves and decrease program run time.

• Reference feed rate: Feed rate for probing reference moves.

• Touch Off: Select the use of mechanical touch off (post setting of 1) or ohmic touch off (post setting of 0). The material sensor assembly included with the PRO CNC Plasma Kit is configured by default to use ohmic touch off. To use the mechanical touch off, additional changes are required to the material sensor assembly (refer to the Plasma Getting Started GuidePlasma Getting Started Guide).

• To load a tool set, navigate to "File > Open toolset".

• Open the folder for your specific Hypertherm plasma system.

• Open the folder for your specific Hypertherm plasma system.

• Open the folder for the type of consumables you are using with the Duramax torch.

  • Duramax consumables - a consumable stack of retaining cap, shield, nozzle, electrode, and swirl ring.
  • SYNC consumables with cartridge adapter - a single piece cartridge with adapter.

• Select the appropriate toolset for your desired units (English or Metric) and the type of mechanized consumables you are using.

  • Shielded - these are standard mechanized consumables.
  • FineCut - these are specific consumable sets designed for improved fine feature cutting.

• After selecting your tool set, the "Tools" pane will show a list of possible tools.
• Double click on one of the tools.

• You will see the tool is pre-populated with the values from the Hypertherm cut charts.
• Using the AvidCNC Mach4 post processor, these values will be included in your GCode and automatically populated in Mach4 when the program is executed.

4. Using Cut Rules¶

• To open the cutting rules editor press the Cut Rules button on the left of the Tools menu on the left of the SheetCam application window, or use the drop down menu Tools -> Cutting Rules.

• The Path Rules window will then be displayed. The default rule set will have been installed by the "AvidCNC for SheetCam" installer. By default all the path rules will be enabled.

• To disable or enable path rules click the checkbox to the left of the path rule name.

• To edit a path rule double click on the name of the rule, this will open the rule options. The rule parameters may be edited and saved by clicking "OK." "Start code" and "End code" are the M codes which will be inserted into the g-code program at the beginning and end of the path rule's effect.

• Additional types of path rules may be implemented by clicking the "Add rule" button at the bottom of the Path Rules editor window.

Descriptions of the default path rules are below

• Function: disables THC for holes with a diameter under the "Smaller than" value.

• For most materials the height change across a small circle is too small to really need THC motion, but the tip voltage is unstable during the cut.

• It is useful to prevent unwanted torch dives caused by unstable tip voltage during short cuts.

• Function: disables THC for closed profiles with an equivalent diameter under the "Smaller than" value.

• Equivalent Diameter is defined as the diameter of a circle with a circumference equal to the shape's perimeter.

• For most materials the height change across a small shape is too small to really need THC motion, but the tip voltage is unstable during the cut.

• It is useful to prevent unwanted torch dives caused by unstable tip voltage during short cuts.

• Function: disables THC for a set distance before and after tight corners.

• When a cut makes a tight corner it requires the machine to slow down. This causes the plasma arc to grow and the measured tip voltage to increase.

• This rule prevents unwanted torch dives caused by artificially high tip voltage in tight corners.

• Function: disables THC during a leadin.

• During leadins the tip voltage is typically unstable and above the target.

• This rule prevents unwanted torch dives caused by artificially high tip voltage.

• Function: disables THC during a leadouts.

• During leadouts the tip voltage is typically unstable and above the target.

• This rule prevents unwanted torch dives caused by artificially high tip voltage.

• While M codes will not show up in the tool preview any path rules which change the feedrate percentage will highlight the effected operations in blue instead of the normal green.