Any BobCAD user out there?

[BigBoy1]

I have bought the BobCAD software package and am struggling with using it. If I had know that the "Help" package was as poor as it is, I would have not invested my money in the software.

Since I have bought the software, I'm trying to learn how to use it. Does anyone have any manuals or know of a users site where questions can be submitted? I've submitted e-mail questions directly to the BobCAD company and they have gone unanswered. Appreciate any assistance.

Bill

[John Stevenson]

Bill,
Not used it for years but I'm told there are some training CD's out there that are very good also a site run by an Ex Bobcad employee who is well respected

http://www.cadcamtrainer.com/

.

[japcas]

Not trying to put you off on another forum Bill but the cnc zone has a forum dedicated to Bobcad, as well as other cad programs. Click at the top on Home Page to see all of the other subcategories that they have available. There link is below.

http://www.cnczone.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=23

[Dawai]

No but it took me near a year to get my money back on the bobcad package I bought..

Blue screen of death.. I think seventy revisions from purchase to end of cycle here when the check arrived.

The gcode it produces is not very efficient either.

Not that I hold a grudge, but them people can kiss my @@@.

[bobhdus]

Did you ever get it figured out? I just bought the new V23 version. Already had to call tech support and don't even have it running yet. My Windows Vista has to have its compatability settings adjusted. Hope I don't run into more issues as the free tech support is only good for a short period of time. Then you have to pay for more. I was wanting to master the Bob Art stuff. Should be able to make my money back that was spent is short time I hope. I am used to MasterCam and its complicated as well.

[BigBoy1]

I went to a CNC machining website and they helped solve a lot of problems. It was from the website, NOT BobCAD, I learned that they have a set of instructional videos. I called BobCAD and bought the set and a whole lot of questions have been answered. Why BobCAD doesn't include the instructional videos in their software package is beyond me. Even if the increased the price of the software package to include the videos, they would buy a whole lot of customer satisfaction.

Bill

[sansbury]

If you don't buy the videos they usually call you every day for a month to see if you want to buy them. I agree that they are almost essential if you are new to Bobcad. The included documentation was useless to me until after I watched the videos. That said the videos are no great shakes either. I find the CAD functionality to be very non-intuitive to work with and the examples in the video are very simplistic. So the first time you go to use a feature to make a part you have a hard time figuring out how it really works.

I am OK with non-intuitive tools when there is a User Guide or something else to help puzzle it out by myself, but BCC offers almost nothing. As a software professional myself I think this is one of the biggest reasons they get so many customers who are completely unhappy with a product that many others are able to use successfully.

[bobhdus]

I tried to enroll with the http://www.cadcamtrainer.com/ link above. Never did get the verification e-mail they said would be sent to me. I tried to use the contact address and daemon mailer spits it back as a dead address. Anyone know if that site is still active? I am also struggling as I first bought BobCad to use on my Linux OS Sherline CNC Mill. Of course Linux does not do .exe files (or does it?). So I put BobCad on my laptop which I am hoping will let me save the Gcode to a word document and burn to disc or stick which Linux should be able to translate. I guess my problems are not so much BobCad as it is unfamiliarity which PC's and software/ CNC stuff in general. I still bought it at a great price. The demo was not too bad. Will see for sure when its activated and try to emboss and engrave photos on material. Anyone else using a Sherline mill with the factory installed Linux and EMC CNC options?

[Mcruff]

Yes Sorin's forum is still active othe than Sorin hasn't been around much as he was diagnosed with early Luekemia last June. I took Sorin's course last march and it helped alot even though I have been using Bobcad for 10 years or so.
I can help with most things from version 19, 20 and 21 and although I have version 22 I don't use it alot, so there are things I still don't do quite right. On the Bobacd forum of CNCzone the users, Boston and The One are pretty much pros on this software and can usually help with anything!!!

[gn3dr]

There's also a dedicated Bobcad forum here which is very good.

http://www.bobcadsupport.com/forum/index.php

The Bobcad forum on cnc zone is OK but there tends to be a lot of complainers on there who just bitch and moan.