Glad to be here

[hsmworksguy]

Sorry I haven't been on CNC Zone in a while, but a cohort recommended I do so, and I think that's a good idea. I am a HSMWorks VAR and have been working exclusively with SolidWorks Integrated CAM for several years now.

Feel free to ask any questions, and I will make a sincere attempt to check this forum regularly. Of course you are always welcome to contact me directly via email for any reason.

Most tech support is best done one-on-one, but this can be a useful place for discussing general issues of interest to many people.

Best regards,

[thebowman]

Does HSMWorks offer feature based machining? When feature based machining is done right I notice it can save a good deal of time.

Does HSMWorks have a way to Edit the Common Parameters of many Machining Operations?

Can HSMWorks easily solid cut part verify many different parts mounted on a tombstone at the same time?

If I have five vises mounted on the CNC that do a part in stages can HSMWorks use solid cut part Verify to show me all the operations in all the vises in one shot so that what is happening on the CNC is accurately represented in just one solid cut part Verify simulation?

How does HSMWorks handle manipulating solid cut part Verify files?

Does HSMWorks do drilled hole recognition? If it does, does it turn the part transparent and highlight all the recognized holes and put them into "Groups" in a "Holes Tree"? Is the "Holes Tree" with its "Groups" a part of HSMWorks machining parameters user interface? This kind of interface allows you to use one tool, say a 1/2″ NC Spot drill, to spot and chamfer many different sized tapped holes at different Z depths. You have total control over the Z depth you wish to use because this interface contains a "Delta Depth" control that allows you to adjust the Z depth for each individual hole if you wish. Not only does this interface do all of this and do it well but it also does this with only one machining operation in the Machining Operations Manager for the same tool rather than loading up the Machining Operations Manager with many Machining Operations for the same tool.

Does HSMWorks have toolpath editing? If it does can the integrated backplotter be used to do the toolpath editing?

This integrated CAMCAM approach seems to be catching on. This shop no longer uses Mastercam and now has many seats of Open Mind Hypermill running inside of SolidWorks.

http://fifth-axis.com/

They are one of the fastest growing shops in this area.

[hsmworksguy]

Hi, Jon.

I am very familiar with hyperMill. I'd say that if you want to do high-end 5-axis today inside of SolidWorks, you have the best technology available today. It's an expensive product, has a long learning curve, and the UI isn't great, but the underlying 5X technology is very good. It looks like for the kinds of work your company is doing you found the right fit.

Best,

Charles

[tobyaxis]

Impressive CAM Software!!!

I have one question. While reading a little on your site I did not read anywhere if HSMWorks has a standalone Software, that it works inside Solid Works.

Do you make a Standalone Software?

Oh, Welcome to CNC Zone!!

[thebowman]

Hi, Jon.

I am very familiar with hyperMill. I'd say that if you want to do high-end 5-axis today inside of SolidWorks, you have the best technology available today. It's an expensive product, has a long learning curve, and the UI isn't great, but the underlying 5X technology is very good. It looks like for the kinds of work your company is doing you found the right fit.

Best,

Charles

I don't use Open Mind HyperMill and don't work for Fifth Axis CNC.

I do understand that Open Mind rewrote their user interface for the latest release of HyperMill. I'm waiting to try it. No training materials are available yet so not much point in giving it a full evaluation until they are available.

For years I read on e-Mastercam how it took much longer to produce programs with DP Technology Esprit than it did with Mastercam. I have a full seat of Esprit 2008 here. After using Mastercam everyday for well over two years I can assure anyone that what has been posted on e-Mastercam about DP Technology Esprit being harder to use and taking longer to create programs with than Mastercam is complete B.S.

I take it HSMWork can't yet do any of what I listed?

Sure hope it's on their short list of things to be implemented. HSMWorks has a serious advantage with their backplotter over other companies. They should be using it to do graphical toolpath editing with.

[hsmworksguy]

Toby,

No. HSMWorks was designed to only run inside of SolidWorks. You either have to have SolidWorks, or add SolidWorks Part modeling to the HSMWorks purchase. Since most people looking at a SolidWorks integrated CAM already have SolidWorks, not that many opt for the SW Parts option since it does not include Assemblies and Drawings, and these are useful things even if all you are doing is CNC programming.

It is an economical option if you are adding a CNC Programming only system and know you don't need Assemblies and the other SW Standard functions. I recommend buying SolidWorks from a SolidWorks VAR if doing any design, because (while I think I know SolidWorks very well), our company focus is CNC machining.

There are some good reasons we took this approach of only running in SolidWorks, and I think this shows in how we are integrated into SolidWorks.

Hope this helps.

p.s. Note: You can buy SolidWorks Parts, Assemblies and Drawing to HSMWorks 3D. It is more economical than buying SolidWorks Standard, but my advice is the same. If you do design, buy SW from a company that kicks butt supporting CAD.

[thebowman]

Toby,

No. HSMWorks was designed to only run inside of SolidWorks. You either have to have SolidWorks, or add SolidWorks Part modeling to the HSMWorks purchase. Since most people looking at a SolidWorks integrated CAM already have SolidWorks, not that many opt for the SW Parts option since it does not include Assemblies and Drawings, and these are useful things even if all you are doing is CNC programming.

http://www.surfcam.com/surfcam_part_design.aspx

"SolidWorks PD&A™ (Parts Design & Assemblies) allows design of 3-D solid parts and design of assemblies that may contain tens of thousands of parts. It offers drag and drop parts and features as well as strong ease of use and performance."

No drawings but does include assemblies. Can be had dirt cheap... often around $1,500 or less. HSMWorks should be offering this to their customers. Surfware is.

[hsmworksguy]

Jon,

No, I just don't want to get into a "my dad can beat up your dad" thing which a lot of these forum discussions tend to spiral into if you let them. After a while it just sounds like people yelling on the talk shows and I'm not sure what good that does.

There's a lot of good systems out there. Thank goodness because different companies have different needs. I'm glad Espirit works for you.

Like I said, there are some things I really liked about HM on the very high end. There were also some good things in the other SolidWorks Integrated CAM systems. I've been looking at them all for quite a while and this is the one that just made the most sense to me. It's kind of a rethink of what CAM should be and I like where its going.

Best,
Charles

[hsmworksguy]

You can buy SolidWorks Parts, Assemblies and Drawing to HSMWorks 3D. It is more economical than buying SolidWorks Standard, but my advice is the same. If you do design, buy SW from a company that kicks butt supporting CAD.

[thebowman]

Jon,

There's a lot of good systems out there. Thank goodness because different companies have different needs. I'm glad Espirit works for you.

Best,
Charles

I don't use Esprit at work. I have it at home for evaluation. I still use Mastercam at work.

While Esprit isn't perfect it's far better than Mastercam at most tasks, especially solid cut part Verification and Feature Based Machining. DP Technology Espirt also automates a lot of what Mastercam requires manual input for. The best thing about DP Technology is they have their foot on the gas. Esprit 2010 is a very impressive release especially when compared to buggy and unreliable Mastercam X3 and X4. Esprit is far more stable and less buggy than either X3 or X4.

DP Technology purchased two companies that will really help them in the future and give them a significant advantage:

1. Binary Spaces... very shortly Esprit will be solid cut part verifying actual G-code instead of some internal file.

2. Auton... tremendous surfacing capabilities already heavily implemented in Esprit 2010.

[tobyaxis]

Jon,

No, I just don't want to get into a "my dad can beat up your dad" thing which a lot of these forum discussions tend to spiral into if you let them. After a while it just sounds like people yelling on the talk shows and I'm not sure what good that does.

Best,
Charles

It won't go there, LOL. CNC Zone has a vast number of Community Directors and Moderators to keep things civil.

Do you plan to reach out to other CAD Software Companies??

I have a CAD Alibre Design V12 and want to stick with them do to the price range of SW. Don't get me wrong. SW is great software but too expensive for me personally.

Hopefully HSMworks branches out to other CAD Suppliers in the future.

Oh, and with the right user at the PC Alibre can do a lot.

[hsmworksguy]

Toby,

No, I don't forsee us ever running inside of anything else -and I know there are some pretty interesting other CAD packages out there.

We felt the only way to deliver the most seamlessly integrated product was to concentrate on one. I've been using SW since 1997 and drank the Koolaid a long time ago: I just love it and did from the first time I saw it. Again, it just makes sense to me and I like working in their User Environment; and that means a lot since I spend so many hours in it every day.