explain why I want Rhinocerous and Rhinocam

[Dan.antes]

I have been using Autocad 2007 to do drawings and Enroute to machine and nest. This has worked well until I started to do morre complex 3d and 2d bezier curves and ellipses. Enroute becomes very unstable at that point. I don't really understand why and Enroute doesn't have good simulation so I am at a loss. I have downloaded rhino 3d and it seems easy. I am sure I could switch to it for drawing as the object track, snaps, and transform tools are all very much like Autocad. How well does RhinoCam and Rhino Nest work as add on's to Rhinocerous 3d for 3 axis routing? Is it hard to learn? I need a more reliable design/machine solution. Thanks for any input. Multi-thousand dollar software systems are hard to keep buying.


Dan

[spoiledbrat]

Dan,

I have been using Rhino for 9 years, and RhinoCam for about 3 years or better. If you would like to see my results, pm me and I will get you some pics. I truly sound like a broken record when I say this, but Rhino is the most intuitive software out there, and does not lack anything.

The release of Rhino 4.0 doubled the value of the software. What used to take 20 steps now takes only three (chamfering multiple edges on solids, for example).

I think a lot of people are confused about Rhinocam running within Rhino. It truly becomes a seamless part of the software. I tried the Madcam demo when it was released as a "no charge competitive upgrade", and found it lacking as far as organization, toolbars, etc. Although Rhinocam does require a dongle, I prefer it over the systems I have used (mastercam, madcam, rhinocam, and the cheaper ones too.) The process of creating toolpaths with rhinocam has a well defined flow that is easy to learn, makes sense, and produces consistent results.

Toolpath simulation works great. Some of my projects are rather large, so sometimes I hit simulate and go get a snack, but it works as advertized.

Rhinocam support is awesome. There is a company that wants to keep your business. I once had to upload a 20 MB file so we could work through a problem I was having (this was my fault, in the end), and we did the whole remote desktop thing. It sure is fun watching someone else's computer manipulating your file from 3000 miles away.

If you do not need to draw full blown 3-D, or create stunning pieces of carved art (I am not talking about v-carving here), then Rhino may not be for you. I strongly believe that Rhino and Rhinocam together have unlimited potential. PM me, and I will send you some pics, or maybe a # if you want to talk about it more.

I have never used rhino-nest.


Rob

[pointcloud]

I have been using rhino rhinocam rhinoart flamingo and bongo for about 2 yrs now... Never used nest but it is on my list. I have not had any problems with the plug ins except you need a super bomb diggity computer to run the rendering stuff.

I love the rhinocam, I have the entire program less lathe. It is really easy to learn, well all the plug ins were super easy..

I have never had a conflict to cause an error, other than the very first run of rhinocam and rhionart, they have a dongle. This means a driver and some other install junk that is PICKY.. All worked out now. I mainly use an Alien with dual core 2 processors, and 2 512 g cards and agiea 128 running XP, I also have rhino flamingo and bongo on a laptop useing vista...

You can search the net for other forums rhino is super verital.. It is used in film making (the movie cars pretty sure), Saleen uses it (they modeled the S7 with Rhino V3), Lots of boats with rhino (it has caculation functions hydrostatics)..

I will be buying the nesting program in the nest 3 weeks. I can let you know more then.

Oh I have used mastercam 9, BCC v21, and rhino. Those are my bases. Rhino kicks a$$...

This would be the LAST SOFTWARE INVESTMENT YOU EVER MAKE... THere is a WIKI forum that you can do whatever you can imagine, the programers gget crazy sometimes... I'll post a few more forums monday, there all on another system...


Marc

[turmite]

Well if you had ask why do you need Rhino and a cam system I might have been better able to give some input!

I am one of those who doesn't use Rhinocam because of the dongle. I also refuse to flame another software I know nothing about. From the input, most users of Rhinocam seem to like it or love it.

Mike

[spoiledbrat]

I also need to state that Rhinocam has an open-ended post processor generator, that can be set up for any machine. For instance, all of that garble (kidding, but talking about the standard G15, G20, G40, G64, G90, etc) at the beginning of your g-code files can be set however you want, and format (N000245, 000245, N245, or however you want to see your block #'s) can be set up from as well. This is useful when using a fixture with multiple spaces, as I use the generator to create a G54, G55, G56 and G57 post processor. That way I can generate code once, and then output it to their respective fixture locations.

You will never regret Rhino, and Rhinocam does what you need it to EASILY.

Rob

[pointcloud]

I found this and thought you all might like it.
http://www.rhino3d.e-cnc.com/

[Dan.antes]

I had a Mecsoft guy named Uday do an online demo for me and it seemed like his computer did all functions very quickly he said it was just a Pentium 4. I have a Centrino Duo with 2MB of ram and the trial software is easily 6-10 times slower running on my machine. Do I need a new one or is something not configured correctly. I am talking about the 3d puff feature and other compiled changes to 3d geometry. Thanks

[pointcloud]

Dan,

If you are talking about Rhinoart. It is a GRAPHIC KILLER.

What graphics card do you have?
Also a 3ghz p4 is faster than a 1.? duo no matter if it's core 2 or centrino...

BOOLEANS are also big killers of a cpu... I had some problems with big parts and booleans. Use layers and if you have many booleans then take the final part (after all booleans) and make a copy in MESH... It'll run faster, but keep everything other than the mesh hidden. Sometimes now I start out with a mesh...

You can also make your part small then after it is ready to machine take the final and copy it to it's own file. Scale it to the size you need and machine from there.

You should also kill anything that is running you do not need. Messengers, email, internet, networks, just any little thing that would make your system jump around to different programs.

Just to let you know I have an Alein with 2 - core duos (2.3ghz each), dual 512 g cards that are sli'ed, and 4 gig's of ram... Still have some issues with big parts (I am talking parts with square YARDS or surface..

These links will give you more information on the modeling aspect of the sf. They do not use the art plug in that I know of, and I have had questions on art as well. I do know that they are mostly in school for graphic art and know how to use RHINO.

If you sign up here at any of these let me know, the peeps are different..

http://forums.cgsociety.org/forumdis...ysprune=&f=174

http://poserpros.daz3d.com/forums/vi...8f65cdaa54c688

http://www.renderosity.com/mod/forumpro/index.php

This link is for webcast tut's... THeere just FAB... Rhino only though.. I signed up and really like the downloads, there easy learning...
http://www.rhino3d.tv/english/info/accessdenied.php

Have you changed any setting like OpenGL?

Hope this helps,
Marc

[pointcloud]

BTW: Uday I have talked to and he is very HELPFUL... Send them the question and they'll fix it for you to see. I have emailed a few files and after they were returned to me I saw how they fixed them... THere easy to talk to...
Marc

[Dan.antes]

I have a Nividia GO 7600. My design station is a HP pavillion DVN 9035 laptop. I hate sitting at a desk and do my best work in a Lazy Boy with a add on armrest to run a mouse on. I probably need to resort to a desktop in order to get more performance. As for Open GL settings, I am new to this whole thing and am not sure what this is. I am interested in any good links or books that explain the whole CAD/CAM/computer realm. I am a quick study though. I have to say that everyone at CNC Zone have been immensely helpful with my acclimation to CNC. I appreciate all of your help.

[ger21]

If you insist on the laptop :-) look at a Dell Precision M90. About $3500 for a pretty good workstation grade laptop.

[pointcloud]

ger you got art on a laptoop? I got it on my delle1705 it's got a pretty good setup and davnm it's DEAD if I do much in the art side.

Same thing with a biggg code file.

I like my recliner too, but there's a point where the file is tranfered to old blue.

if you are working on smaller thing you can change the resolutions.. When you render probablly need to test that? You don't want a crashdump to start. It can shut down inproperly and mess up arangment... Have to reload the program. It's a graphics problem so beware.

Some rose from art..