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Thread: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

  1. #41
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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    [QUOTE=RCaffin;1683044]Chris

    I have been reading the FC manual. OK, it has IF-THEN-ELSE and other very nice things, but there are a couple of things I could not find. Could you enlighten me please?

    Quite a bit of VB is possible.....

    Indeed no M4 would make for a peculiar controller !

    MIN & MAX: can be done with IF statement, but no shortcut?

    Give me an example of what you want to use this for.....

    Swap Axis: Mach allows you to swap two axes, such as Y and A. This can be very useful. Does FC?

    I never recall doing this via checkbox per say..... I think you would just open a machine "setup" file that is set accordingly. I'd bet if popular and not currently an option ( i'd dig around right now if i was not fighting rotator cuff surgery recovery.... just had it done..... geeez this thing hurts!)

    Mixed servo and stepper: can FC handle this? I have servo on XYZ and stepper on A.

    Never did it but asked once to use a servo x,y, stepper z machine... was told not a problem!

    EdingCNC: only 4 axes, no room for 5th?

    Could be......

    Yes, UCCNC does seem to be very similar to Mach3, doesn't it? One wonders whether the two companies might not have found it economic to combine their efforts?

    Sounds like initially designed just for mach but then made their own ??? I just do not know !

    Chris L


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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    > Indeed no M4 would make for a peculiar controller !
    I agree. And yet, the Ref Manual mentions M3 and M5 but (almostly pointedly) makes no mention of any M4 code.
    A defect in the Manual? A pretty serious one.

    > MIN & MAX: can be done with IF statement, but no shortcut?
    > Give me an example of what you want to use this for.....
    The simplest i can think of is g0 x[MIN[#1,#2]]
    I forget exactly what programming problem I was tackling at the time.

    > fighting rotator cuff surgery recovery.... just had it done..... geeez this thing hurts!)
    Erk! What did you do??? Oh well, take it SLOWLY.

    > Never did it but asked once to use a servo x,y, stepper z machine... was told not a problem!
    OK

    > Sounds like initially designed just for mach but then made their own ???
    Oh, the hardware was explicitly designed for use with Mach. The hardware manuals say so.
    But I was referring to the new UC software. It looks like a clone of mach3.
    I wonder if it has all the bugs of Mach3 ...

    Cheers
    Roger



  3. #43
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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    But I was referring to the new UC software. It looks like a clone of mach3.
    I wonder if it has all the bugs of Mach3 ...
    I think that UCCNC was developed because of the bugs in Mach3. It does not have the more serious Mach3 bugs, but I think it does have some bugs of it's own. This is mainly because it wasn't released that long ago, and is still in development. Also, without a large user base, sometimes bugs can be hard to find.
    They're working on a new version to support the more powerful UC300, but they're about 2 months behind schedule on it.

    I saw a side by side comparison of Mach3 and UCCNC last week. UCCNC was much smoother running with 3D carving g-code than Mach3.

    My theory is that they copied the look and feel of Mach3 to make it easy for Mach3 users to switch over. Even internally, it's similar to Mach3, so writing custom macros is similar to Mach3, even though it's a different language.
    The screen can be fully customized, but until that provide some documentation, it's a little tricky do.

    I think UCCNC has a lot of promise. In another year, it might be really, really good.

    I agree. And yet, the Ref Manual mentions M3 and M5 but (almostly pointedly) makes no mention of any M4 code.
    I just looked in the FlashCut manual. It points out that M3 and M5 (and several others) are custom defined M codes, and shows a screen where they are configured. It would appear to be very easy to add an M4 command.

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    Hi Ger

    All of what you said.
    Only 2 months behind? That's pretty good!
    I believe UC have another interface card coming Real Soon Now. I am waiting for it.

    FC and M4 - yeah, I could see how to add it, but leaving it out of the manual is just plain dumb.

    Meanwhile, Mach3 V.022 continues to run, mostly.

    Cheers
    Roger



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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    You raise an interesting finding..... I cracked the manual and see what you mean. I see that they do say "typical" m-codes are XXXXX..... perhaps they felt it not critical to spell it out because of that, well, and the fact that it is sitting there in every default setup I've seen..... but more importantly, in setup, you can just type in ANY number and assign it to an output line of choice.

    Min/Max...... perhaps when i can think straight, i can give that a look..... obviously could by applied via mdi......

    Shoulder..... older injury that got worse with recent construction work..... wow... tuff night. meds seemed to do liitle... only hopped in the forum to distract me. thsats not really working very well!

    uccnc.... i'm amazed on how small the hardware really is..... everyones black box concept is at least 3 times the physical size of theirs. H'mmmmm...

    Seriously..... i gotta heal more bfr i type this much !

    Chris L


  6. #46
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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    Only 2 months behind? That's pretty good!
    That would be 2 months and counting. It was supposed to be released around the end of January, but It's still not out.

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    just a little note, the flashcut is a controller works ""independently"" from windows and the main processor..
    while the uccnc is a ""soft"" control works trough on windows...

    just for those who weren't aware about..

    Gerry you might right about the cloud type programs.. mightbe im just too old and I feel better if something is in my property and run only from my computer..

    al so a question to you Gerry,,,

    have you checked uccnc if you can make sreenset for?



  8. #48
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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    just a little note, the flashcut is a controller works ""independently"" from windows and the main processor..
    while the uccnc is a ""soft"" control works trough on windows...
    No, Victor, they are both similar. Both use additional hardware to generate the step and direction signals.

    Flashcut uses it's USB board, and UCCNC uses its UC100 (And UC300 with next version).

    Gerry

    UCCNC 2017 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2017.html[/URL]

    Mach3 2010 Screenset
    [URL]http://www.thecncwoodworker.com/2010.html[/URL]

    JointCAM - CNC Dovetails & Box Joints
    [URL]http://www.g-forcecnc.com/jointcam.html[/URL]

    (Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management)


  9. #49
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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    it took a while i figured ..
    its a plug between breakout board and the computer usb...

    i just reading the manual.. it looks it wont work simply trough on the computer db 25..

    but still im confused a little.. need some time to read trough over and over ...



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    Default Re: Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

    Quote Originally Posted by RCaffin View Post
    Mixed servo and stepper: can FC handle this? I have servo on XYZ and stepper on A.
    I was told 100% yes to this specific question in a discussion with FC.

    My plan for my 5-axis build at one time was XYZ with servo, and A/B (or A/C) with Doughty drives, which are stepper only. FC said this would be no issue at all, any axis can be servo or stepper, they just need to know how you want it configured. I am now leaning back to all 5 axes being servo, and have picked up a few Harmonic Drive components to build the 4th and 5th axes, rather than going with the Doughty Drives (why is there SO little info posted about Doughty Drives?!)...

    CAD, CAM, Scanning, Modelling, Machining...


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Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?

Is Alibre the next best thing to Solidworks?