RotatoCAM only writes G-code — it does not run your machine. You need separate CNC control software, and you are responsible for everything that gets cut. Every program it makes is a suggestion: inspect it, simulate it, and air-cut it before you commit. CNC mills, lasers and plasma cutters can destroy parts, tools, and you. Provided AS-IS, no warranty — you accept all responsibility.
4- & 3-axis CAM built for DIY CNC. Real roughing & finishing toolpaths from an STL — simultaneous rotary, wrapped & flat engraving, and a material-removal sim. Speaks grblHAL, GRBL and LinuxCNC. Two editions on one core engine: a free Community Edition, and Pro for the full toolbox.
Lay the part in a wireframe 3-jaw chuck along the C axis. Flip / 90° reorient carries into the G-code, and a spin-part playback view turns the stock while the cutter holds. Spiral finishing and radial roughing in the free edition; more finishing styles in Pro.
Queue rough → finish with different tools into one program with tool-change pauses, a surface-following finish pass and spring passes. Engrave system-font text flat or wrapped around a bar with a real V-bit profile — rapids and cutter shape come straight from the actual .nc.
A material-removal simulator runs the real G-code and colors the cut surface by deviation, with a timeline scrubber, live feed readout and a machining-time estimate. Backplot, feed check and sim are in both editions — the chart below shows the rest.
It does real work: 4-axis rotary roughing and finishing, wrapped rotary engraving, and flat 2D engraving — enough to take a part from model to G-code and earn a permanent spot in your toolbox. No license, no nag screens, no expiry. Free to keep — get comfortable and make cool stuff in your garage.
Adds the strategies that took the most engineering to get right: extra finishing styles (raster, axial/flow), 3+1 indexed surfacing, pencil cleanup, the full conversational (no-CAD) suite, adaptive roughing, V-carve, laser/plasma 2D cutting, and more. Same core engine — Pro just unlocks the deep toolbox.
| Capability | Community — Free | Pro — $49 |
|---|---|---|
| Rotary finishing | Spiral | Spiral + raster + axial/flow |
| Rotary roughing | Radial | Radial + helical |
| 3+1 indexed surfacing | — | ✓ |
| Pencil valley cleanup | — | ✓ |
| Wrapped rotary engraving | ✓ | ✓ |
| Flat 2D engraving | ✓ | ✓ |
| V-carve | — | ✓ |
| Conversational (no-CAD) suite | — | ✓ |
| Adaptive / trochoidal roughing | — | ✓ |
| Laser / plasma 2D cutting | — | ✓ |
| Mesh import (STL · OBJ · PLY · 3MF) + DXF/SVG | ✓ | ✓ |
| Safety gate · setup workflow · backplot + sim | ✓ | ✓ |
| Posts (grblHAL · GRBL · LinuxCNC) | ✓ | ✓ |
| License | Free (closed-source) | Proprietary |
| Price | Free forever | $49 per major version |
CE isn't a crippled trial — it's genuinely useful on its own and always will be: take a rotary part from model to verified G-code with the four core strategies and the full safety + setup workflow. The advanced strategies are where most of the late-night development went, so they live in Pro to keep the lights on and the work going. If RotatoCAM saves you time or money, Pro is the way to back it — if it doesn't, the free edition is yours to keep.
A handheld walkthrough — expect rough edges.
Run the sim from the real G-code, then read quality at a glance — the cut surface is colored by deviation. A timeline scrubber, live position/feed readout and a machining-time estimate complete the picture. In both editions.
Continuous simultaneous-rotary spiral finish along the C axis, with a surface-following pass, fine Z stepdown and spring passes. Lay the part in a wireframe 3-jaw chuck; flip / 90° reorient carries into the G-code; "Spin part" playback turns the stock while the cutter holds.
Clear stock down to the finish surface with radial roughing passes before the finish runs — queue rough → finish with different tools into one program with tool-change pauses.
Engrave system-font text wrapped around a bar with a real V-bit profile. Set the bar by diameter with a wireframe chuck; text reads right out of the box (Mirror / Flip / Center); around-the-bar strokes arc on the surface and carve, and the spin-view bit tracks the cut.
V-bit and flat engraving on a plane — system fonts, multi-line text (a 4-line box rendered as stacked rows at a uniform size), real cutter shape and rapids straight out of the exported .nc.
Import STL · OBJ · PLY · OFF · GLB · 3MF meshes and DXF / SVG drawings — all bundled in the portable build, with clear errors on unsupported geometry. (Export an STL/OBJ from your CAD app.)
A 3D backplot, a feed/units check (G21 mm / G20 inch, G93 inverse-time for rotary) and a deviation-coloured removal sim — now with an accurate, no-false-gouge surface read and a time-based scrubber (drag to halfway = half the cut) plus a machining-time estimate. Read quality before any iron moves.
Every rotary strategy is floored at the rotational axis — a hollow or ported part (a bored tube, a slotted muzzle device) can't trick the tool into plunging through the center. New Max depth bridges deep ports/bores so a finish skims the OD instead of diving in.
Drop a post file into ~/.rotatocam/posts/ to add your own controller — no rebuild. Built-ins: grblHAL, GRBL, LinuxCNC, Mach3/Mach4, Centroid and MASSO (experimental). Amber CRT, Light, Dark and Green themes.
CHANGELOG.md inside the download.Every job is the same seven clicks — only the input and the strategy change. Pick one of the four free strategies below, then follow the flow.
File ▸ Open model… for an STL/STEP — or just type your text / load a .dxf·.svg drawing for engraving.
Choose one from the Strategy menu — the four Community Edition strategies are described below.
Pick a ball/flat end mill or a V-bit and set its diameter. Set the stock: Auto, a round bar, or a box billet.
Controller (grblHAL · GRBL · LinuxCNC), surface feed and Safe Z. Defaults are sane — tune to your machine.
Click Generate toolpath to see the backplot, then Simulate / Play to watch it cut and check for gouges.
Export G-code… saves the .nc/.ngc. Always air-cut above the stock first — see Safety.
A smooth helical finishing pass over a rotary part from an STL. Pick a ball end mill and round stock, then lower Scallop height for a finer finish. Try job.column_doric.yaml or job.finish.yaml.
Hogs material off a round bar in radial layers before finishing. Set Depth per pass and Stock to leave; tick Finish pass to chase it with a spiral. Try it on any rotary STL — e.g. a fluted column.
Engrave text or a DXF·SVG drawing into flat stock. Type your text (or load a drawing), choose a V-bit, set Engrave depth, Generate. Try job.3018_engrave.yaml.
Wraps text or art around a cylinder. Type text (or load a drawing), set Bar diameter and Engrave depth, Generate. Try job.wrap_svg.yaml.
Don't build a job from scratch — open a ready-made one. Help ▸ Open example projects…, then File ▸ Run job file… and pick a .yaml. The model, tool, stock and strategy are already set — just Generate toolpath, Simulate / Play, Export G-code….
CNC machines are dangerous. RotatoCAM only writes a G-code file — it cannot see your machine and it does not press Go. You are solely responsible for inspecting every program and operating your machine safely. Never blindly trust generated G-code — confirm it does what you expect on your machine, with your setup and your tools.
Open a model (or the bundled examples\), pick a tool + strategy, click Generate. Review the 3D backplot, run the feed check and the material-removal sim. Check rapids vs feeds, depths and units (G21 mm / G20 inch).
Set work offset (G54) and tool length; confirm the correct controller. Air-cut — raise Z well above the stock and run the whole program, watching motion match the backplot. Hand on feed-hold / E-stop.
Use soft material first (machine wax, foam, MDF, soft aluminum), shallow and slow. Start with 3-axis or wraparound engraving before any 4-axis surfacing. Light pass, stop and measure, then go deeper.
In Machine setup, set your machine's max swing radius (spindle-to-table clearance); 4-axis jobs whose part radius exceeds it are blocked on purpose. Rotary moves use G93 inverse-time feed — a wrong rotary feed can snap an endmill, so make sure the feed check passes, air-cut the rotary motion first and start shallow.
The free Community Edition is v0.69.2.223.4 (shown in Help → About) — it gets safety and bug fixes; new strategies land in Pro. When reporting an issue, tell me your edition and version.
Serious issues (crashes, wrong G-code, anything unsafe) get priority. Include what you did, what happened, your edition (CE / Pro), your controller (grblHAL / GRBL / LinuxCNC), and attach the STL/job + the generated .nc if you can. Report a bug / send feedback → (or in the app: Help → Report a bug)
FOREVER · FREE · YOURS TO KEEP
NO SUBSCRIPTION · PAY ONCE PER MAJOR VERSION
★ FOUNDING PRICE — $49 while we're pre-1.0. It goes up when v1.0 ships; early buyers keep this price.
RotatoVIEW — the standalone 4-axis G-code viewer that actually works. Loads any rotary .nc, draws the true wrapped toolpath, and scrubs by machining time. Download free, unlock with a key. (Also bundled inside Pro.)
Maybe RotatoCAM saved you a CAM subscription. Maybe it cut something your old software couldn't — a wrapped nameplate, a clean 4-axis finish, or the roman columns for the miniature gladiator stadium you built in the garage over winter. The Community Edition stays free no matter what — if it made your machine do something worth doing, a coffee (or Pro) helps fund the next feature and fix.
A portable Windows build — Python and every dependency bundled. No install, no admin rights. Not code-signed, so SmartScreen may say "Windows protected your PC" on first run — click More info → Run anyway.
RotatoCAM only generates a G-code file — you verify it. Inspect the backplot, simulate it, and air-cut every program on your own machine before you cut anything. We can't see your setup and we don't hit Go. Provided AS-IS, no warranty.
Minimum: 64-bit Windows 10/11 · 4-core CPU · 8 GB RAM · GPU with OpenGL 3.2+ (integrated is fine) · ~2 GB disk.
Recommended: 6–8 core CPU · 16 GB RAM · SSD · a basic discrete GPU (e.g. GTX 1650) — for big models, fine sim detail, and the "Max" render look. RotatoCAM is CPU-bound, so CPU clock matters most; the GPU mainly drives the 3D view.