cncArtistMachines / Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC
Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC controllers
cncArtist for Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC: CAM for Mac, iPad and iPhone
Native Mac software for designing, simulating and cutting on Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC controllers. Free to download. $299 once to cut without limits. No subscription.
Why cncArtist suits Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC
Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC run on the PC next to the machine, and cncArtist can post for each. The three posts share a common style and write .tap files, with a tool-length offset after tool changes.
There is a generic Mach3 router preset, and the Avid Benchtop Pro and PRO 4848 use Mach4. No preset is named for UCCNC, so start from the closest one and set your own bed size.
What it writes, and how to send it
Mach3 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.
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.
UCCNC 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.
How to send it
Load the .tap file in Mach3, Mach4 or UCCNC on the machine's PC, the way you would any G-code file.
Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC posts depend on how your machine is configured. Check the units and tool change settings match. 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 Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mach3 router | 1220 × 2440 mm 48 × 96.1 in | 150 mm | Mach3 |
| Avid Benchtop Pro 2436 | 610 × 915 mm 24 × 36 in | 152 mm | Mach4 |
Features that matter on Mach3, Mach4 and UCCNC
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.
Nesting with tabs
Pack parts onto the sheet to waste less wood, with tabs that hold each one in place.
Times that learn
Record how long a job really took and cncArtist adjusts its run-time estimates for your machine, so they get closer every job.
From design to first cut
- Pick Mach3 router (or an Avid Mach4 machine) in Machine and set the post to Mach3, Mach4 or UCCNC.
- Design and toolpath.
- Simulate.
- Export and move the .tap file to the control PC.
- Load it, set zero and air cut.
Questions
Which extension?
.tap
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.
Is Mach3 still supported?
cncArtist has a Mach3 post. Whether Mach3 itself is current is up to its makers.
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.