plasma cad software for mach3

[router101]

Hi I have just bolted together an NC Rail plasma cutter and Mach 3.
It works ok and it will run the cut arc wizard g code file ok.

What do you recommend as an inexpensive cad program for simple
text and shapes? I need something that adds the cut on off type commands.

This is my first attempt at plasma cutting, have built and run a couple of cnc milling machines.
Thanks

[TAProwler]

That is such an open ended question that it is hard to answer.

There are about a gazillion CAD software programs out there to pick from. The costs range from freeware (that are pretty capable) to spending $25K on something that will also butter your toast in the morning.

I won't make a suggestion on this, but I will offer this:
DO NOT get involved with BobCAD-CAM, period. Trust me on this one.

When it comes to CAM software for 2.5D stuff (including plasma) THERE IS NO EQUAL to SheetCAM!! It will cost you a few buck once, but Les is absolutely unbelievable. His product is awesome and he is fantastic when it comes to customer service and support. He will customize a post processor for your machine, whatever you need (if he doesn't already have it done) - and it will work.

Good Luck,
R/Todd

[Mike 1948]

I agree, Sheetcam is great! As for cad software give Draftsight from Solidworks a look, its FREE and exports DXF files that play well with Sheetcam.

Mike

[Arthurmetal]

I agree also on Sheetcam, absolutily fabulous. My technical work runs from Turbocad to Sheetcam to Mach; for my artistic work I use CorelDraw through DXFtools to sheetcam to mach. Most of my time is lost on fixing drawings and files for the next step; polylines not closed, almost invisable artifacts somewhere in the drawing and such. Sheetcam does a teriffic job in exposing them but it takes a lot of time go to back and forth to fix them all. Maybe it is not the cad or whatever program that matters but the way they work together.
regards, arthur