ArtCAM substitute?

Over the last year I've had a good look at a Rhino evaluation copy and also ArtCAM 6. Obviously they are very different programs for different purposes but I notice from the Rhino website that plenty of people are using Rhino for modelling things like decorative jewellery which ArtCAM users also do.

Are there any Rhino users out there who understand ArtCAM but use Rhino for modelling instead? My guess is that even though Rhino might do two and a half D releifs a bit slower, perhaps its more versatile with all those surfacing tools and the full 3D environment.

Rhino together with a CAM program might come in cheaper than ArtCAM. Are there any other ways that Rhino competes with ArtCAM that I havn't thought of?

You might want to look at this modeler, called Silo. $109 http://www.nevercenter.com/

Thanks for the link Gerry. I am downloading the trial version now. Have you used this program yourself?
Will it also produce cutting paths like Artcam? Wow $109 bucks verses $12,000 ish. If it does a tenth of the stuff of Artcam, its a bargain.

It's not a CAM program. Just a modeler. I just mentioned it as a substitute for Rhino for a fraction of the price. Although it's more an alternative than a substitute. You'd have to use something like MeshCAM to create your g-code. But it looks like you could do some similar things on a much smaller budget.


The tech support is cheaper if you have only 500 customers. But they'll charge you extra for that anyway. :D

Have you looked at virtual sculptor? It appeared in the product announcements a couple of weeks ago. Looks promising.
http://www.cnczone.com/forums/showth...&threadid=4472

Go here http://www2.rhino3d.com/resources/ and you will find a host of programs that are available for use with Rhino. I would check the ones that are plugins as i think they will open the Rhino files directly.

Mike

ps if you are looking for relief carving Meshcam and STL Works are two that are inexpensive. I am somewhat of an incompetent pc user and have had a little difficulty with STL setup but the support has been great and I am only using the 30 day free down load. I fully intend to support those companies that make their product affordable as well as giving a full working version for demonstration. Both of these software companies do that. Meshcam is relative easy to use and for me that means a lot.

I'll have a good look at Silo. There's a photo on their site of a well modelled relief.
Virtual Sculptor looks good but getting closer to ArtCAM when the price returns to normal.
Meshcam I'll have a look at,
I couldn't find a link to STL works, is there one?

No one doing reliefs in Rhino?

Thankyou all.

http://www.imsrv.com


Sorry about that. Fred from IM seems to be a fine fellow. He has answered each question with understanding cause I am a newbie to this type programming. I love Rhino and am looking for the perfect cam package for it. Perfect is low cost, tons of features and free support!:D Oh yeah I almost forgot. THe software also has to have a brain cd that can be installed and then Idon't have to go thru the learning curve. I'm getting old!:D

Mike

another ps edited in!~ I forgot to mention two free 3d modelers that I have downloaded and am trying to use. First is Gmax from Discreet and when get thru the curve (learning) it will be a great. Here is a link to a site tht has 3,4 or 5 axis software desinged to run within Gmax http://www.rainnea.com/cnc.htm

The second software is Open FX It is open source and I have just now started tinkering with it but I like what I see so far. Both of the mentioned programs also include animation if you need it.

Well I think silo,vcarve,cut3d and any cad program will work just about as good as artcam or any of those expensive cad/cam programs for any small business or hobbyist , for about a grand for all this you cant complain. Maybe if your a big business then ya go for the big ticket item. May just me being cheap or just because i cant afford the big programs. Graham

does any one use Enroute 4

What is it that you would like to know. We have Artcam, Enroute, Rhinocam, and Aspire..... each has value depends on what you are trying to do.

Kevin

What's the difference between artcam,enroute and aspire they all do the same thing don't they? but aspire is like 6 grand cheaper.Which do you use the most?

Artcam and Aspire are very similar. I think they were worked on by the same programmer. At their core I think they do the same thing, 2.5D work. I am currently running Artcam but I think I will switch to Aspire once my copy of AC becomes outdated. $2G compared to $7.5G..... I'll learn a new software program to save $5.5G!

Type3 Software develops TYPE EDIT for CNC and LASERTYPE for Laser machines since 1988, and this always been a good alternative to ArtCam and Aspire.
Pricewise it is placed in between, features wise and power wise it is way beyond those two.
It is used in big corporate around the world such as Honda, Goodyear, Boeing... or governmental such as The US Mint, but also in small shops around the world.
You can check them out at Type3: Global leader for CAD & CAM Software Solutions | Type3

https://www.youtube.com/user/Type3Software

Rhino V3, V4, V5 user, here.

Forgive my ignorance, but what do you guys mean by "2.5D"?

I use Rhino for 2D linework for my LASER-Engraver (exported as DXF), and for 3D Jewelry designs (intricate small pieces with bezels, galleries, etc. and in this case, once I'm done with the model, it's exported into STL and either carved into resin on a CNC-Mill, or grown into resin on EnvisionTec, Asiga, or FormLabs 3D-Printers).

Once I know what you guys mean, I can tell you how Rhino would go about creating stuff like that.

2.5D can mean different things to different people.
But, what I think he's referring to, is 3D reliefs.
Basically, one sided 3D models. Like this:
http://www.vectric.com/cool-stuff/ga...bass-scene.jpg

Thank you for clarifying, now I understand.

Well, if I were tasked to design that using only Rhino, there are a few ways I could go about it, but the best would probably be Network Surfaces, or one Surface Edit.

If I did a Surface:
1. I'd use the PictureFrame command to put up a sized-to-scale photo of the basrelief in the background of the top viewport. Lock it so that it won't move.
2. draw a plane that covers the general area where the basrelief is.
3. turn on the Control Points to see how many points in your surface (a basic surface plane just has the four corner points).
4. use the Rebuild command and add as many control points as you will need to edit based on the complexity of the design.
5. Now when you turn on the control points you will see a multitude of points on your plane instead of just the four corners.
6. Select the points that correspond to 'raised' areas of your bas-relief, and pull them away from the surface on the top viewport.
7. repeat until the surface generally resembles the basics of what the picture looks like (use Ghosted Viewport to see 'through' your surface and into the back photo).
8. Extrude your surface outwards, thus creating a solid with your surface-edited plane as a face.
9. If you need more detail, create Network Surfaces, Spheres, Ellipsoids, etc. Use the BooleanDifference command to remove from the solid, the areas where you need detail.
10. Once you're completely done, use this new solid as your BooleanDifference from another design solid. Now that solid will have a bas-relief 2.5D 'pocket' created by BooleanDifferencing your modified surface from it.

Admittedly, this method is slow. Another method is to create linework and create many many network surfaces that overlap, then framing them with the proposed solid and dropping a straight pocket down until it meets the network surface contours. Then, BooleanUnion everything.

There are a number of approaches, these are just two. But they are time-consuming. You can probably try "Heightfield from Image" but I've never been successful at using an image to generate topographical surfaces, so that's a hit-or-miss.

The beauty here is that all of the surfaces you create in Rhino would be fully developable/editable either by using their control points, or (in the case with Network Surfaces), pulling their parent lines' editing points.