software help

[timberfab]

i have an older used torchmate 1 with athc. driver software but no cad.

bobcam is trying to sell me thier softwarre package. so is torchmate.

what should i do?

i don't do any routing, just steel and alum. cutting. the only 3-d stuff i do is bent on my brake.

thanks for the info

daniel

[apex55]

I'm not familiar with torchmate, but Bobcad is a decent product for the money. Any software at this price level has it's limitation. It depends on the work you are going to do. I have used Bobwire and Bobcad on and of for years and its a good little program.

[timberfab]

i guess a more refined question is how does bobcam work as far as designing parts and then exporting them to the driver and cutting on the table?

is it a huge differance from the torchmate cad? more difficult or what?

daniel

[apex55]

What type of machine are you running?

[timberfab]

i have a torchmate 1 with auto torch height and the torch mate driver software as i stated above

[Torchhead]

Originally Posted by timberfab i have an older used torchmate 1 with athc. driver software but no cad. bobcam is trying to sell me thier softwarre package. so is torchmate. what should i do? i don't do any routing, just steel and alum. cutting. the only 3-d stuff i do is bent on my brake. thanks for the info daniel

Before you pull out your checkbook or CC and buy programs that have features you won't use, look at SheetCAM (www.sheetcam.com). We have used it for several years for plasma and it has all of the features you will need: automatic lead-ins, pierce height, initial cut height, kerf offsets, part positioning and duplication (manual nesting) and other features. It's a lot less money and hundreds are using it on a daily basis. As long as your controller will take g-code (Sheetcam has a Torchmate Post) you can use it. It takes HPGL or DXF files in. It optimizes the toolpaths for multiple parts and gives you complete control of cut direction, feedrates, cut order and even tabs.

Tom Caudle
www.CandCNC.com