cad/cam, what are you guys using?

[jacampb2]

I have been using Acad autodesk '06 for a few years now, and have gotten fairly good with it, both for 2d and 3d modeling. From reading my mach3 manual again, a cam program or post processor is highly recommended. So, what software are you guys using? Preferably affordably priced. I haven't looked at the included software with mach3, haven't had time yet. I know I saw a lot of discussion in a thread a while back, but I am not turning it up. I could have sworn it was one of Evan's threads, but I am not seeing it. If you have the link, that is fine by me too.

Anyhow, I would like to be able to do 3d, or is it 2.5d, I am not really sure what the heck the difference is.

Tell me what you all recommend.

Thanks,
Jason

[BobWarfield]

Rhino3D for CAD, OneCNC for CAM. That latter is nice, but not cheap. I talked them into a student discount, and it still wasn't cheap. But it is a nice package.

Cheers,

BW

[mochinist]

acad and solidworks for cad and featurecam for cad/cam, nothing cheap though. You might try searching thru a few of Evans threads from this year, I think he is using cambam now, but not positive.

these two links will give you a better idea of what the differance between 2.5d and 3d is

http://www.featurecam.com/general/so...turemill2d.asp
http://www.featurecam.com/general/so...turemill3d.asp

[jacampb2]

Thanks guys, I will keep researching today, I was out of time last night, and thought you all might have some good suggestions. I will look through the posted software first.

Thanks,
Jason

[brian Rupnow]

I am a design engineer, and work in 3D Solidworks. It is an amazing program, and I can not say enough good things about it. if I want to export to a shop for CNC work I can export in .dwg, .dxf, or .iges formats. www.rupnowdesign.com

[jacampb2]

Thanks! I tried to learn solidworks back in the late '90s(?) I never had a lot of luck with it. I probably did not put enough effort into it, as I picked up Acad fairly easily when I had a need for it. Out of curiosity, are you saying solidworks is easier to model in over all, or just for 3d assemblies.

Thanks,
Jason

[Evan]

I am using CamBam now for most of my CAM work. However the version I am using isn't publicly available as it is in beta test. For CAD I use a variety of programs from a very old copy to Turbo Cad to several of the free trial packages to plain old finger cam.

[jacampb2]

Okay, I have been reading for about 2hrs about 2.5 vs. 3d and I am still confused. It appears that 2.5d basically means a 3d shape can be machined from several layers of different depth cuts, but cannot machine any overhangs.

I think this will be sufficient for my machine, but I do have a 4th axis rotab that I intend to use eventually. Will 2.5d cam handle things like gears and spline machined w/ a 4th axis?

Thanks for the answers so far. I did search back through Evans post, I thought for sure he listed all of the software he is using in one of the threads, maybe it was in a reply to someone else, and I only searched his threads. Anyhow, I can't find it, but cambam looks pretty nice. I will probably try it out.

Thanks,
Jason

[brian Rupnow]

Thanks! I tried to learn solidworks back in the late '90s(?) I never had a lot of luck with it. I probably did not put enough effort into it, as I picked up Acad fairly easily when I had a need for it. Out of curiosity, are you saying solidworks is easier to model in over all, or just for 3d assemblies.

Thanks,
Jason

Solidworks is easier for everything!!! First you design the parts---This is fairly simple, as you draw and dimension one face of the part, same as in 2D---then you extrude it to the proper depth to create the 3D part model. After you make all the "parts" which are saved as "part files", you drag and drop all the individual "parts" into an assembly. Solidworks provides you with tools to assemble these parts, same as you would use in real life with real parts. For instance, if 2 parts have bolt holes that are bolted together, you highlight the two circular faces and put a "concentric" mate on them---this will align the two holes. Then you decide which faces on the 2 parts would be next to one and other, and highlight the 2 faces and put a "coincident" mate on them. This moves the two faces of the parts together. then the only freedom of movement the 2 parts have is the fact that they can rotate about the centerline of the bolt hole, so you select 2 faces and either put a coincident mate on them or an angle mate to fix that third range of movement. You can assemble over 1000 peices this way on a complex machine!!! Then this file is saved as an "assembly" file. To make 2D drawings, you just drag and drop the parts or assemblies into a predefined "drawing" sheet, and it creates all the views automatically. you never have to 'draw". You create parts and assembly files, and all the "drawing" is a fully automated function. Remember---You have already defined the math data of the parts and assemblies when you created them. Its probably not quite as simple as I make it sound, ---- I use it 8 hours a day 5 days a week, and I teach courses in it as well, but it certainly is a wonderfull program.---Brian

[oldtiffie]

I have been using Acad autodesk '06 for a few years now, and have gotten fairly good with it, both for 2d and 3d modeling. From reading my mach3 manual again, a cam program or post processor is highly recommended. So, what software are you guys using? Preferably affordably priced. I haven't looked at the included software with mach3, haven't had time yet. I know I saw a lot of discussion in a thread a while back, but I am not turning it up. I could have sworn it was one of Evan's threads, but I am not seeing it. If you have the link, that is fine by me too.

Anyhow, I would like to be able to do 3d, or is it 2.5d, I am not really sure what the heck the difference is.

Tell me what you all recommend.

Thanks,
Jason

I thought that given the number of posts that it might be timely to re-visit Jason's Original Post (OP) - see above quote.

Toasty Death (TD) in his post at his post #57 at:
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/sho...5&postcount=57
did an excellent job of addressing issues that I had raised at my post #65 at:
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/sho...0&postcount=56

Some further relevant issues at the following concurrent thread at posts my #5 and #7 and John Stevenson's post #8 at:
http://bbs.homeshopmachinist.net/showthread.php?t=28861

So to keep it in the context of the (I hope) typical HSM-er who may have or be interested in CNC at non-Professional/Academic level, I thought I'd press on.

Those who are or continue to want to read or explore the Professional/Academic level should/can read/refer to the excellent and informative posts between lazlo and Evan on this thread.

For myself, TD's advice that a step/move value of 0.0001" (1 tenth) should suffice for a/the HSM environment seemed very reasonable.

That suggests that a 0.2000" lead ball-screw would need 0.2000/0.0001 = 2,000 pulses per revolution of the ball-screw.

He also suggested that cutting a circle on a HSM machine (my presumption) using say Mach3 should not exceed 40" per minute. That suggests - for circles - the ball-screw should not exceed 40/0.2 = 200 RPM which means a pulse rate - as I understand it - of 200 x 2,000 = 400, 000 (4 x 10^5) pulses per minute = 6,666.6667 = 6.667 x 10^3 pulses per second.

OK now? If not please advise.

As the CNC process relies on dead-recking (ie where it - the table - should be) as opposed to knowing where it is (by feed-back as would be the case in a servo system) the only apparent way of knowing where the table actually is relative the the "X" and "Y" ways is to use absolute measurements via a very good Digital Read-out (DRO) system. That might assist in finding errors due to "back-lash", "end-float" and "gib adjustment" etc.

So the quality and rigidity of the machine and its set-up are very relevant as well.

So, as those may be regarded as "given" the only variables that we (or at least I) need to know are those as asked by the OP are or seem to be:

1.
what is the best "bang for buck" CAD system/software?:

2.
what is the best "bang for buck" post-processor?:

3.
what is the best "bang for buck" CNC system/software?:

4.
and if the answer to (3) is not Mach3, why isn't it?