Which turbocad to get?

[tootall]

I am new here and to cnc. I was wondering which Turbocad to get. I can get Turbocad 16 deluxe pretty cheap so I can learn on. Or should I go a head and get Turbocad 18 deluxe. Is there a big diffence in the two?

[cmnewcomer]

I've been using TurboCAD/CAM now for over 15 years and currently have TurboCAD Professional 15.2 Basic Edition. While I have tried to stay current with new versions, as a hobbiest, they have gotten too expensive. In addition, I have not found the upgrades to fix problems that I encounter. As a hobbiest, I do not use many of the features and especially the advanced features so I find it odd that some of the quirks still exist. In any event, I would recommend the cheaper option as I would be surprised if the more expensive option will give you any more value.

If you already know a CAD package such as Inventor, you will be disappointed though. But that's why Inventor is so expensive.

Best Regards.

Carl

[MikeyC38]

I am new here and to cnc. I was wondering which Turbocad to get. I can get Turbocad 16 deluxe pretty cheap so I can learn on. Or should I go a head and get Turbocad 18 deluxe. Is there a big diffence in the two?

Hi. It depends what you want to do with your CNC. I use Turbocad 15 Platinum Professional which I got from a dealer at a fantastic price. Together with the CAM plugin it is the cheapest 2.5D solution on the market. I would not bother with the TurboCad 18 deluxe version, but get an older version of the Professional product (say v16 Pro) with the CAM plugin and invest a lot of time learning how to use the product. As I said earlier it all depends what you want to make with your CNC. Of course you could go with the 18 deluxe product if you are only doing "simple" stuff and buy a seperate CAM product. With a CNC, the quality of your drawings make this difference when you come to machine with CAM.

Hope this helps
Mike

[tootall]

Thank you, I think I am going to get 16 pro with the cam plug in and 2D & 3D Training Gudes & DVD's.