Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
Datac,
We are on the same wavelength between Risk a lot of money/data/future survivability and Smarter than Free. You nailed the student/artisan/retired engineer market that the industry has failed to address.
I have used Rhino for a good number of years with decent success, but in stepping it up, the prime hold back comes from its inability to edit even medium complexity models easily. I tested Mold&DieCAM (madCAM plugin) and found it very usable. The only drawback was simulation of cutting was not yet mature (though they showed me some great work towards getting there. The biggest issue is that the inevitable changes that come with prototyping usually require going back to the very beginning (or nearly so) to make any changes. But that is not a madCAM problem. madCAM is not cheap, but it is financially reachable in a value range and appears stable from a mgmt/marketing perspective ... unlike the freebie come-ons.
I am beginning to consider looking at breaking down my process in two. (1) a parametric package that can produce an exportable solid model that give the CAD flexibility and (2) import to Rhino/madCAM for 3/4 axis protowork.
It is hard as heck to find one package that does it all well WITH a low probability of screwing your money, learning curve and/or your content in the future.
These companies may not realize it, but their EULA/marketing demands destroy the end users' ability to optimize their costs into an acceptable range.
And leave profits and all future biz on the table because of it.
Bruce
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
SpaceClaim has a 1yr student edu license for $49, but lists a CAD seat for $4000.
Their videos are fabulously impressive for editing models, but $49 is essentially free like Fusion360. They are just honest about what the future cost is going to be.
I give them kudos for honesty.
I much rather know where I stand rather than be laughingly suckered like so many machinists ranting on CNCzone/PracticalMachinist/etc that were ripped out of their 'perpetual' license investments.
If some extraordinary opportunities should present themselves, I would be far more likely to go with Ansys SpaceClaim for that exact reason.
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
Quote:
Originally Posted by
bcavender
It is hard as heck to find one package that does it all well WITH a low probability of screwing your money, learning curve and/or your content in the future.
Nailed it. Seems the most annoying and painful to the wallet was when the CAD side dragged miserably behind the awesome functionality other programs were offering... But there you sat... paying for the whole package and often can't easily move. Not when your stuck with a large number of drawings locked up in a proprietary Cad world, one where usually, the export ability matched the antiquated drawing techniques.
Since then, in my own little world, I've stuck as close to the common DWG world with all my drawings simply because you always have an option across a LOT of software that will be able to open it, and much of it is beyond affordable. Competent and affordable CAM programs seem to be everywhere that can import DXF, STL or IGES files. This really is thanks to the hobby market, where CNC Controls, Cad and Cam have really come a long way. No more combo programs for me.
The only thing that has annoyed me this last year is that some of the programs I did buy into and did serve a purpose for me no longer work with this new money grab called windows 10. Thanks a lot geeks ! (They can take their kiddie crayon monster icon crap and shove it up their backside - but I guess if kids today can not figure out an alphanumeric stack, you have to give them big buttons and pretty pictures)
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscript1on/cloud-only (or have plan
Quote:
Originally Posted by
datac
Nailed it. Seems the most annoying and painful to the wallet was when the CAD side dragged miserably behind the awesome functionality other programs were offering... But there you sat... paying for the whole package and often can't easily move. Not when your stuck with a large number of drawings locked up in a proprietary Cad world, one where usually, the export ability matched the antiquated drawing techniques.
Since then, in my own little world, I've stuck as close to the common DWG world with all my drawings simply because you always have an option across a LOT of software that will be able to open it, and much of it is beyond affordable. Competent and affordable CAM programs seem to be everywhere that can import DXF, STL or IGES files. This really is thanks to the hobby market, where CNC Controls, Cad and Cam have really come a long way. No more combo programs for me.
The only thing that has annoyed me this last year is that some of the programs I did buy into and did serve a purpose for me no longer work with this new money grab called windows 10. Thanks a lot geeks ! (They can take their kiddie crayon monster icon crap and shove it up their backside - but I guess if kids today can not figure out an alphanumeric stack, you have to give them big buttons and pretty pictures)
*****************************
Yep, I am holding at Win7 so far. Office2010 is the last MS non-subscription suite. I bought an copy off Ebay last month strangely enough ... and it runs fine. No $100 annual sub there from me. Probably will extend me easily another 5 years ... by which I will comfortably have time to migrate to another.
A number of folks I know have come together to discuss hardware extension strategies and off-network Win7 implementations for their apps that will not run in a WINE enviro or natively in UBUNTU/MINT/other. None of them would have the least difficulty paying for an OS that wouldn't shear their info like they were sheep. It just comes down to a protest against the PayItNowF**kYouNow&Later attitude of the programming world. It is of their own making. So be it. The harder they squeeze, the more will slip through their fingers. Be nice it it supported a LinuxOS.
Now I just need a decent parametric CAD package with decent exports, trustworthy mgmt and a reasonable base price point/affordable annual upgrade costs that don't eat me alive when I decide to take off a month or two to act retired.
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscript1on/cloud-only (or have plan
How about CorelCAD.
It's an Autocad clone, but it's getting pretty good for 3D stuff lately. I've been using it to design night vision equipment for about 8 years so far. The 2014 version is pretty cheap and there's a student version. It requires initial activation, but you can activate offline if not connected, and then request an offline activation key, which once provided, will work forever for that particular version. 2017 works OK too but is slow changing between views if you do that a lot, but has better solid rendering than 2014.
New versions are all put up as trials, and the price only covers that year's release ( including one bug-fix update mid year ). The 2018 version is pretty good, but has a bug related to the center of solids, so would be better to look at after they fix it up.
Anyway, there's two other versions of the same software - One by Solidworks called Draftsight ( used to be free, but now costs money ) and one by Graebert ( Ares Commander ) which is the base version since they make it.
No subscription, no cloud support, works under Windows 10/7 and Linux and Mac.
And it's relatively inexpensive... Especially the older ones on Amazon, from time to time.
David.
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
At year end Draftsight will no longer be free. Too bad because I enjoy it as it replaced my old AutoCAD.
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
I like OneCNC. No subscription, good drawing ability, and good cam side. The very best support from Patrick at OneCNC West, just runs, no problems.
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
Autosketch being my all time cheap favorite for 2D as I find 2d to make up 98% of everything I need.
Yep.
Since AutoSketch is all I have, and I do both design and make 3D objects (for fun and for profit), I would change the '98%' to 100%.
CAD to g-code - I program it myself. Where others have megabyte files, I tend to have a few kilobytes - for similar complexity. Unbeknownst to the creators of CAM programs, g-code has enormous power if properly used. But using that power seems to require human intelligence.
Cheers
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
Cheers! to your intelligence......... (rolling eyes)
and now.....Do you have an actual CNC-related problem you need help with? technique to share? new software to tell us about? FILES to share?
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
Hey Greg
I did not know about OneCNC. I did a quick search and NICE!! I quickly subscribed and will try.
Thanks for Sharing!!
(y)
Re: List of CAD Software Companies that are NOT subscription/cloud-only (or have plan
We use feature cam at our company. You have to pay for the updates but we don't bother. Good system if you run fanuc based machines as posts are available.
Have a look here
https://www.mmturnedparts.co.uk/cadcam/
https://www.autodesk.com/products/featurecam/features
BR
Tim