What's up with surfcam

[JuiceMan]

What's up with all this step reduction stuff. Any use this on a regular basis? How well has it worked out to reduce your time?

Interested in knowing other key points of the CAM system. I have always heard of problems with the surface intersection, gauge stuff, or peckking off the surface and not a good finish....

Thanks for your imput and time!

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[KBW]

I don't have the step reduction on my seat of SurfCAM, so I have no opinion on that.
Before I spent my money on any software,I ask lots of questions of people ( ie..five differnet shops) who use it every day to make a living and comparied SurfCAM to other software products and no one ever had any problems like you described.

Like the old computer saying "garbage in, garbage out" check your prints before pushing the button. And what I mean by that is almost every print I receive has dimensional problems.

[cadcam]

Like the old computer saying "garbage in, garbage out" check your prints before pushing the button. And what I mean by that is almost every print I receive has dimensional problems.

This one of statments I alwas tell my students.
I do not care how great of a program you make if the drawing is wrong the part will be wrong,We are driven by the cad model on the screen.

When ever possable get the cad file,Now adays most prints are driven by the cad model so it is mucher easer to obtain the cad.

Sorry as pertaining to you main question I do not have any expericne with this tool in surfcam you speak of.


Thanks Cadcam

[JuiceMan]

Well most people who deal with direct files have less problems, so I've heard. But in a netural ( IGES STEP VDA) you tend to have problems, not that these can't be fixed. Oh yeah woking with models vers, 2D dxf files is a big difference!, I think it's alot easier to spot the problems when dealing with surface or solids.

I would like to know more information about the step reduction and how well it works. All too often CAD CAM systems offer cool new features, but how cool are these "things" .

Step Reduction sound great, clear out the most metal with each tool, making it easier for finishing, and reducing run time.

Anyone have some hands on with this tool?

Thanks in advance for you time.

[moldcore]

Step reduction does what it says; reducing the steps required to program and rough out areas where multiple tools are required. But I have found that many times it takes longer to set up than you can do with the old tools that are available in Surfcam. It is now included in some of the Surfcam products at no extra charge. It was a 6K option, too much for most. I believe it has it's place but it's not for everyone.

I've been using surfcam since '96 (Mastercam before that for 6 years) with great success. It's easy to learn and use and I haven't experienced any of the problems JuiceMan states above. That's not saying they don't have them but most errors I've seen come from operator error and nothing to do with the program ultimately.

Moldcore

[Stevie]

what i like about surfcam is the drawing interface; I've used it to make all kinds of parts for my 1/48th scale Yamato; I can whip up a nice 3D in 1/10th the time it would take in autocad

take this 1/48th scale IJN bow crest


and again these are the props i made (1 LH and 1 RH)