The Missing Workflow: A Beginner's Guide to G-Code, CAM, and the Genmitsu 3020-PRO Ultra

You’ve done it. The box is open, and the Genmitsu 3020-PRO Ultra CNC Router Machine is assembled. You can feel the potential in its solid all-metal frame. You can see the power in its 710W spindle. You are ready to turn your digital ideas into physical parts.

And then… you hit the wall.

You open the included software, “Candle,” and realize it’s just a blank screen with some buttons. There’s no “design” button. There’s no “import image” feature. You have a powerful, “well-made but useless” machine, as one user put it.

This is the single greatest hurdle for every new CNC operator, and the solution is not in the box. The truth is, your machine isn’t missing anything. You’ve just encountered the universal, three-part language that all professional CNC machines speak.

This is not just a guide to a machine; it’s a guide to the “missing” digital workflow. Let’s bridge the gap from pixel to part.

Part 1: Your Machine is the “What,” Not the “How”

First, let’s establish what you have. The 3020-PRO Ultra is your physical foundation. Its value lies in its hardware, which is designed to execute commands with precision.

• All-Metal Rigidity: In the CNC world, “rigidity is king.” When your cutting tool hits material, it creates immense vibration. On a flimsy machine, this “chatter” ruins your cut. The 3020-PRO Ultra’s all-metal construction, dual linear rails, and heavy-duty lead screws dampen this vibration. This stability is what allows experienced users to “machine aluminum very nicely,” a task impossible on lesser machines.
• Spindle Power (Torque): The 710W spindle isn’t just about speed (RPM); it’s about torque. Torque is the rotational strength to stay at a set speed even when the material is fighting back. This power, combined with strong stepper motors, is what lets you mill aluminum up to 1.5mm deep in a single pass.
• The Controller (GRBL): Inside, the machine runs on a GRBL controller. This is the machine’s brain. It understands one language and one language only: G-Code.

Your machine is a powerful, obedient soldier. It’s waiting for orders. Your job is to learn how to write those orders.

Part 2: The Three-Step Workflow (The “How”)

The reason your machine didn’t come with “design software” is the same reason a new printer doesn’t come with Microsoft Word. The machine is an output device. It’s separate from the creation process. This process is a standardized, three-step “toolchain.”

Step 1: CAD (Computer-Aided Design) — The Blueprint

This is where your idea is born. It’s the “drawing” part. You create your digital blueprint, defining shapes, lines, and dimensions. This is what you thought the machine should come with.

• What it is: A digital drawing board.
• Common Software:
  • Easel (Free, Easiest): A browser-based tool perfect for 2D carving (signs, cutouts). It’s the best place to start.
  • Autodesk Fusion 360 (Free for Personal Use): The standard for 3D modeling. This is what you’ll use for complex, 3D parts.
  • Adobe Illustrator / Inkscape (Free): Vector-based drawing tools, great for artistic designs and signs.
• Output: You’ll typically export your design as an .svg (for 2D) or .step (for 3D) file.

Step 2: CAM (Computer-Aided Manufacturing) — The Strategy

This is the most critical and most overlooked step. CAM is the “brain” of the operation. It’s the brilliant strategist that turns your dumb drawing into a set of smart instructions.

• What it is: A strategy planner. You import your CAD drawing and define how to cut it.
• Your Job in CAM:
  1. Define Stock: You tell the software, “My piece of wood is 10” x 8” and 0.75” thick.”
  2. Select Tools: You say, “I will use a 1/8” flat end mill for the cutout and a 60-degree V-bit for the text.”
  3. Create Toolpaths: You select the “text” vector and say, “Engrave this 0.1” deep.” You select the “outer shape” and say, “Cut this all the way through in 4 passes.”
  4. Set “Feeds and Speeds”: You define the spindle RPM and the “feed rate” (how fast the machine moves). This is a crucial skill learned over time, balancing speed with material limitations (e.g., slow RPMs for aluminum, fast RPMs for wood).
• Common Software:
  • Easel (Built-in): Easel combines basic CAD and CAM. This is why it’s so popular for beginners.
  • Fusion 360 (Built-in): Has a powerful, professional-grade CAM workspace.
• Output: The CAM software “posts” (exports) its instructions as a text file. This file is your G-Code. It looks like this:
  > G0 Z10
  > G1 X10 Y15 F800
  > G1 Z-2 F300
  > G1 X50 Y15 F800

Think of G-Code as the sheet music for your CNC.

Step 3: Control (G-Code Sender) — The Conductor

This is where your included software, Candle, finally comes in.

• What it is: A G-Code Sender. It’s the conductor that reads the sheet music (G-Code) and directs the orchestra (your 3020-PRO Ultra).
• Its ONLY Job:
  1. Connect to your CNC’s GRBL controller via USB.
  2. Load your G-Code file (e.g., my_sign.nc).
  3. Help you set your “zero” point (telling the machine exactly where the corner of your material is).
  4. Press “Play.”
• Candle cannot design, edit, or create anything. It is purely an execution tool. This is why it’s free and simple. It does one job, and it does it well.

Part 3: A Practical Walkthrough (Pixel to Part)

Let’s make this real. Here is your first project, bridging the exact gap you’re facing.

1. The Goal: Carve a simple “Welcome” sign.
2. The Workflow:
   • CAD/CAM (Easel):
     1. Go to Easel.Inventables.com and create a free account.
     2. Set your material size to match the wood you’ve clamped to your 3020-PRO Ultra.
     3. Use the “Text” tool to type “WELCOME.”
     4. Select the text. In the “Cut” panel, set the depth to 0.1 inches.
     5. In the “Tool” panel, select a “V-Bit” (e.g., 60-degree).
     6. Easel automatically generates the toolpaths (the blue lines you see).
     7. Go to Machine > Export > Export G-Code. Save the file as welcome.nc.
   • Control (Candle):
     1. Open Candle and connect to your machine.
     2. Secure your material to the machine’s bed.
     3. Using the movement buttons in Candle, jog the machine until the tip of your V-bit is just touching the bottom-left corner of your material.
     4. This is your “zero.” Click the “Zero XY” and “Zero Z” buttons. The machine now knows where “0,0,0” is.
     5. Jog the Z-axis up a little to clear the material.
     6. Click “Load” and open your welcome.nc file. You will see a visualization of the toolpath.
     7. Put on your safety glasses.
     8. Turn on your 710W spindle.
     9. In Candle, click “Send.”

You are now watching your Genmitsu 3020-PRO Ultra execute your G-Code. You have completed the entire workflow.

Part 4: Your Journey from Operator to Machinist

This workflow is your key. Once you understand it, everything else falls into place.

• Experimenting with Materials: You can now see how a user like Joe B. experiments with carving Braille. He isn’t fighting the software; he’s experimenting with tool selection and cut depths in his CAM program.
• Upgrading and Accessories: You’ll realize, as another user did, that a “dust boot” is a vital addition to manage chips. You’ll start exploring a fourth axis, or “tool compensation” (an advanced CAM feature), because you now understand where in the process those features are controlled.
• Making Money: The path to “making money with your CNC” isn’t about the machine; it’s about mastering the CAD-to-CAM process. People pay for good design and efficient manufacturing, which is a skill you now have the foundation to build.

The Genmitsu 3020-PRO Ultra is not a plug-and-play appliance. It’s a serious tool. Its hardware provides a stable, powerful, and precise platform, giving you a foundation that won’t limit you as your skills grow.

Your journey began with unboxing a machine. But the real journey—the one from operator to machinist—begins when you grasp this three-part digital language. The magic isn’t in the hardware; it’s in knowing how to command it.