What is the most powerful + easy to use 3D CAM software that you have used and why?
Catia
Cimatron
Esprit
Mastercam
One CNC
Surfcam
What is the most powerful + easy to use 3D CAM software that you have used and why?
That's kind of a loaded question, and you are missing quite a few packages as well. If you are basing the poll soley on power and price is of no concern, then my answer is Catia.
If you are talking 2.5D components with similar features and such I would say Gibbscam.
Each and every package has it's own strengths and weaknesses. The question to me is a bit vague, and the selections not in the same category. It's not really fair to put something like OneCNC up against Catia. Two totally different leagues. That's like asking what's the best car out there, and putting in a Mercedes SLK550 against anything from Kia or Hyundai.
"It's only funny until some one get's hurt, and then it's just hilarious!!" Mike Patton - Faith No More Ricochet
What about EdgeCam????
Been using it for 7 years now with good results!!
EdgeCam
WorkNC gets my vote.
Ive used Edge cam, Vx variometrics, Mastercam One cnc, Peps & Depocam
Depocam for 3D milling beats them all for ease of use. it may not have fancy features like feature recognition etc but for 3D milling its very quick to get machining.
As the old racer said "how fast do you want to go, how much you got to spend"? One of the other guys said it too. Do you really need full 3D software? Or will 2 1/2 do the trick for you? Catia is very powerfull 3D software. But that said you have to think like a French man to use it. Very strange user interface. And it's very spendy. Unigrafics is high end 3D software with good Cam but again very expensive. It boils down to how much you want to spend and how much time you have to learn how to use it.
Mastercam has 235,000 seats world wide and you can be running it in a few days. Thats what I'm using right now. The Gibbs system is also "low impact"
and works well. Also look at the people that are doing the teck support. If you like those people and can work with them well during startup thats a good thing "very important" If you don't need full 3D software don't go there it just makes life harder then it needs to be. Just so you know I'm not blowing smoke I've run all the brands I've talked about. Good Luck!
EdgeCAM
Rhino 4.0 + RhinoCAM
Does anyone use UGS?
My preference goes to MASTERCAM (X)
- recognises ACAD, INVENTOR, SOLID EDGE, and a lot more.
- has a own drawing program
- has a lot of postprocessors
- simulation is possible
- processes many types of machines: lathes, milling machines, engraver,...
- a big library of cutting tools
- many more features
if we are talking about pure and hard 3D cad/cam worknc has no competitors.
Mastercam same as Disastercam. others seem a nice product, but most of the products are 70% publicity and 30% headache.
I have used UG for 3d work. Actually UG is the autocad of the 3d world. So much that you can do with it. BUT it becomes overwhelming quite quickly.
Currently evaluating Hyper-MILL. Looks good for what we do.
I run Cimatron, have for a good while now and I like it fine. I have seen worknc, it was nice for nc, and i have seen many others. I think the real question should have been "what cad/cam system are you using?" because for the most part alot of users have never even seen the other software in action. I am not saying that there aren't alot of users that have been around the block but alot of the users that run one system today haven't used the other ones for a good long while. Most cam software changes every year, most of the time I would like to think it is for the better. If someone that ran mastercam a couple years ago may not have any idea what they may have fixed since then... this goes for almost every system. With Cimatron we get updates every year with very useful enhancments that make my job easier, if i have a problem I call them and i talk to a live person that knows the software that day, most of the time it is at the time i call... and more often than not i get an answer for my questions even if they are just about something that i don't know how to use in the software. They have walked me through several things on the phone as well as logging on to my machine remotely to help me out. The bottom line is I run what the boss wants me to run... my boss made a wise investment in Cimatron.
Danny
I use NX5. I was starting to feel half way comfortable in NX4, then we got the update. It's a different interface, some things better, some things not as easy to use. As some one mentioned, it's very expensive.
I have been given the task of making templates for jobs that are similar and recurring. I also need to customize the cutter, materials and speed and feeds libraries. I may start a thread about that and see if any one can offer any insight.
Hey, why's it going over there?!!
Mastercam X2 MR1 looking forward to MR2 soon , I have heard some really nice things are coming down the pipe. Have used Mastercam for 11 years, I started with Lv5 and it was ok, but X2 is light years beyond that. It took sometime to set everything up like I like it, but I have it setup and customized the way I want it. I have custom toolbar states, tool libraries, operations libraries, tool defaults, the list goes on and on. The only thing I wish they would revamp is the WCS and the toolplanes and contruction planes. That can get frustating at times to say the least, but the shear number of ways to do something is mind blowing. They have one of the best forums on the net, and I have a great reseller. CAD/CAM Solutions with Alan, Steve, and Chris they really know their product and will go out of their way to help. I don't get any kickback or anything along those line(I wish) they have just been a pleasure to work with, and I can trully call them freinds.:cheers:
Hi evrybody, I use DELCAM software. Ithink Powermill is one of the best cnc software.
Rien n'est perdu tant que tout n'est pas joué!
Hi evrybody, I use DELCAM software. I think Powermill is one of the best cnc software.
Ben
Rien n'est perdu tant que tout n'est pas joué!
Quality (="...most powerful...", "...the best...") is consistent fitness for purpose.
I have years of VB/VBA/VBScript experience and in settling for a CAD-CAM system I chose Rhino beacause it makes it incredibly fast and easy for me to test, vary and combine designs using VBScript. It amplifies me. Remember that I am the one that is triying to convince prospects to exchange money for what I make.
So, for people like me and for the purposes of developing and testing ideas as well as producing infinitely variable and intricate designs quickly and easily, none on earth is like Rhino CAD-CAM.
We have been using SURFCAM on our EDM with good results for 2 axis machining, there are a few cumbersome moments with the Software not least of all the price tag.