Autocabinets and Enroute

[BensMillwork]

Hello All, I have had my shopsabre for most of the summer now ,still no problems and no complaints.I'm getting ready to start testing my cabinet software with the machine.I'm using autocabinets ,and autocabinet illustrator to produce a layered DFX file to import into Enroute for the toolpaths.
Does any one have any experience with any of this software, advice ,Tips Tricks will be most welcome.
Thanks,
Ben

[kenrik]

Originally Posted by BensMillwork Hello All, I have had my shopsabre for most of the summer now ,still no problems and no complaints.I'm getting ready to start testing my cabinet software with the machine.I'm using autocabinets ,and autocabinet illustrator to produce a layered DFX file to import into Enroute for the toolpaths. Does any one have any experience with any of this software, advice ,Tips Tricks will be most welcome. Thanks, Ben

Ben,
I looked into the autocabinets illustrator and the enroute cam software for creating the tool path & nesting, but at a price just shy of $10,000.00 No Thanks. I'm looking into a less costly software package. So I have no answers for you.

[BensMillwork]

Take a look at cabinetparts pro is 250.00 and they have a free version you can use ,do a search on Google and it will come up.We needed a whole package that would do bids ,shop plans and realistic renderings and so on ,that why we went with what we did and compared to KCDW which is more than the 10k.
Thanks ,Ben

[KustomKoncepts]

Originally Posted by BensMillwork Hello All, I have had my shopsabre for most of the summer now ,still no problems and no complaints.I'm getting ready to start testing my cabinet software with the machine.I'm using autocabinets ,and autocabinet illustrator to produce a layered DFX file to import into Enroute for the toolpaths. Does any one have any experience with any of this software, advice ,Tips Tricks will be most welcome. Thanks, Ben

Ben I am looking a Shop sabre really hard. I am going with the 4x8 version with the servo upgrade, a 4HP spindle, tool measure pad, dust skirt, air asist z axis, pedistal, no vacume table. What did you get and what accessories do you sugest? thanks. also I am with the rest, Enroute may be cool but I can't spend half as much on the software as the CNC itself. I am a sign shop setting and I think Vcarve by vectric is pretty good. but I also have a sign lab cad program that I can draw all my vector shapes in and just am going to use vectric and visual mill to do the effects and drive it. later.

[KustomKoncepts]

this doubled up I did not see the post when I firstsdid the other one.

[LargoLes]

Hello KUSTOMKONCEPTS

This is my first post. I got a ShopSabre 2 months ago. It has worked great since day one. The only issue I had was they installed the control software for a toolchanger which I didn't have. They emailed me the correct file. I had other issues, but they have been of my own making. They were all resolved over the phone and very quickly. I have been dealing with Mike, he has been great. He has been very patient with all my questions. I got the setup that you are looking at except the dust skirt, which I wish I had gotten. If you have any questions you can email me.
les@padleydesigns.com

[ShopSabreCNC]

I just noticed the recent post from all of you and finally had a minute to read over a few of them. Thanks to each of you (I'm sure others are out there that I am unaware of as well) for your kind words and for helping some of the others with less experience. If any of you need anything or have any questions, please contact myself or any of us at the office and we would be glad to help.

Happy to hear Ben and Les are loving the machine. It seems like you guys are starting to see some of the endless possibilities of work that can be done and I hope to see some pictures of your terrific work. Kustom, I hope you are able to get the financing and thank you for making it to our facility.

Once again, thanks to each of you and the other ShopSabre clients out there. If anyone has questions or concerns, please contact us anytime.

Mike
mseegar@shopsabre.com
www.shopsabre.com

[BensMillwork]

Hello KustomKoncepts,
The setup you described will work fine for the signs and most anything else.My setup included the 7.5 columbo spindle,air assist ,tool changer, .The tool changer is the only option that is difficult an even more expensive to add later,but it is a handy feature to have. I struggled with what options to to keep, in the end I pretty much got most of upgrades except the vacuum hold down.As far as software goes.....I have looked at most everything out there and after talking with other sign guys my conclusion is this,besides the visualmill that comes with the machine , if you get corel draw, and v-carve pro from vectric.You can do the more artistic creations in Corel then import into v-carve.As A sign maker you may already be familiar with corel.The good thing about these two software packages is that you can get them without breaking the bank.Corel can be found on Ebay for around 130.00 or so and v-carve I believe runs around 500.00 or 600.00.I purchased my machine with mostly cabinets and millwork in mind, but I also wanted to explore sinage and 3d models.James Booth at vectorart3d has a large collection of models for purchase, they include everything from animals to moldings, many of which can be incorporated right into a sign design.You can even download a catalog to show to your customers without revealing your source or the price you pay .Well I hope this helps in your decision making.

I'll be glad to answer any questions you might have.
Ben


P.S. Hello Mike !

[cabnet636]

and have purchased a warthog 4x8 5.5 spindle vaccum etc and will be adding
an air drill as iam cabinetman first. as well we will be venturing into carving.

i currently have cabnetware designer and have worked it since 96. i also have looked at cabinetparts pro and have seen it work

did you have any experience with any other software before autocabinets
and are you working auto cabinets now. between 20/20 and cabnet i am at 14.000.00 now and am researching whether to pay$$ to stay with cabnetware

also what controller software are you using

www.mcgrewwoodwork.com

cabnet

[BensMillwork]

Hello, The only software we used before the shopsabre was Autocad and with cadkit.Cadkit used autocad as the engine and cadkit provided custom menu geared toward the cabinet maker along with a library of stock cabinets that could be easily sized and further customized.This was primarily used to show the customer their built in or kitchen.It would generate nice perspective views ,to let the customer visualize the design and helped to eliminate any mistakes as well.
The shopsabre uses winCNC as the controller software.
I to am venturing into the Carving side of things, with vectorart3d you can turn out some amazing carvings.I'm using autocabinets with Enroute wood for toolpaths and nesting.
Ben

[BensMillwork]

Hello Cabnet, I see you got your start with the carvewright machine, Small world I got started with that as well, and agree with your post about the software over on the CW forum. They made the simple things so easy in Designer.To do the same Simple things in other programs takes much longer to do. Over at LHR plans were to develop a pro version that would out put g-code or even easier have it output in STL format ,almost all cad/cam packages let you import a STL
Thanks,
Ben

[cabnet636]

on carvewrights web forum last night. i went to the thread on software
and basically begged them for it. i explained that this was being disscussed here and on shop bot and woodweb forums as well

thanks for your reply i hope to purchase software soon as i am waiting to hear from cabnetware and i have already spoke to autocabinets

may just use cabinetpartspro temporarily

cabnet
www.mcgrewwoodwork.com