Feachr.it uses a camera to locate features on your workpiece and turn them into references for CNC operations. Start by setting up your camera and controller. Then create a Feachr in a project and use it to define an operation.

Guides and concepts

Already set up? Jump straight to the area you’re working with.

Workspace guides

Project Overview

Create a project and find its Feachrs, Operations, Tools, and Materials.

Feachrs — Create, Position, Pattern, and Manage

Create and position geometry, edit coordinates, duplicate, pattern, and manage Feachrs.

Concepts

Concepts — Camera Position and Tool Position

Understand the camera reference, tool offset, centering presets, and DRO movement modes.

Concepts — Feachr Tags and Snaps

Read tag coordinates and angles, align a Line to an edge, and position a Polygon.

Concepts — Tracing Corners, Lines, and Circles

Trace camera edges, guide the fit with foreground and background points, and refine the result.

Getting started

1. Install Feachr.it and sign in. Start at feachr.it and open the Windows desktop app. Sign in or create an account.
2. Mount your camera and connect your CNC. Aim the camera at the work surface and confirm that Feachr.it shows a live image. Connect and initialize your CNC controller before mapping the camera.
3. Open Camera Setup. Use Print Tags to get the calibration sheet. Follow Camera Mapping and Tool Position, then use Try it! to check that the camera and tool can each return to the sheet’s center. Mapping and the position checks can move the machine. Check the travel path before confirming motion.
4. Create a project. Open Projects and choose Create a new project. Open the project to find its Feachrs, operations, tools, and materials.
5. Create a Feachr and add an operation. Use the Feachrs catalog to create a geometric reference. In Operations, choose Add from catalog, pick an operation, and supply the geometry and parameters it calls for. Review the setup and preview the result before proceeding to machine execution.

Find your way around

• Camera Setup maps what the camera sees to the work surface and records the offset between the camera and tool.
• Projects brings together the geometry, operations, tools, and materials for a job.
• Feachrs are geometric references on the workpiece, such as a point, line, circle, rectangle, or path. For example, a point can mark where you want to drill, and a line can define the center of a slot.
• Operations use Feachrs and machining settings to generate toolpaths. In technical documentation, a Paper Tool is a registered Python implementation of a CAM operation.
• Tools describe the physical cutters used for the job. Materials describe the stock you’re machining.

If you get stuck

• Camera image missing: Check that Windows sees the camera and that Feachr.it is using the intended camera.
• Camera mapping unavailable: Check that the controller is connected and initialized. In Camera Setup, confirm the tag sheet is visible in the live image.