Finshing the build, please help with software

[ssutton]

OK, After three years and about $3500.00 my 4'x4' machine is finally coming to the end of the mechanical build. Now its the time for software and this is where I need some guidance.

What I want to do is 2.5D milling primarily. Cutting out sheet material and pocketing operations. I do not intend to do any 3D milling in the near future. I am using TurboCad Deluxe 17 that can output DXF files.

I want to use Mach3, but what I need is information about the software that will fill in the hole between TurboCad and Mach and create the G code. What is the MOST user friendly and at the same time the MOST cost friendly path to get to where I need. I emailed ArtSoft and they recommended that I not use LazyCam because it is a dead project. PLEASE HELP!

Any guidance will be appreciated.

Scott Sutton

[Ron Dunn]

Take a look at Vectric's Cut2d and VCarve packages:

Vectric - CNC Software Solutions - Wood Carving - Engraving - Signmaking - Routing - Machining

Their official forum is here:

Vectric Forum • Index page

There is also a CNCZone forum:

Vectric - CNCzone.com-The Largest Machinist Community on the net!

Lots of users, great support. You might even find that the design capabilities in VCarve mean you don't need to keep using TurboCAD.

Ron.

[LeeWay]

Vectric products are nice. I use Cut3D some and have used Vcarve.

I like Sheetcam for the bulk of what I do though. Not the cheapest solution, but certainly easy enough to learn and full of features.
I think you can do a trial on just about all of the Cam packages.
I suggest you download them and give each a spin.

Hopefully others will recommend less costly packages.
I just haven't looked for anything lately because I am set.

[ger21]

Vectric's stuff is by far the most user friendly. If you start with Cut2d, and decide to move up to V Carve Pro later, you only pay the difference to upgrade.

[CarveOne]

Originally Posted by ssutton OK, After three years and about $3500.00 my 4'x4' machine is finally coming to the end of the mechanical build. Now its the time for software and this is where I need some guidance. What I want to do is 2.5D milling primarily. Cutting out sheet material and pocketing operations. I do not intend to do any 3D milling in the near future. I am using TurboCad Deluxe 17 that can output DXF files. I want to use Mach3, but what I need is information about the software that will fill in the hole between TurboCad and Mach and create the G code. What is the MOST user friendly and at the same time the MOST cost friendly path to get to where I need. I emailed ArtSoft and they recommended that I not use LazyCam because it is a dead project. PLEASE HELP! Any guidance will be appreciated. Scott Sutton

Try the CamBam Plus free download. No time limit, fully functional, but is limited to 40 tries. After the 40 tries are used up it will become limited to outputting 500 lines of code. License is $149. There is a CamBam forum on CNC Zone and on the CamBam site. Until getting a VcarvePro license CamBam is all I used for generating gcode.

LazyCam was not stable on my computer so I stopped using it after a short while. VcarvePro has many CAD drawing features that I haven't explored yet and I still use TurboCAD v16 Deluxe. It generates gcode and displays a simulated cut job as an animated 3D rendering. $599 is not cheap to me but it looks like it will be well worth it so far.

CarveOne

[sirkossorg]

I'm probably an outlier here, but I think LazyCam is pretty good. I know it's not supported, but it works fine on my Win7 computer that I use to generate gcode. If you are buying Mach3 anyway, give it a shot. If you like, feel free to PM me and I'll send you pics of what I've engraved and cut using LC. It's no VCarve, but it's not too shabby, especially if you have DXF files ready made. I use it a lot. A good tool to have in the box.

Chris

[CarveOne]

The reason I called it unstable is because it would not generate the same gcode twice in a row from the same DXF file with all else being the same. After having that happen I just didn't trust it. I had some problems with CamBam free beta also, but the CamBam Plus trial worked fine.

CarveOne

[sirkossorg]

Originally Posted by CarveOne The reason I called it unstable is because it would not generate the same gcode twice in a row from the same DXF file with all else being the same. After having that happen I just didn't trust it. I had some problems with CamBam free beta also, but the CamBam Plus trial worked fine. CarveOne

Very interesting. At my level, I would never catch something like that.

[ssutton]

Thanks for the responses, Great! I have been a member of other forums and could not get any response at all.

Let me throw another twist in the question. At work I use SolidWorks 2011. This means that I have a legal seat at home to play with. Between Vectric and CamBam is either one going to give me an advantage over the other if I use SolidWorks? Again, I do not intent to do any 3D stuff but if I do decide to go that route in the future it sounds like I should probably go with Vectric so that I could upgrade to VcarvePro later.

Am I understanding this correctly?

Thanks again for the great information!

Scott

[zeeway]

Let me throw in another strong vote for Mach3 and Vectric software. If you are doing cutouts and pocketing ops, I think you should check out V-Carve Pro. It has some basic CAD operations for design, that includes 2D profiling with pocketing. Or it can import 2D designs from most popular design software. However, it cannot import a Solidworks (or any) 3-D design (only 2D). To get a little more complicated it can import 3D toolpaths generated by a sister program called Cut3D.

If you google "Vectric Software", you can do a wealth of research, as well as download trial versions of their software. I am a happy user of VCarve Pro.

Angie

[ger21]

Again, I do not intent to do any 3D stuff but if I do decide to go that route in the future it sounds like I should probably go with Vectric so that I could upgrade to VcarvePro later. Am I understanding this correctly?

Not exactly. V Carve Pro does not do 3D. It just has a LOT more features and functionality than Cut2D, + V Carving. They have another product for 3D work, Cut3D.

I don't know what CamBam can do, but it does have 3D included. Your best bet is to try demos of all the different options, to see what you like the best.

[CarveOne]

Originally Posted by sirkossorg Very interesting. At my level, I would never catch something like that.

Those issues could be computer related and not the software itself. BIOS? Don't know. Just know it was strange and moved on to something else.

CarveOne