Where Zorocut fits on a plasma table
- Zorocut: clean the drawings, nest them on the plate, price the job, export one DXF per sheet.
- SheetCAM: import at the drawing origin, one operation per layer, post-process to your controller.
- Controller: FireControl, Mach3 or LinuxCNC runs the G-code.
Langmuir's staff state that a DXF cannot be opened directly in FireControl; it loads post-processed G-code. That is why Zorocut does not try to be the last step: it never writes G-code, and the CAM program keeps the toolpath decisions.
One layer, one operation
| Zorocut layer | SheetCAM operation |
|---|---|
| ZC_CUT | Contour cut, outside offset for outlines, inside for holes |
| ZC_MARK | A low-current mark or centre-punch operation |
| ZC_ENGRAVE | An open-path operation without offset |
| ZC_LABEL | No operation (text must be lines to cut in SheetCAM) |
| ZC_SHEET | No operation — the plate's edge |
SheetCAM applies each operation to everything on its layer, so the five fixed names mean the operations can be set up once and reused.
Import settings that matter
- Position: Drawing origin. Zorocut puts the plate's lower-left corner at 0,0, so the nest lands where it was planned.
- Scale: SheetCAM sets it by hand (scale ratio) and its v3.1.17 manual does not say whether it reads $INSUNITS. Zorocut's file is in mm: import it as mm.
- Tolerances: SheetCAM joins ends within its import link tolerance and fits arcs to runs of lines. Zorocut's segments already share identical end points and its arcs are true arcs, so nothing needs joining.
Plasma in Zorocut
- Machine tab: kind Plasma, Controller SheetCAM. The quote then starts from a 60 €/h machine rate (90 €/h for fiber) — an estimate you replace with your own.
- Speeds and pierce delays start from Hypertherm's Powermax45 XP chart; the values and their limits are in the plasma guide.
- Kerf: plasma cuts 1.4–2.1 mm wide on that torch. Zorocut's part spacing is measured between the drawn contours, before SheetCAM offsets them, so leave room for it — see part spacing.
- Every pierce wears consumables and costs time; pierce time shows how the quote counts them.
Not verified yet
The SheetCAM manual we read is v3.1.17. Whether newer builds create operations from layer names on their own, and whether they honour the DXF unit header, we could not confirm. Run one plate through SheetCAM's preview before the first real job.
Časté otázky
Can I skip SheetCAM and load Zorocut's DXF in FireControl?
No. FireControl loads G-code, not DXF, and Zorocut never writes G-code. Something like SheetCAM or Fusion's CAM has to make the toolpath.
Does it work with Fusion instead of SheetCAM?
The DXF is plain lines, arcs and circles in mm, which any CAM program imports. We describe SheetCAM because its manual documents the layer-per-operation workflow; set the controller to Other in Zorocut for anything else.
Do I need a separate machine for plasma in Zorocut?
Add it as a second machine with kind Plasma. On Free and Cutter one machine is licensed; Shop includes 3.
Zdroje
Názvy produktů slouží jen k popisu kompatibility. Zorocut není spojen s jejich výrobci.
