Guide
Alphacam Guide
Written for people who use Alphacam in furniture production every day: what the program is, how add-ins and macros work, where to start with VBA, how door drawing gets automated. The articles draw on what we learned building GMacros and on the Alphacam API documentation; they are not sales copy.
Articles
- 01 · 8 min read
What is Alphacam? A CAD/CAM guide for furniture and wood CNC
What the program is, where the Router module fits in furniture production, how Auto Style and nesting work, file types, and where add-ins come in.
Read the article → - 02 · 9 min read
Cabinet door drawing in Alphacam: membrane, panel, American, framed, glazed and louvred doors
The door types produced in Turkey (membrane, balloon, panel, American, framed, glazed, louvred, groove, slatted) and how each is drawn and machined in Alphacam.
Read the article → - 03 · 7 min read
How Alphacam-based parametric door and cabinet door macros work
What "parametric macro" means, which parameters door and cabinet-door macros take, the series-production flow and the link to Auto Style.
Read the article → - 04 · 8 min read
Membrane door drawing in Alphacam: pattern, cutters, depth and holes
The CNC side of the membrane door: pattern geometry, cutter and depth limits, holes, operation order and series drawing from a dimension list.
Read the article → - 05 · 7 min read
American door and American panel door drawing in Alphacam
American cabinet door versus American panel interior door, panel layout rules, profile cutter and layer scheme; hinge/lock recesses on the door leaf.
Read the article → - 06 · 7 min read
Panel (raised-panel) door drawing in Alphacam: one-piece routed and frame-and-panel
The two ways to make a panel door, stile/panel sizing rules, inner offset logic, panel groove and solid frames; series drawing from a dimension list.
Read the article → - 07 · 8 min read
Alphacam Auto Style setup: automatic machining by layer name
Layer standard, style definition, operation order and priority, preparing DXF/macro drawings for Auto Style; set up once, machine every drawing with one command.
Read the article → - 08 · 8 min read
Alphacam nesting guide: sheet layout, waste, grain direction and labels
Nesting inputs and settings (sheet, gap, grain, rotation), small parts and vacuum, labels and remnants; rules that actually reduce waste in a shop.
Read the article → - 09 · 7 min read
What is an Alphacam post-processor? Producing NC code for your machine
The post's job, machine/controller dialects, finding and testing the right post, typical errors (units, zero point, tool change) and the relation to add-ins.
Read the article → - 10 · 6 min read
What is an Alphacam add-in, how is it installed and how does it work?
Add-in (.arb) versus macro, the Startup folder, the ribbon tab, the single-file installer and how the license relates to the add-in.
Read the article → - 11 · 9 min read
Writing VBA macros in Alphacam: where to start
Getting into the VBA editor, the basic object model, a first parametric macro, working with Auto Style, compiling, and pitfalls.
Read the article → - 12 · 6 min read
Alphacam add-in problems: tab missing, macro failing, license errors
A checklist, in order, for add-ins not loading, missing tabs, macro errors, decimal/unit issues and license errors.
Read the article → - 13 · 7 min read
Alphacam and furniture CNC glossary
Program terms (Auto Style, nesting, post, layer, .arb) and shop terms (membrane, panel, stile, groove, System 32, edgeband…) in one list.
Read the article →
Related products
Tools that do the work described here with one click inside Alphacam: the GMacros add-in and macro packages. Purchasing and licensing are explained on How it works.
Written by the GMacros team. Alphacam is a registered trademark of Hexagon AB; this guide is independent.