I am looking hard at Visual Mill.... I need 3d capable CAM software with importing of IGES, and or DXF (3d) for maching on a 3 axis router. GOOD documentation, good machine path generation....

ANY opinions on VM ?

Whats comparible to it ?

I bought Bobcad..... now looking for something better....

Whats your range?
There's lots out there:p :p

My range is about 1500-2000

That's not a bad budget. Mastercam has a really nice package. Great posting abilities with fully modifiable posts, and excellent support via resellers and the forums.

'Rekd teh Computers follow your orders, not your intentions.

We just got VM4 and no problems. Already done a couple of 3D parts. The only thing is I have to wait for changes because you can not modify the part in VM4.

:rolleyes: Let me know where to pick up Mastercam 3D for 1500-2000.

CASTGUY don't hold your breath for MC in the under 2000 range..
Sorry. maybe he thought looking real fast he wrote 15000 to 20000.

Originally posted by castguy2003
:rolleyes: Let me know where to pick up Mastercam 3D for 1500-2000.

Ya, me too! :D

Cadcam,
Is it possible to add the solids on to Mill level one? I heard it could be done for a $1500 (add on for the solids portion).

I have been running VM for 2 years. I can highly recommend VM4.
Documentation is not strong, but there isn'y anything out there to compare with it for the price.

Take a look at my website to see what I cut with it on a 3 axis router.
www.masterwerkes.com

Good luck, Phill Pittman
phill@digicarve.com

reverse engineering
Product development and production

Bump! Just saw that V5 is out. LOL!! The advertisement at the top caught my eye, as I’m sure it was designed to do.( The Masters in Cam. ;) ) Anyway I keep looking at it and was wondering about opinions from those that are using it.


Gary :D

I have been using Visual Mill for a couple of years with great success and am a real fan. But...No matter how much you like something there are always a few things that you wish were different. I downloaded VM5 and most of my wishlist is here and functioning.

You can now create and edit pretty complex geometry within Visual Mill. If you are a Rhino Cad user things will seem incredibly familiar to you. I am just guessing, but it looks as though VM licensed some of the Rhino kernal from McNeel and Associates to put in VM. Even the icons are the same ones. This is a VERY good thing.

You can introduce true type text directly in VM and create toolpaths for engraving with no plug in or third party program.

You can do "v-bit engraving" tool paths. Automatically. If you are not familiar with engraving, this path will bring your bits up and out at the square corners to allow accurate font shape without rounding due to the spinning of the bit. This is also the only function that apparently has a bug. It did 90% of my serif type fonts and left the odd corner uncut.

Four axis cutting has enabled some new features.

A fifth axis has also been added but it appears to be more of an axis for positioning of the fifth axis while keeping four in simultaneous motion. Still this aint half bad for the price. Do a google search for 5 axis cnc software and see what you find.

Overall the program is 300% more robust than it was.

Tech support is initiatlly very attentive, but must be very busy, because they have had my last problem file for over a week and my only communications from them has been sales emails. I don't mean to sound sarcastic, this is a problem I saw after the last realease. I am sure that it is like a circus in a software company after a new release.

If you are a current user, dont load the demo in the same directory as the older version. ( it will try to default to this) IT WILL OVERWRITE ALL YOUR CUSTOM POST AND TOOL LIBRARIES. The old version 4 installation will then die,,,,slowly...and not graciously.

I seem to remember someone telling me to save all this in another directory, so I guess it's My Bad.

Right now I would have to give VM5 4.5 stars on functionality and 5 on value.

Just my opinion, I could be wrong..

Phill Pittman
digicarve@verizon.net
www.masterwerkes.com

As a total CAM newbie, easily intimidated, I found VM4.0 to be friendly and pretty idiot-proof. I had 0 problems making accurate parts from the very beginning. I like the layout, the machining operations dialogs seem excellent... overall very pleased.

How easy is it to re-position the part on the table?

Can the co-ordinate axis be moved?

Did you look at Excalibur Pro?

Parts can be repositioned by a simple dialogue box activation and typing in the new coordinates are picking a position with the mouse.
I want to also say that Mecsoft support is second to none in my experience.

Originally posted by CNCadmin
Did you look at Excalibur Pro?

What advantages does Excalibur Pro have over VM?

I liked vm4. Vm5 is a little better. Its slower but I do like it. Its not a one size fits all like mastercam but is much much more intuitive. The docs suck. I would love some better tutorials. I am always finding new way of doing things in it.
If you just need to cut out 3d models 3 axis not 4 try meshcam. I think for the price difference you would be happy with it. I was impressed.
Has anyone used the 5th axis function in VM5? Would like to see a mach2 post.

Donny

I hate to pan Visual Mill, because I'm still a neophyte, and if I can ever get it to do what I have been led to understand that it will do, I'll be extremely happy. But I'm entertaining doubts.

I am using the Basic Version. I note that some of the raves here refer to 4 and 5 axis capabilities, indicating they are using the Full version. There might be a difference. I also notice that version 4 users seem very pleased.

VM 5 is quirky. It has bugs, one particularly irksome bug is with the cut and paste function. My version does not create machine paths predictably, resulting in machine code that has the cutter meandering randomly from one section to the next. As noted elsewhere, the text engraving functions are problematic in VM5.

Perhaps its too much to expect from a package of that price level, but if this is so, why claim it? The technical support is good, but as others have noted there is very little documentation.

If your still interested, and my results don't change, you may be able to get a copy cheap. On ebay. Mine.