Hi,I am using a 2.5D Gibbs Cam package for the last 8 years and have found it excellent.Basically you draw up in 2d in the gibbs or import in a dxf cad drawing in 2d into the gibbs and use this drawing to do your cnc program by just selecting cutter type etc and set your depth for machining and it will do it.Very basic but here is where it gets good,If you have a rectangular hole that you want to mill with a draft angle on the inside you can using a standard endmill to contour(take small cuts) and create the desired shape.The problem with this program is that if one wall of the rectangular hole needs to be a different angle it will NOT do it.Also if you want to cut a curved shape into the wall you can do this by also drawing somewhere seperate on the screen a "drive curve" so you select your rectangle and instead of giving it a zdepth and angle you select what is called a swept shape and it will cut the rectangular pocket with a drivecurved wall.I think Gibbs do a direct input version for solidworks models that is very reasonable.Remember to ask whoever is supplying your software do they have a postproccesor to suit your machine and its controller.Hope this helps.Regards.  |