Download free CAM software
The DeskProto Free edition is completely free of charge
The DeskProto Free edition offers you basic CAM functionality without any cost. Gratis CAM software: ideal when you do not have any budget and still need to get started with your CNC milling machine.Free software - nevertheless this edition offers a lot:
Three toolpath types for your CNC milling machine are available:
- Vector machining based on a drawing in a DXF, EPS, AI or SVG file.
- Geometry machining based on the geometry in an STL file.
- Bitmap machining based on a picture in a bitmap file (BMP, JPG, GIF, PNG, TIF).
Use DeskProto when you need free CAM software.
Three toolpath types are supported: 2D vector curves, 3D STL geometries and bitmap reliefs.
Three toolpath types are supported: 2D vector curves, 3D STL geometries and bitmap reliefs.
The DeskProto Free edition is available for three operation systems: Windows, MacOS and Linux.
No time-limitation: you can keep using the software as long as you like.
Also: no limitations in file size or complexity.
The limitation is that in the DeskProto Free edition you can only create projects with one part and one operation, using only a small number of parameters. For many users this will be sufficient to satisfy their needs.
Vector machining in the Free edition: profiling toolpaths for a small X-mas tree, based on a DXF drawing.
The DeskProto Free Edition offers basic CAM functionality
The DeskProto Free Edition is in fact the same program as the three paid editions (Entry, Expert and Multi-Axis), however it offers only basic CAM functionality. So the number of available options has been reduced for the Free edition, all other functionality is identical to the paid editions. In order to compare all editions you can use the Comparison table.The following functions are available in DeskProto Free (for one part and one operation):
- Profiling toolpaths over Vector data, with machining depth and free movement height
- Vector toolpath support tabs
- Parallel toolpaths over Geometry data
- Distance between the toolpaths, and stepsize along the toolpath for geometry machining
- Creating a 3D relief based on Bitmap data
- Scaling, mirroring and rotating all CAD data
- Defining and selecting cutters
- Speeds: feedrate and spindle speed.
Left Geometry machining in the Free edition: toolpaths for half a bottle, based on an STL geometry.
Right Bitmap machining in the Free edition: this 3D relief is based on the JPG image shown.
In addition to the parameters for calculating toolpaths that were just mentioned, the Free edition includes all additional functionality to make it an easy to use program:
- Preview how the cutter will move, in the animated toolpath
- Simulate what the resulting part will look like
- Estimate the machining time
- Choose a user-interface: wizard or dialog-based
(or create a project with the wizard and then fine-tune using the dialogs) - Freely add machine-definitions
- Configure your own postprocessor (if needed).
All DeskProto editions share the same easy-to-use interface. All editions can read each other's project files, so after upgrading to the a higher edition all projects created with the Free edition still can be opened.
The Edition select dialog offers the Free edition, the other editions can be started in trial mode.
In the DeskProto Free edition you can trial the paid editions
The DeskProto Free edition invites you to evaluate the three higher editions: Entry, Expert and Multi-Axis. These can be selected in the "Edition select" dialog, shown above, that is displayed each time you start your DeskProto Free edition. You can use each of these editions in trial mode: a trial cross watermark will be visible, both on screen and in the resulting toolpaths. For a geometry and a bitmap relief this cross is a visible indent on the part (see the image above), when vector machining the toolpaths are simply interrupted (not present) below the trial cross.This trial use allows you to completely test the software, using your own CAD data and on your own machine, before deciding whether or not to buy a license for one of the higher editions.
DeskProto can be downloaded from this website: for all editions the same installation file is needed.
Manuals can be downloaded from the website as well (as PDF files).
Further see the Tutorial video's that show how to use the software.