Looking for new CAM software to replace Inventor/Fusion/HSM. Engrave curve?

I'm looking to replace my current CAM program. Most of my work is 2.5 axis milling, and easily done with pretty much any CAM software, or even MDI.

Occasionally though, I need to do complex stuff, including engraving text and logos on cylindrical and hemispherical surfaces. Just 3 axis milling using Z to follow the radius of the curves on parts with a radius of a couple inches.

I have always been able to sketch the text on a plane, then extrude/emboss it onto the curved face of the part. Then create toolpaths to allow a .028" ball mill to follow the extruded text edges over the curved surface with a - .005" radial offset was quite easy, but all the "trial" cam software I've tried in the past few days makes it seem nearly impossible.

Can Dolphin Mill Pro do this painlessly? If so, is there a video out there showing how difficult it is to accomplish?

https://i.postimg.cc/pd6KBTqY/IMG-20...-144309303.jpg

OneNCNC can do that easily. I generally use Mcam 2021, but for 4th axis work I use OneCNC because of the ease in programming and the excellent simulation.

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Originally Posted by 2COOL585

OneNCNC can do that easily. I generally use Mcam 2021, but for 4th axis work I use OneCNC because of the ease in programming and the excellent simulation.

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I don't have a 4th axis. The engraving in that part was made with the part clamped in a Glacern vise, and the z axis moving to follow the surface contour as the X and Y moved.

OneCNC doesn't have any pricing info on their website, but Dolphin Mill Pro is in my price range.

I'm wondering if Dolphin Mill Pro can do this. So far, the "free trial" version I'm playing with seems ok, but very different than what I'm accustomed to. Perhaps it'll grow on me, but I'm not liking the drawing sketches thing, as opposed to just selecting faces/edges on the part model.

Here is a floating reamer holder I made. I engraved it the same way. 3 axis only, in a vise with z following the curvature of the part.

https://i.postimg.cc/CKnH1Bbf/IMG-20...-161117027.jpg

This all depends what you want and what you want to do.
Dolphin mill and lathe are both excellent CAM programs. Even the Hecks 3D is good (although my biggest gripe is it doesn't support adaptive tool paths). The CAD is way out of date and clunky. But quality software at a bargain price it is. The posts are also easy to modify.

OneCNC is fine for the rich.

Dolphin will mill your part no problem, except the engraving which I would do on a 4th axis. When I was using Dolphin, I would do something like the engraving on Vcarve which supports wrap. It's also cheap and excellent software. Dolphin supports indexing on the 4th which works well.

But if you want one platform that supports everything and does everything cheap, you just cant beat Fusion360. You need a degree to understand the post and you can only save to the cloud or in their format, but apart from that it is hands down the best value for money software that does it all.

To answer your question, if you put this on a plane so that it is a 3D model and profile it with Dolphin 3D, I cant see why not...