454 WorkshopWhy 454?
454 is a nod to my dad. He was a huge Chevy guy, and when I was five he bought a 1967 Corvette with a 454 big block in it. He's the one who taught me how to build things, so I named my making after his love for Chevy big blocks.
454 Workshop
Draw it, toolpath it, cut it.
Free, open-source software for CNC routers running GRBL, like the Shapeoko and Nomad. Design your parts in 454 Design, then run the machine with 454 Control, right in your browser.
A desktop app for Windows and Linux is in testing, and works without an internet connection. Follow it on GitHub.
Draw in Design, cut with Control
Two apps that work together, from the first line of a drawing to the machine parking at the end of the job.
- Lines, arcs, shapes and text, with snapping, fillets, offsets and dimensions
- Traces images into clean outlines, and keeps work organised in layers
- Opens VCarve projects, including multi-sheet jobs, and your VCarve tool library
- Opens DXF files, and saves DXF and SVG for other software
- Homing, zeroing, jogging, and probing with a BitZero
- BitSetter tool measuring and guided tool changes
- Checks a file for problems before you cut, and estimates the time using your machine's own settings
- Works the way Carbide Motion does, so the steps at the machine are ones you know
Made to be trusted around a spinning bit
A mistake in machine software doesn't just crash; it breaks a bit or ruins a part. So 454 is careful about the things that matter at the machine.
- Tested on every changeReal jobs run through a simulated controller, checking that the spindle is up to speed before every cut, lifts before it stops, and every job ends safely.
- Says what it will doBefore you start, 454 tells you in plain words what's about to happen, and flags anything in a file it doesn't like.
- Fills in what files leave outIf a file forgets the spin-up wait, the lift before the spindle stops, or a safe ending, 454 adds it.
Free, for everyone
454 Workshop is free and open source under the MIT licence. There's no paid version and no account to make. If it's useful to you, you can support it on GitHub, and bug reports and ideas are always welcome.
What you need
A CNC router with a GRBL 1.1 controller, such as a Shapeoko or Nomad, and Chrome or Edge on Windows, macOS or Linux. Those browsers can talk to the machine over USB; others can't yet.
A CNC machine can hurt you. Check every job before you cut it: run it in the air first, keep a hand near the stop, and wear eye and ear protection.