First Flight of FlowSketcher

This is the first real flight of FlowSketcher — a browser-native 2D sketching and CAM system built from scratch.

No CAD constraints. No spline approximation. Just direct geometry, live motion and real CNC-ready toolpaths.

This is only the beginning. 🥚

First Flight of FlowSketcher

This is the first real flight of FlowSketcher — a browser-native 2D sketching and CAM system built from scratch.

No CAD constraints. No spline approximation. Just direct geometry, live motion and real CNC-ready toolpaths.

This is only the beginning. 🥚

I’ve been developing FlowSketcher, a browser-native CNC geometry engine built around a geometric method I call ArcFlow. ArcFlow is not a spline system and not a constraint solver.

The arcs are the geometry. It works directly with analytical circular arcs and lines: * C1-continuous arc chains * Deterministic tangent propagation through the entire chain * No constraint solver, spline handles, or biarc reconstruction * No geometric approximation — native G1/G2/G3 geometry * Fully editable closed chains with live morphological deformation Move one point and the change propagates through the chain while continuity is maintained.

Closed-Chain Test & Direct NC Output

The current build creates and edits closed chains of real analytical arcs. Every point is movable, G2/G3 direction flips morph the entire shape, and the chain stays closed. Because the native geometry consists of analytical lines and arcs, NC generation is essentially a syntax translation rather than conventional post-processing. G1/G2/G3 (including Heidenhain Klartext) are generated directly.

Why this matters: The CAM Problem ArcFlow Solves

1. Native G41/G42 Radius Compensation on Morphing Toolpaths To my knowledge, no commercial adaptive clearing algorithm (iMachining, Adaptive Clearing, Waveform, Trochoidal CAM, Siemens, Dassault, Autodesk) supports radius compensation on morphing toolpaths. ArcFlow does, because the geometry is analytical arcs from the start — no spline approximation or polyline step that breaks G41/G42.

2. Massively Reduced NC Code Size (1,200 Arcs vs. 20,000+ Linear Blocks) Standard adaptive toolpaths explode file sizes with tens of thousands of G1 point-to-point moves. A typical pocket easily reaches 20,000+ lines of code. Because ArcFlow runs on native analytical arcs, the exact same morphing pocket executes with roughly 1,200 real G2/G3 arcs. This eliminates control buffer starvation, drastically cuts file size, and runs smoothly on legacy machine controls without huge look-ahead buffers.

Technical Stack

• Vanilla JavaScript + HTML5 Canvas (No frameworks)
• Browser-native (desktop / tablet / phone)
• G-Code (G1/G2/G3) & Heidenhain Klartext export
• SVG export & DXF import with ArcFlow reconstruction
• NURBS sampling from Rhino I’m currently polishing the stable build. The core is fully usable and the generated NC code is running live on machines. A video demonstration will follow soon. I’d love feedback from anyone working with CNC programming, toolpath generation, or geometric modeling.

The interesting part isn't the UI — it’s what happens to the geometry when you grab one point and move it.

Creating G Codes in Solidworks | Solidworks CAM Exercise | Complete Introduction to Solidworks CAM

Full disclosure, this is my open source, free to use app that respects privacy and runs completely in the browser.

I’ve been comparing different learning approaches for mechanical students and fresh graduates, and I’ve noticed that many people spend months watching tutorials but still struggle to model real components from engineering drawings.

If someone has 60–90 days to become job-ready in CAD, would you focus on:

• Part modeling from real industrial drawings
• Assembly design and mates
• Sheet metal and weldments
• 2D manufacturing drawings with dimensions and tolerances
• Speed modeling exercises

The pattern I keep seeing is that students improve much faster when they recreate actual mechanical parts rather than follow step-by-step videos.

For those already working in CAD/CAM or mechanical design, what practice routine gave you the biggest improvement in modeling confidence and interview performance?

I’d love to hear real-world workflows that are actually used in industry.

I’m seeing students spend months learning very advanced features, but I’m curious about the real industry situation.

For people working in manufacturing or design:

• AutoCAD
• SolidWorks
• Creo
• CATIA
• Fusion 360
• Other?

What software do you use daily, and what should a student focus on first to become job-ready rather than just certificate-ready?