Originally Posted by
Lohmeyer
Camsoft does not go out of their way to look modern. Yes, the websites are outdated and the software is similarly outdated. For example, I don't know why they still sell AS3000, and their online help system is right out of Windows 95. That being said, they do continue to do a good job of making sure their software will work on the latest version of Windows (as well as all the older versions for legacy support reasons). Given that many CNC machines are still around using very old PC's, and Camsoft still supports those old computers, that partly explains why their stuff looks outdated. I think the current version of Camsoft works on Windows 95 still, yet it also supports Windows 10. It would be difficult to modernize Camsoft and still provide that support. I would like to see them branch the software and modernize for those of us using new computers. But it is not likely to happen. I think there is just too much legacy code in there written for old compilers. So it is a huge undertaking to modernize the software, and possibly a huge risk doing so without fundamentally breaking the product as well.
I will, no doubt, trigger a message from Camsoft support berating me for my comments. They will say people have made modern looking controls using their software, but when you ask them to show an example, they always say they are proprietary to their customers so they can't show them. This is really just an excuse. If they want to show the modern community how modern Camsoft can look, Camsoft needs to make an example that looks modern, release it as part of their software, update their website to show this modern look, and create new videos of just how great their product can be. I'm not holding my breath this will happen.
The real power of Camsoft is how programmable it is. Once you learn how their custom language works (which isn't difficult for anyone that has the time and gumption to do it), it is very easy to program a variety of custom features on your system, and truthfully, the reason I still use it is I will only use a CNC controller that lets me custom program how it works. It isn't perfect. There are some features that work only a certain way in Camsoft. You can't program around them. Or to program around them requires writing a lot more software than you probably want to get into. The tool menu is one example, and a couple of the ways some G codes work is another (like the T command). These issues largely don't matter from a functional point of view, but they may be disappointing from a visual or UI point of view.
Is all this worth their asking price? There are PC based software systems available where you can achieve almost the same result for less cost than Camsoft's yearly maintenance fee. Yet Camsoft continues to stay in business. I think they have very low overhead. I also assume they sell a lot to the low end professional market, and probably people customizing the less common types of machines that main stream CNC controllers weren't designed for. In fact, with 8 axis capability and ease of programming totally custom machine types, this is probably Camsoft's forte. I would not recommend Camsoft to a hobbyist, though. Honestly, Mach3 is way cheaper and far better for hobbyists, both in cost, and method of support.
I have one system using Camsoft which makes me decent money, so I keep paying the yearly maintenance fee to make sure I can get support on that machine if it is needed. I would, however, like to replace Camsoft with a modern professional controller (not PC based). I was looking at an AccuRite 3500i (Heidenhain) which is a very nice controller with modern UI. It is now discontinued, replaced with a simpler 3 axis only controller, but my point is, for the $8K to $12K range it takes to buy a controller like the 3500i, there are some excellent controllers out there, and they are fully programmable for custom applications (the 3500i uses Perl for example). It's not like the old days of ladder logic. Depending on the hardware you buy, you can spend that much on Camsoft. Or you can find ways to do it much cheaper with Camsoft as well.
I have also installed Mach3 on the same system (I can dual boot and run my CNC machine with Mach3 or Camsoft). Mach3 did the job fine as well, but because I use a Galil card, and the Galil driver for Mach3 is a user supported thing, I can't risk using it. I had a part ruined because of a software update. Mach3 is hobbyist level stuff, so that is to be expected.
I've had a love/hate relationship with Camsoft for years. I continue to pay the yearly fee, but their product also aggravates me greatly at times. My biggest aggravation, however, is Camsoft has the potential to be _THE_ PC based CNC controller for all markets (hobbyist to pro level) if they would move out of just maintaining it, and instead start moving it into the modern age. I think a cheaper initial price and better support methodology would pull in a significant number of the hobby and professional DIY market too, but I can also see reasons they may not want to do that as support is the problem. On the other hand, products like Mach3 don't really provide direct support, but I've never had any trouble finding answers to my questions because there is such a large user base on the Internet.
Regards,
Michael