Need Help!- What CAM or CAD software

[LS120]

I'm trying to get into this CNC software.. but every thing i load is Way too big for my mill.

i've downloaded 3 diff cad/cam software & cant make nead or tail of them.. even tryed to follow the tutorials but what they say to do is not even listed where they tell yo0u to look.

I'm looking for something easy to understand & use from a newbees view..

i just want to re-srange the files to make them fit into my router table...

or how can i set the cam software to keep my table size so it will ask me what i want to move or make surgestions...

i realy want to get into this but this is all putting me off real fast...

any help out there.... I have CAMBAM, A9CAD, LAZCAM, INKSKAPE, Vactor Magic. ?????

Help !!!!!!!

[crane550]

Originally Posted by LS120 I'm trying to get into this CNC software.. but every thing i load is Way too big for my mill. i've downloaded 3 diff cad/cam software & cant make nead or tail of them.. even tryed to follow the tutorials but what they say to do is not even listed where they tell yo0u to look. I'm looking for something easy to understand & use from a newbees view.. i just want to re-srange the files to make them fit into my router table... or how can i set the cam software to keep my table size so it will ask me what i want to move or make surgestions... i realy want to get into this but this is all putting me off real fast... any help out there.... I have CAMBAM, A9CAD, LAZCAM, INKSKAPE, Vactor Magic. ????? Help !!!!!!!

I would recommend the Vectric products. They are super easy to learn, yet there is not much that you can't do with them. I was creating professional looking signs in a matter of hours after purchasing V-Carve Pro, and even after using it for nearly a year I still have not mastered all the little tips and tricks. So there is room to grow into it too. All depends on what you want to do.

Cut2D is a great place to start, but I went with Pro. I just use it for generating toolpaths. I do all my design work in Illustrator.

Alex

[Kammo1]

Here's another shout for the Vectric products and I'm ordering Vectric Cut2D next week and after dowlaoading the trial version and found it to be a pleasure to work with I decided that not all the stuff out there thats free is good so I'm gladly paying my money for something I know will work and more importantly I know how to use, try it you'll be amazed.

[M250cnc]

Originally Posted by LS120 I'm trying to get into this CNC software.. but every thing i load is Way too big for my mill. Help !!!!!!!

Are you drawing in MM and loading in Imperial as that would make everything 25.4 times too big.

G20 is Imperial G21 is Metric

The default for Mach3 is Imperial

Phil

[CarveOne]

Originally Posted by LS120 I'm trying to get into this CNC software.. but every thing i load is Way too big for my mill. i've downloaded 3 diff cad/cam software & cant make nead or tail of them.. even tryed to follow the tutorials but what they say to do is not even listed where they tell yo0u to look. I'm looking for something easy to understand & use from a newbees view.. i just want to re-srange the files to make them fit into my router table... or how can i set the cam software to keep my table size so it will ask me what i want to move or make surgestions... i realy want to get into this but this is all putting me off real fast... any help out there.... I have CAMBAM, A9CAD, LAZCAM, INKSKAPE, Vactor Magic. ????? Help !!!!!!!

Make sure that the CAD drawing (DXF) you downloaded from the web is in the same measurement mode as your CNC machine control software (Mach3 or EMC2) is set for. If you load gcode that is generated from an inch mode (Imperial measurement system) DXF file into Mach3 and it's set for MM mode (Metric measurement system) it will appear to be much different than you expect.

Calibrate your machine so when you tell it to go some distance (X00.000, Y00.000, Z00.000) it goes to exactly that distance, no more, no less.

You can't easily make full size rocking chair parts on a machine that is much smaller than the full size parts. You can, however, scale the drawing down in your CAD drawing program and cut a small model of it that will fit into your machine's working area. You can also convert an inch mode drawing to a MM mode drawing in your CAD drawing program and save it.

You can't use CAD and CAM software effectively until you expend a lot of time and effort into learning it. Some of it is more intuitive than others, but none of it is "easy" for beginners. I don't know of any software at all that guides you along with suggestions as to what to do next and insures that it fits into your working area.

Software manuals tend to be poorly laid out in general. They usually don't start from a new user order of progression that explains how to "make something simple" with it. They are more of a reference manual list of details that are sometimes in no particular order that can be discerned by a new user. That said, the Vectric VcarvePro manual is one that seems to be somewhat of an exception.

The best places to read and ask questions are in the forums that deal with the particular software you are trying to learn to use. There are many of those forums on CNC Zone and in the software company's own user forums.

There is no instant gratification in CNC, so dig in for the long haul. Buy or build a machine, and read, read, read. It will become somewhat easier after you get past the initial confusion, but probably never will be "easy". There's something new to learn every day.

CarveOne

[grumpygeek]

I think the the CAM part of the software chain is the hardest to find a good/cheap product. I ended up settling on Vectric's Cut2d since all I needed at the time was fairly simple 2.5d parts (You can do a lot with 2.5d), I am debating upgrading to VCarve Pro at the moment. I have a friend who swears by CamBam, I tried CamBam but I couldn't figure it out at the time, may take another look at it since I have 2 years experience playing with CAD/CAM software now. Cut2d allows you to move parts around and do some basic editing which sounds like what you are looking for.

There are a lot a simple free Cad programs like A9Cad out there. I found CadStd early on and even though I recently purchased TurboCad 17 Deluxe, I still find myself working in CadStd (paid the $37.50 for the Pro version). CadStd and A9 look very similar.

I have made several failed attempts at creating 3d models from my 2d dxf files using Sketchup and Ailbre and only recently had success importing dxf files into Sketchup and making a 3d model from them. (You can see the results here: grumpygeek.com » Blog Archive » New build). Just remember that what you are doing and the software you are using is not simple, it may seem simple thanks to computers but it's not. It will take time to learn the basics, but it is amazing what you can do once you do (I wouldn't call what I do amazing yet, but my friend does some really impressive stuff.) I say this 2 years in with a whole lot of years (I hope) in front of me.

Good luck,
GrumpyGeek