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CAM Integration

Any CAM or post-processing tool can send a finished program straight to ncSender and have it load, ready to run, without saving a file and opening it by hand. ncSender exposes a small HTTP API on the computer it runs on, and the whole integration is a single request.

This page is written for CAM developers and for anyone scripting their own "send to machine" step.

What ncSender accepts

Plain-text G-code for grbl-based controllers (grblHAL, FluidNC). Any file extension works; .nc, .gcode, .ngc and .tap are the usual ones. The file is stored in the user's G-code library and becomes the active program immediately, exactly as if it had been opened from the file dialog.

The request

ncSender listens on port 8090 by default. Send the program as a multipart/form-data upload:

POST http://<ncsender-host>:8090/api/gcode-files
Content-Type: multipart/form-data
Field Required Meaning
file yes The G-code file. The filename you give is what the user sees in ncSender.
folder no A subfolder in the user's G-code library to store it in, for example MillMage. Created if needed.

On success the response is:

{ "success": true, "path": "MillMage/part-01.nc" }

and the program is loaded in ncSender. A file above the size limit (200 MB by default) is refused with HTTP 413 and a JSON error message.

<ncsender-host> is localhost when CAM and ncSender run on the same computer. When ncSender runs on a machine-side computer, use that computer's hostname or IP address on the local network.

Examples

curl -F "file=@part-01.nc" -F "folder=MillMage" http://localhost:8090/api/gcode-files

import requests

with open("part-01.nc", "rb") as f:
    r = requests.post(
        "http://localhost:8090/api/gcode-files",
        files={"file": ("part-01.nc", f)},
        data={"folder": "MillMage"},
        timeout=30,
    )
r.raise_for_status()
print(r.json()["path"])

Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "http://localhost:8090/api/gcode-files" -Method Post `
  -Form @{ file = Get-Item "part-01.nc"; folder = "MillMage" }

using var http = new HttpClient();
using var form = new MultipartFormDataContent();
form.Add(new StreamContent(File.OpenRead("part-01.nc")), "file", "part-01.nc");
form.Add(new StringContent("MillMage"), "folder");
var response = await http.PostAsync("http://localhost:8090/api/gcode-files", form);
response.EnsureSuccessStatusCode();

What to put in a CAM "Send to ncSender" feature

Three settings cover every setup:

  • Host — default localhost
  • Port — default 8090
  • Folder — optional, a good default is the CAM product's name

Then a button or menu item next to the existing export that posts the file the post-processor just wrote. Show the returned path or a short "Sent to ncSender" confirmation, and surface the error text from a non-2xx reply.

Checking that ncSender is reachable

GET http://<host>:8090/api/health returns HTTP 200 when ncSender is running. Useful for greying out the button or giving a clear "ncSender is not running" message instead of a connection error.

Notes

  • The port is set in Settings → General → Remote Control Port on the ncSender computer. A CAM "Port" setting must match it. See Remote Access.
  • Uploads work even when Allow Remote Control is off. Remote clients can always manage files.

  • A sent program goes through the same plugin transforms as a file opened by hand.

  • One request loads one program. Sending another file replaces the loaded program, which is the normal "post again after a change" workflow.

  • ncSender never starts a job on its own. The operator still presses Cycle Start on the machine side, so sending a program is always safe.
  • The stored copy lives in the user's G-code library under the folder you chose, so previously sent programs stay available in ncSender's file browser.