[cncadmin]

Is anyone using BobCam? How is it?

[HuFlungDung]

I am a volunteer moderator at www.bobcad.com forums, and so I have experience with the software. Anyone can visit those forums to see a more indepth discussion of what is going on in particular.

People who are new to the field need to start somewhere, and depending on your needs, Bobcad could be a good place to start. I'm not going to pretend that it does everything, but you get what you pay for.

Currently, it is, I feel, quite good in the drawing capabilities in the 2d field. It has a certain logic to its CAD that appeals to certain people, and I find it quite intuitive to get on to. Maybe that's because I've been using it for years

Bobcad can do some 3d stuff if you get a good wireframe model and if you're patient enough (and don't want to spend any more money), but personally, I've switched to OneCNC for 3d models, and am greatly impressed with its ease of handling 3d models, imported in iges format.

What Bobcad ver18 does offer that is perhaps unique, is its scripting capabilities. I have written a few scripts that take care of the more mundane 2d type jobs that come in the door. This fills a niche in today's requirements for speedier programming, since it was getting to the point that simple jobs were taking longer to create programs for than complex 3d models were!

With scripting, a person can take your typical post driver and augment its output with scripts that will make use of your controllers built in routines, things that most CAM software today ignores.

[hardmill]

HU,
I visited your friends at Bobcad booth at Westec yesterday.
Got an offer to become a reseller. Ive used the software before
but i'll have to pass. It is worth what you pay and then some,
lots of new features and just keeps geting better.

[Fred T]

Hardmill
I currently use Bobcad ver.17&18. I am giving SERIOUS consideration to changing to onecnc. I am still reviewing their fred download but it looks real promsing. E-mail directly for further comments
Fred T

[cncadmin]

Originally posted by Fred T
Hardmill
I currently use Bobcad ver.17&18. I am giving SERIOUS consideration to changing to onecnc. I am still reviewing their fred download but it looks real promsing. E-mail directly for further comments
Fred T

What do you like more about the ONEcnc program than the BOBcad program?

[hardmill]

One always wants to consider the learning curve
when it comes to any software. Before you jump
make sure of what your doing. Where I do'nt wish
to be a reseller for them I still think it's a great product.
You already know it so it makes it that much more
valuable.

[HuFlungDung]

You couldn't ask for a better software transition than going from Bobcad to Onecnc.

IMO, Bobcad is an excellent package to start on, if you are totally green at CADCAM and want something to "teethe" on.

Onecnc is like "Bobcad's daddy", but there are some strong similarities between the way that the programs work, enough so that I was able to generate a 300,000 line program from a CAD model with only an hour of poking around with the Onecnc demo, not even doing all the tutorials first. This same part I had tried to "skin" in Bobcad for over 30 hours, but there wasn't really a hope in hell (pardon my french) that Bobcad would ever do it.

However, not everyone needs a full fledged 3d program right off the bat. I machined for years with only Bobcad, because that's all my customers required of me.

So if the amount of money spent isn't of paramount importance, choose Onecnc (its not that expensive). If you feel like you're on a tight budget, and don't have a need for complex 3d milling, Bobcad may get you by for a while until you want to grow into something better. But what you save in $$ on Bobcad, you may very well spend in your time.

[Mortek]

Hi,

I have both 17 & 18. I also own OneCnc Mill Poffesional. There is no comparison in my opinion. No matter what you do in Bobcad, It can be done better and easier in OneCnc. The cam side is so much easier to use. You don't have to draw toolpaths with onecnc, however for those special cases you can. And when it comes to skins in bobcad, hang it up. You can create wireframe and surface much faster with onecnc. You will be cutting chips instead of creating skins and toolpaths. Your produtivity will increase tremendously. For what it's worth in productivity forget bobcad and buy onecnc.

Ken

[Fred T]

Well as I stated I am still messing with the free download and the tutorials but at first glance the solid/surfacing looks real good. I also was real impressed withthe ability to program the 4th axix and wrap text on it. I hope that the nc code would be right but the drawing was real easy.I have not made up my mind as of yet becaues I don't need a lot of 3d stuff. I guess the thing that puts me off the most is the lack of followup on the customer support at Bobcad. Conversly, the sales guy from Onecnc called and sheesh I talked to him for quite a while. He didnt seem like a pushy salsman at all. He promised not to bug me but to do his job and I have to respect that. Time will tell .
Fred T

[keithorr]

When I chose a cnc router, I picked one from Bobcad because of the price. Since I was near the west coast office, Bob Twaalhoven(The Bob) was the one who checked the installation and provided the first tutorials. That helped a lot in getting me started. If he hadn't provided the service personally, I know I wouldn't have gotten as far as fast. Fortunately, OneCNC is built on the base code of BobCad, so the transition was easy. I feel bad for Bob that his product doesn't perform at the level OneCNC does, but I had to move on. Bobcad would be good for any 2-1/2 D cutting, but not a money maker for 3D shapes I am working on now. I hope the toolpath options of the XP version will allow me to go to the next level.

[Kookaburra]

Guy's, Don't make the mistake of dropping BobCAD, as the next version will have you kicking yourselves if you do. There are other features of BobCAD V18 that make it superior to other software that you may have overlooked. I personally can't fault the tech support given from BobCAD, in my view it is second to none, and the price of it is actually affordable unlike others.

[hardmill]

Welcome to the forum Kookaburra

[Kookaburra]

Thanks Steve,

Looking forward to talking with all of you.

[Durkee]

I've been using BobCad 15 (I know I'm behind) for a few years now for programming my 2-axis EDM. It works great for that. Very simple.

[Klox]

I'm using BobWIRE 16.1 it is nice and simple.

Klox

[Kookaburra]

There are thousands of BobCAD fans all over the world, It's great to hear from some of you on this thread. Keep it up BobCAD fans!!

Durkee and Klox, an upgrade to BobWIRE may be available shortly, keep up the good work Guy's.

I was playing around with the 4th axis conversion facility in version 18 over the weekend, man it's powerful, 3-D shapes wrapped around a cylinder, AWESOME. Great stuff is BobCAD and still a great price.

Word is, a free patch is soon to be released for Version 18 users, I will let you all know when it is available.

Happy Easter to all!!

[lstool]

I have spent two solid years of extensive research and testing of some of the most popular Cad/Cam software available on the market, for the software that best met my needs and offered the most value for the money. I overlooked PowerStation by Microcimm at first and extreemly underestimated their software and did not give them much of an evaluation (Big Mistake) and spent hundreds of hours going over the different tutorials with Bob Cad, One CNC, Gibbs, MasterCam & VariCut to mention a few but to answer you question IMO BobCad I did not like at all, drawing tool paths just did not make sence to me, I is bad evough I even have to draw the part at times. I prefurr importing a .DXF file and generating my toolpath from that from that. Post the code, download to machine, pick up my zero, set my toll offsets, Done. Push the button & walk away. I want to get in & get out time is money I dont want to be drawing tool paths and hope I did it right. you get what you pay for with BobCad. OneCNC a great product nicely set up. But it will cost you especially if you want any other moduals you pay for Mill, Lathe & Wire seporately. and if I am not mistaken you have to pay for a post processor also but I could be wrong it has been a while. Anyway at the end of my search and almost bald from pulling my hair out, PowerStation came out with a solids varification modual for their product. (I was the first to purchase a prerelease version) BINGO It was easy to use & I was machining parts in no time. I believe for under $1700.00 and you have all you'll need Milling, Lathe, Wire & an excelent engraving package art work engraving scaning converting raster to vector all within the same software. I must say I wish I never overlooked this software in the begining I would have saved myself alot of time. You can download a demo with tutorials at. http://www.microcimm.com/index.htm Paul, Dont underestimate the value here like I did at first. I do alot of CNC lathe work and CNC Milling, PowerStation has improved my capabuilities in leaps & bounds.

Lenny

[ninewgt]

Bobcad ?

[Kookaburra]

BobCAD for many others

[Randall]

What does Onecnc cost?
I like bobcad, it is the intuitive cad program I've used and for what I do it is more than enough. I think to choose the right software for you you have to establish what you need and then pick. Sorry for my bad spelling by the way.
Randy