05 / 10 · Desktop CNC program viewer
quickPreview
Desktop app that shows what a CNC program will do to a panel before it runs.
- Windows
- 64-bit · 32-bit
- Tests
- 58 unit · 10 E2E
- Coverage
- 92.9 %
- Languages
- hr · en
quickPreview opens .cix programs, the format Biesse CNC machines use, and draws the panel with its holes, cuts, edge banding and milling. An operator scans the barcode on a part and the matching program opens, so it can be checked before it runs.
I built it alone, from the parser to the installer. It ships as one installer for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows, with automatic updates.
Context
- Workshops get CNC programs as files. An operator needs a quick way to see what a program will do to a panel without opening CAD software, and to find the right program for the part in hand.
What I built
- A parser for .cix programs and a 2D drawing of the panel with holes, cuts, edge banding and milling, with zoom and a details panel.
- Barcode scanning through a keyboard scanner or a serial port, which opens the matching program from a folder.
- A layout in the style of CAD programs: menu bar, tool strip, file list, details tabs and a status bar, in Croatian and English.
- Device licensing, usage events and automatic updates through a public release feed.
- One Electron build for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows, after replacing the native modules that blocked 32-bit.
How it works
- The parser reads the program's macros and turns them into shapes on the panel.
- The scanner listens to keyboard input or a COM port, matches the code with a file name and opens the file.
- Licences are checked against the Corpus backend, and updates come from GitHub releases.
Screens
Screens show demo data.
A loaded CIX program: file list, board drawing and the Summary tab. The Holes tab lists every drilling with its side, position, diameter and depth. Setup steps for the barcode scanner that opens programs by part label. Scan history for the session, newest first. Start screen: drop a .cix file or load a whole folder of programs.
Outcome
- Version 1.0.0 released in October 2026 for 64-bit and 32-bit Windows.
- 58 unit tests and 10 end-to-end tests, with 92.9 % coverage in SonarQube.