Synergy CAD/CAM

[roger_e]

CAn anyone recomend Synergy CAD/CAM?

[cyclestart]

Synergy isn't open source.

My 2 cents anyway:
Pricing is reasonable for this kind of thing. The built-in tutorials are a nice touch.
It's complex to use but, well........it does complex tasks.
User forums are non-existent afaik.

Ask for a key and you'll have a fully functioning 30 day demo with no annoying follow-up calls from salesmen. At least that was my experience.

[roger_e]

Cyclestart,

Thanks...I have followd your remarks on a couple of other threads. you seem fairly knowledgable(?)...check it out I have been a machinist for a few years and have used matercam, Autocad, Mazatrol, surfacam (on the job). familiar with thermwood, cinicinati and Mazak

Currently I study engineering at www.mst.edu and recently purchased a four axis minitech(for business)....I wanted to use this as a platfrom to make other CNC machines and explore opensource....can you point me in the right starting direction?

thanks

[cyclestart]

you seem fairly knowledgable(?)

Glad you placed a question mark there CAM isn't really my thing. I still use Synergy occasionally for CAD but opted out of buying a license.
I work in 2.5 D almost exclusively and prefer to hand code where possible. When the shape can not be described easily I've been using SheetCam or bits and pieces of open source.

...check it out I have been a machinist for a few years and have used matercam, Autocad, Mazatrol, surfacam (on the job). familiar with thermwood, cinicinati and Mazak

I've been out of the trade for years. Frequently worked with a Mazatrol M-2 control. Very handy to have. Also Milltronics conversational control. We used MasterCam when conversational programming wouldn't cut it.

Currently I study engineering at www.mst.edu and recently purchased a four axis minitech(for business)....I wanted to use this as a platfrom to make other CNC machines and explore opensource....can you point me in the right starting direction?

Can't think of any full featured CAM in open source. Heekscnc looks promising but is far from an alpha release.
Here's one list (meant mostly for emc users)
http://wiki.linuxcnc.org/cgi-bin/emcinfo.pl?Cam