The ubiquitous best hobby priced CAD program ..

[Tony Wells]

I'd guess the CAM part is where the money is anyway. If you have a shop, and are commercial, then you should be making money with your CNC machines and can afford to spend the bucks on a full blown CADCAM system. I wouldn't be at all surprised though if there were an open source Linux based CADCAM package. Of course, unless you were already Unix/Linux familiar, it would be a double learning experience. I can tell you that learning a CADCAM package isn't easy, in any case. I have an older copy of MasterCam version 9 I believe), and although I don't have any CNC machinery at this point, I may someday. I've had a little OJT with a couple of really sharp programmers, but it would still be a challenge to pull it off. And I say that after being around CNC since about 1987. I haven't spent a great deal of time running them, but I can, and I have. I have also written a handful of programs. Again, it would be tough for me to jump in and make good parts at a profit. If I were a hobbyist, and had the time and no profit margin to maintain, it would be different. It would probably even be fun then.

[ETC57]

(03-14-2012, 03:47 PM)Tony Wells Wrote: I'd guess the CAM part is where the money is anyway. If you have a shop, and are commercial, then you should be making money with your CNC machines and can afford to spend the bucks on a full blown CADCAM system. I wouldn't be at all surprised though if there were an open source Linux based CADCAM package. Of course, unless you were already Unix/Linux familiar, it would be a double learning experience. I can tell you that learning a CADCAM package isn't easy, in any case. I have an older copy of MasterCam version 9 I believe), and although I don't have any CNC machinery at this point, I may someday. I've had a little OJT with a couple of really sharp programmers, but it would still be a challenge to pull it off. And I say that after being around CNC since about 1987. I haven't spent a great deal of time running them, but I can, and I have. I have also written a handful of programs. Again, it would be tough for me to jump in and make good parts at a profit. If I were a hobbyist, and had the time and no profit margin to maintain, it would be different. It would probably even be fun then.

I find that spending time and money on projects that do not require an accounting for later is always fun!!

My son in law gave me auto cad 2012 the student version so I could try to wrap my head around it, then my wife got me auto cad for dummies( point taken )
FUN TIMES!!!!

Jerry.

[DaveH]

One of the nice things about Alibre.


  FinalAssembly.pdf (Size: 294.34 KB / Downloads: 18)

You should be able to move it about and see transparent views (give it a few seconds to load properly)

Dave

[stevec]

(03-14-2012, 04:42 PM)DaveH Wrote: (give it a few seconds to load properly)
Dave

Ya sure Dave, what kinda screamin' high speed are you connected to?
(just jealous)

[DaveH]

(03-14-2012, 05:44 PM)stevec Wrote: Ya sure Dave, what kinda screamin' high speed are you connected to?
(just jealous)

Hi Steve,
Did it not work too good?

DaveH

[arvidj]

(03-14-2012, 09:53 AM)Tony Wells Wrote: That's where the CAM part kicks in. You can draw or model your project, but to generate the code that CNC machines use to create the actual part, you need CAM to import the model file so tool paths can be generated. The control of the CNC machine reads the code to move and cut according to the model file parameters. Otherwise, the old-school way was to use a piece of software and a drawing to create the code. It can still be done that way, but some feature are pretty awkward to program manually. I don't know of a economy version of CAM right off my head. I have gotten away from CNC machining, and don't use it in my shop.

I think I understood the CAD -> CAM -> Controller -> Machine flow. Having developed software in many languages for 30 years the hand coded gcode process would probably not be a big issue … at least not the coding part … feeds, speeds, most efficient algorithms, best practices, etc. … would still be a learning experience but the brutal logical flow of it all would not be an issue.

But rather than start at the hand coded assembler language level of 30 years ago I prefer to go with the equivalent of a sophisticated Integrated Development Environment that a CAD – CAM – Controller – Machine scenario would offer … assuming it would not break the bank. Hence the questions related to “if I get xxx CAD will the information easily flow to yyy CAM, the next step in the chain”. What I am hearing in this thread is that any 2D CAD program will not capture nor export information that is suitable for any CAM program and therefore is not suitable for a future CNC endeavor.

[arvidj]

(03-14-2012, 12:09 PM)DaveH Wrote: There is Alibre ..... https://www.alibre.com/

This does 3D modelling, and for home use it is a couple of hundred $. (it was $100)

Dave,

I am assuming you are talking about the PE version. It looks like it will export .stl files and there appears to be several inexpensive CAM applications that will import the .stl and create gcode. Do you have any experience in that area?

(03-14-2012, 04:42 PM)DaveH Wrote: One of the nice things about Alibre.

What version of Alibre did you use to create this?

(03-14-2012, 04:17 PM)ETC57 Wrote: My son in law gave me auto cad 2012 the student version so I could try to wrap my head around it, then my wife got me auto cad for dummies( point taken )

Regretfully ... or maybe not ... do not have any relatives in school thought the wife would agree that multiple "For Dummies ..." books could apply.

Arvid

[Tony Wells]

Pretty much true. Although lathe work generally has only 2D, most of the CAM programs are designed to work with 3D model files that modern CAD programs export. The one thing about an integrated CADCAM system is there is no translation required to get it to output code. You do have to acquire, or build a post-processor that will output code that each make/model of control uses though. They all seem to be a little different. Here's a sampling of the accepted 3D file formats that you must export from your CAD program:
Pro/ENGINEER (*.PRT.*)
SolidWorks (*.SLDPRT)
Rhino 3D (*.3DM)
STEP (*.STEP/*.STP)
IGES (*.IGES/*.IGS)
Parasolid (*.X_T)
ACIS (*.SAT)
Neutral (*.NEU)
Naturally, there are others, but I think you know enough to realize what's involved, so I won't lecture you. You can, of course, hand code in G and M codes, but if your part is complex, it can be a chore.

[DaveH]

Arvid,

That's correct I have the PE version, I have never used .stl files. I just use it as for "modelling". Like the little wobbler I can draw it all in Alibre PE, then assemble it to make sure it all fits. I can do the simple motion - like turn the fly wheel (with the mouse) and everything will run in unison. The crank, will turn, the piston goes up and down the cylinder rocks.
So I don't use it for CNC work at all.

The fly wheel was done on a CNC Sherline mill, to do that I draw the fly wheel in 2D cad (TurboCad) I then use Cut2D http://www.vectric.com/WebSite/Vectric/c..._index.htm
from Vectric to generate the Gcode.

DaveH

[Tony Wells]

Not being familiar with the Sherline controls at all, how does it handle the Z axis when there are none in the drawing? Do you have to input that information in Vectric?