cncArtistMachines / Avid CNC
Avid CNC Benchtop Pro and PRO
cncArtist for Avid CNC: CAM for Mac, iPad and iPhone
Native Mac software for designing, simulating and cutting on Avid CNC Benchtop Pro and PRO. Free to download. $299 once to cut without limits. No subscription.
Why cncArtist suits Avid CNC
Small production shops are the heaviest Aspire users, and Avid owners have a Mach4 or Centroid PC next to the machine. cncArtist has presets for the Benchtop Pro and the PRO 4848 with either controller.
The posts add a tool-length offset after each tool change, the way a machine with a tool setter or touch plate expects.
What it writes, and how to send it
Mach4 post
File extension .tap. The post writes the tool change into the program, so a multi-bit job stays in one file and pauses where you swap bits.
Centroid Acorn (CNC12) post
File extension .nc. The post writes the tool change into the program, so a multi-bit job stays in one file and pauses where you swap bits.
How to send it
Mach4 or Centroid CNC12, depending on how your machine is set up. Load the file in the control software on the machine's PC.
Avid sells several controller setups. We include the Mach4 and Centroid presets listed above; other configurations need the post checked by you. cncArtist's posts are checked with golden-file tests: the output for a sample job is compared with a saved copy, so a change cannot slip through unnoticed. That is a software test, not a certification on any machine. Run the simulator and an air cut on a new setup before every first cut.
Presets for Avid CNC
Pick your machine by maker and model and cncArtist fills in the bed size, Z travel, safe height and post. These are the makers' published cutting areas, and you can change any figure.
| Preset | Bed | Z travel | Post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avid Benchtop Pro 2436 | 610 × 915 mm 24 × 36 in | 152 mm | Mach4 |
| Avid PRO 4848 · Mach4 | 1240 × 1240 mm 48.8 × 48.8 in | 200 mm | Mach4 |
| Avid PRO 4848 · Centroid Acorn | 1240 × 1240 mm 48.8 × 48.8 in | 200 mm | Centroid Acorn (CNC12) |
Features that matter on Avid CNC
Every line checked first
The simulator plays the whole job back in wood, marks gouges on the board and lists each problem with its toolpath or G-code line, before anything reaches the machine.
Nesting with tabs
Pack parts onto the sheet to waste less wood, with tabs that hold each one in place.
Holder check
Before a deep pocket, cncArtist checks that the collet and nut clear the walls, not only the bit.
Restart after a broken bit
Pick the point where the cut stopped and save a restart file, so you only recut what is left.
From design to first cut
- Pick Benchtop Pro 2436, PRO 4848 Mach4 or PRO 4848 Centroid Acorn in Machine.
- Design and toolpath.
- Simulate.
- Export and move the file to the machine's PC.
- Open it in Mach4 (.tap) or CNC12 (.nc), set zero and air cut.
Questions
Which extension?
Mach4 posts write .tap. The Centroid post writes .nc.
Multiple bits?
The post writes the tool change into the program, so a multi-bit job stays in one file and pauses where you swap bits.
Can I use my Aspire vectors?
Export them from Aspire as DXF or SVG and import them.
Coming from Vectric? Read VCarve for Mac.
Free to download.
$299 once to cut without limits.
Design and simulate as much as you like. Your first three jobs export free. Then one purchase unlocks cncArtist on Mac, iPad and iPhone. Commercial use included.
Cut 3 jobs free.
Every design tool, every simulation, and G-code for your first three jobs. No card, no time limit.
Once. Everywhere.
Unlimited export on Mac, iPad and iPhone with one purchase. Free 1.x updates. Family Sharing. Commercial use included.
Launch price $249 until 11:59 pm on Thursday, Dec 31, 2026.
No subscription.
Pay once, cut forever. A paid major version every few years, with an owner upgrade price.