Which CAM software... what else?

[Tom Siler]

Sooo....

I built a CNC router table about a year ago, and so far it's exceeded my wildest expectations. However, the CAM software I started with is clearly not getting it done. Here's what I have:

3 axis machine 5' by 2' cutting area
Gecko G540 drive
Mach 3 running on the controller machine
Vectric Cut3D and Vcarve Pro
Rhino

I really like drawing in Rhino. I have tried a few different packages and I'm extremely comfortable with it. Most of my work is 3D, milling female molds for composite model aircraft parts. Cut3D is normally what I use to generate Gcode for Mach3 to run, but it's limitation of only doing horizontal finish toolpaths is getting annoying. For precision large areas, I'd like to use a largish ballnose (1/2" for example) to finish mill, then remachine the detail areas where curves are smaller radius with a much smaller tool. Cut3D forces me to re-draw all of those areas anc "overlay" the toolpaths in a manual process.

I've been looking at various CAM packages for about two months and I'm getting frustrated. I need only to cut 3 axis, and only 3D parts with a remachining function. I've found several that will fit the bill, but all are pushing $3k which is out of the question for me as a hobby user.

Is there a 3 axis 3D CAM out there for a grand or less that can do a remachining pass with detail tools?

Here's what I have looked at so far:

RhinoCAM/Visualmill - requires Pro package ($$$) to do remachining, and the demo RhinoCAM crashes my machine frequently

BobCAD/CAM - new drawing interface, though I could import my Rhino files. So far I've been less than impressed with the interface but it seems to fit the basic bill. I believe it's closer to $2k than $1k.

Dolphin CAM 3D - appears to do everything I want but is close to $3k

Any thoughts on which I should try next? I need to get something in place as I'm doing around 30 hours of cutting / week right now on top of my regular job.

[mcphill]

BobCAD will do what you want, and you can get it for $800 - talk them down and don't cave on price until you get what you want.

[Tom Siler]

Looks like it will do what I need. I just got off a demo with them and they can do it by setting up boundaries for the tools.

Now I just have to work on the price issue.

Thanks much.

[DareBee]

VisualMill STD will likely be fine for you.
I find very little use for the re-roughing.
I would region off the detail areas where you want a smaller cutter and apply a finish toolpath.
The re-roughing has to calculate so many variables that it can take ages to generate.

You could also look at SprutCam Expert (probably $3G ish)