cncArtistMachines / ShopBot
ShopBot Desktop, Desktop MAX and PRSalpha
cncArtist for ShopBot: CAM for Mac, iPad and iPhone
Native Mac software for designing, simulating and cutting on ShopBot Desktop, Desktop MAX and PRSalpha. Free to download. $299 once to cut without limits. No subscription.
Why cncArtist suits ShopBot
ShopBot machines read .sbp part files, not plain G-code, and many ShopBot owners have been told that only Vectric writes them well. cncArtist has a ShopBot post that writes the .sbp commands directly.
Schools, makerspaces and sign shops get the same simulation, V-carving, inlays and nesting as any other machine.
What it writes, and how to send it
ShopBot post
File extension .sbp. 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
ShopBot Control, the software that runs on the machine's computer. Open the .sbp part file there and run it.
Arcs are written as short line segments in .sbp output. Confirm the output against a file you already cut on your own machine before trusting it. 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 ShopBot
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShopBot Desktop | 610 × 457 mm 24 × 18 in | 140 mm | ShopBot |
| ShopBot Desktop MAX | 914 × 610 mm 36 × 24 in | 140 mm | ShopBot |
| ShopBot PRSalpha 96×48 | 2440 × 1220 mm 96.1 × 48 in | 152 mm | ShopBot |
Features that matter on ShopBot
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.
Longer than your bed
Tiling splits a long sign into sections that line up across the joins, and two-sided jobs flip on guided registration.
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 ShopBot Desktop, Desktop MAX or PRSalpha 96x48 in Machine.
- Design and toolpath.
- Simulate the whole job.
- Export. The ZIP contains the .sbp file.
- Copy it to the ShopBot control computer, open it in ShopBot Control and run a test pass.
Questions
What file does it write?
An .sbp part file in ShopBot's own command set.
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 import a ShopBot file?
cncArtist exports .sbp; it does not read it.
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.