cncArtistMachines / LinuxCNC
LinuxCNC
cncArtist for LinuxCNC: CAM for Mac, iPad and iPhone
Native Mac software for designing, simulating and cutting on LinuxCNC. Free to download. $299 once to cut without limits. No subscription.
Why cncArtist suits LinuxCNC
LinuxCNC machines are often custom builds. cncArtist has a LinuxCNC post that writes .ngc programs with a tool-length offset after tool changes.
No preset is named for a LinuxCNC machine. Pick Other and the LinuxCNC post, then enter your own bed size and travel.
What it writes, and how to send it
LinuxCNC post
File extension .ngc. 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
LinuxCNC's own interface (for example Axis or another GUI): open the .ngc file from the File menu, set work zero and run it.
Your LinuxCNC configuration decides what is allowed. Check the output against your own setup. 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.
Features that matter on LinuxCNC
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.
Rotary
Wrap a design around a cylinder for candles, handles and turnings, or index around it, if your machine has a rotary axis fitted.
Edit the post if you need to
Copy a built-in post and change its header, footer, tool change and number format. Plain-language checks block unsafe lines, and a live preview shows the result.
Holder check
Before a deep pocket, cncArtist checks that the collet and nut clear the walls, not only the bit.
From design to first cut
- In Machine, pick any starting preset and set the post to LinuxCNC.
- Enter your bed size, Z travel and spindle range.
- Design, toolpath and simulate.
- Export and copy the .ngc file to your LinuxCNC machine.
- Open it, set work zero and run an air cut.
Questions
Which extension?
.ngc
Does it do tool changes?
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 edit the output?
Yes. Copy and edit the post.
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.