[entity-unknown]

I can say Adobe products are not capable of this because I was using Illustrator CS6 which is 100% vector and can print directly to a plotter using HP proprietary G-Code. Adobe does interpret correct ARC paths but it will not export them no matter what format you use. I learned this the hard way and I think it resulted in the demise of the gasket cutter despite the fact it was already on it's last leg.

Adobe Illustrator resulted in a pixel cut every time because it does not interpret those ARC commands in it's plotter export even when using the HP drivers. This resulted in erratic cuts that were damn near on point for an arc but you could tell an ARC was not used. With a CNC mill, I can see you getting away with this since the force is greater and the material removed is much less than vinyl/gasket material. You also have a constant rotating cutting surface vs. a static blade. Still you'd never get that perfect ARC much like 3D printing software.

Think of it like stop and go in city driving vs. highway driving. You get better gas mileage and longevity of your engine on the highway using constant speeds. Coordinate cutting is like in-city driving so you're always at a persistent stop and go which any motor/engine does not cope well with over time. As Rambo said, this is taxing on your cutting tool.

The simple story is there is no freeware utility that will offer you the ARC commands that I know of but it's not the end of your machining hobby/career especially if you know how to write/edit proper G-Code

[RamboBaby]

I worked in a sign shop several years back and the owner used illustrator with his plotter a lot. The only thing that he used more than illustrator was flexi sign.
He just exported extended post script files (.eps) and it was go-cat-go. I never saw that plotter hiccup. It just didn't care. Of course it was a $30,000 plotter/software package that he had on lease so that may have something to do with it.

[entity-unknown]

Another thought... Blender does great at axial and rotational validations. This means you can setup a part virtually to ensure they do not collide with others. From there the exported formats can go to AutoCAD formats so you can do your pre-checks and then export with AutoCAD. Considering the versatility of Blender, this is why it is complimentary to AutoCAD and a great starting platform. Still the 2D planar travel of your tool is very important to consider. If it's a rotary tool, life is good. If it's a static tool with one cutting plane, then life could suck.

[entity-unknown]

Rambo! We're both tearin up this thread

His Gasket Cutter never had issues for the longest time but it finally started not liking life so much. It was a 90s HP plotter with 15 years of service in the end despite the re-branding. It required more cutting force than vinyl due to material and thickness. So all was well in general but you could tell the performance difference between ARC cutting and coordinate cutting. The poor thing was already about to die and I had to repair several components but in the end it seemed like the linear cuts vs. ARCs were the final salts in the wound.

I'm curious about your buddy's exported format and/or printer drivers he used because who knows, maybe there's a useful difference when using the Adobe software suite.

[entity-unknown]

Hey Josh! Going around Thingiverse I find a lot of people use OpenSCAD and OpenSCAD just came out with Customizer which has really revolutionized CAD. I've seen it floating around for a few years now but it's really taken off the last three years in the user space. It's also Free!
I've done mostly modeling and things that work well for what Blender can do but I do believe I'm going to switch to this since pirating software doesn't always come with good benefits and can come with more headache than satisfaction, plus the occassional PC equivalent of VD.
I've seen some amazing projects and the documentation/drafting output it gives seems up to par with AutoCAD.

I've got some more stuff to design up soon so I might remember to post back here and tell you just how easy or PITA it is but in your research time, check it out!

I have used Libre CAD which is another very well known popular setup but I found it had limitations with exporting to G-Code and did not offer the arc commands. This may have changed in the last 4 years though.

[RamboBaby]

As I recall it was just .eps files he was exporting. I don't remember what type of plotter it was, only that he leased it from a company in alabama. He was supposed to be a graphics guru but i schooled his ass on many occasions. I remember telling him that i would prefer to create my vectors in photoshop and send them to illustrator for conversion to .eps. He told me that you can't do that because illustrator doesn't read photoshop vectors.
I told him
File > Export > Paths to Illustrator.
Some guru.

[entity-unknown]

We also have Adobe Bridge these days but yes Export is the easiest method

Back to AutoCAD pre-2k, OpenSCAD is definitely in the ballpark. Still it should fit the bill if you know coordinates and geometry. This is how true CAD is anyways so it's a worthy learning curve.