What is GibbsCAM?
GibbsCAM is a software suite for programming CNC machines. It supports many different types of machining operations, including mill-turn, Swiss, and electrical discharge machining. It can be used to program pretty much any CNC machine: even the most complex multi-turret multi-spindle five-axis setups are supported. Furthermore, GibbsCAM can simulate the machining process by itself, which reduces the need for test runs and makes CNC programming quicker and cheaper. Thanks to GibbsCAM’s large library of configurations, most machines will be automatically recognized, and you will be able to quickly switch between multiple pre-configured tool setups. For more precise control, you can also place tools and fixtures manually. As CNC programming can be a very complex process, it’s very important to have intuitive tools that improve productivity. GibbsCAM is perfect for that, too: it has a relatively simple interface that can be easily understood by anyone familiar with CNC machines. Unfortunately, it is not available on Mac or Linux; it doesn’t make economical sense to provide these versions. Despite this, it is possible to run GibbsCAM on Mac, if need be. Learn about the best ways to accomplish that by reading the guide below.
How to run GibbsCAM on Mac
The easiest way to run GibbsCAM on Mac or MacBook is virtualization software. Despite the fact that emulators usually demand quite a lot of computing power out of a Mac, some of them (e.g. Parallels, VirtualBox, and VMWare) can be used to run Windows programs on OS X with minimal losses in the performance of your machine. Moreover, some of them support hardware acceleration, which can help with running graphically demanding apps and games. Also, they allow you to quickly switch between Windows and macOS desktops and copy any files between them.
Run GibbsCAM on Mac with Parallels
If you wish to run GibbsCAM on Mac, Parallels Desktop can be a solution. This is an application that allows for Windows virtualization on Mac, and has full support for GPU acceleration. In simpler terms, what this means is that it allows you to install Windows 10 on Mac with just a couple of clicks and switch between macOS and Windows instantly. So you will be able to run Windows and install GibbsCAM just like on a regular PC.
Run GibbsCAM on Mac with other virtualization programs
Another popular virtualization program is VMware Fusion. It can be used to run many operating systems, like Windows, Linux, and FreeBSD. It also supports hardware acceleration, so it can be use to run GPU-intensive applications and most modern games.
You can also try VirtualBox, Wine, and QEMU, however, these programs are not very accessible to users and require advanced computer skills to use.
Run GibbsCAM on a remote server
If you have a powerful Windows-based server and a fast internet connection, you can run GibbsCAM on this machine and connect to it with your Mac. You can use TeamViewer, AnyDesk, or other software for this purpose.
Run GibbsCAM on Mac with Boot Camp (for Intel Macs only)
Note: Mac computers with Apple Silicon chips (all M1, M2, and M3-based models, including those with Pro, Max, and Ultra versions of CPUs) do not support BootCamp. In this case, use the options above to run GibbsCAM on Mac.
BootCamp is a program for Intel-based Macs that allows you to install multiple operating systems on your Mac. However, you won’t be able to switch between systems like in Parallels. Instead, you will need to reboot your machine every time you want to switch from Mac to Windows and vice versa. Additionally, you will need at least 64 GB of free space on your device; this space will be used to store Windows operating system and all Windows apps. To set up Windows via BootCamp, please, do the following:
Important: macOS versions prior to OS X El Capitan 10.11 require a bootable Windows USB.
- Download Windows ISO file
- Open Boot Camp Assistant (Go to Applications > Utilities)
- Define the Windows partition size choose downloaded Windows ISO file
- Format Windows partition and go through all Windows installation steps
- When Windows boots for the first time follow on-screen instructions to install Boot Camp and Windows support software (drivers)