[Swede]

Hi guys - First posting in many years! I was very active a few years back, then other things got in the way... long story.

I am dusting off all my CNC yumminess, which consists of my homemade bench mill, Rhino3d (V3), VisualMill (V4), all into a Flashcut servo system. I feel like I am driving a Model T with all this ancient software.

The current VM release is 6.0, so I am two full versions behind. The upgrade will probably not be cheap, several hundred dollars, I'm guessing.

Is it worth it, or should I simply stick with what I have and be happy with it? The problem with not upgrading is that you become orphaned and left behind.

Thanks!

[Magnum164]

Did it do everything you needed and does it run on your new computer?

I don't own VM yet (own Alibre CAM) but I know with my company we are always several versions behind on most software. They don't play the game of upgrading every year, unless there is a very strong business case and savings to do so. They even wave paying the maintenance cost on some. 2 versions is not bad.

I am trying to take that thinking into my home based business now. Upgrading only when the version I have is no longer feasible. And I also will no longer buy software that is "leased" meaning you have to renew each year.

Not answering your question probably

[DareBee]

VM 6 is night and day improvement over V4 (so was V5)
I did not like V4 and only bought it because it came with a promise of amazing things in the "soon to be released" V5.
V5 was very good and a massive improvement.
I am very happy to be on V6 and would not go back.

V4 you can't create any geometry, made it terrible IMO. I would need a containment region and would have to draw it in CAD and import again and start over. This could happen many times trying to program a single part.

OTOH if it is all for hobby and you can get by with what you have and you don't feel like spending a thousand bucks - why would you upgrade?

[ger21]

Welcome back!

[Swede]

Thanks guys. I am leaning towards *not* upgrading. These extreme upgrade costs make me a bit angry. How did it reach a point where the upgrade(s) now cost more than my V4.0 PRO did when I bought it? The upgrades cost more than the software.

Darebee, would you suggest an intermediate upgrade, then, to 5.0?

[kahuna]

A couple of things to bear in mind:

This is by far the best value in CAM packages, and the upgrade price is quite reasonable compared to others.

You can download a full version of the current software (v6) at no charge and test drive everything except the post. You can thereby determine for yourself if the new features are worth the upgrade cost, compared to your current version.

[DareBee]

Swede - I personally found V4 very difficult to be productive with. No ifs ands or buts I would go to version 5 at absolute minimum.

(see how easy it is to spend someone else's money ;-) )

[louieatienza]

Your thread on ballscrew basics, as well as your mill build, will alwyas be on my favorites list! Thanks..

[abfa9358]

Welcome back! I have V6 and really like it, its very easy to use and a big step on from V5.

[DareBee]

trust me - the step between 4 & 5 is 10X bigger than between 5 & 6.

[Swede]

Thanks guys, good to be back in the game!

It looks like at least one upgrade, then, and that won't be too bad. It's great having people who use CAD/CAM software give unbiased views, because (as we all know) this stuff can get pretty expensive.

First step though is to get my servo box repaired after I screwed up the power supply. (chair) One step at a time.

[DareBee]

Hey!
Who are you calling unbiased? :stickpoke

Whether I believe it or not, I am sure that I am just as biased as the next human
:cheers:

[cjdavis618]

Thanks guys, good to be back in the game!

It looks like at least one upgrade, then, and that won't be too bad. It's great having people who use CAD/CAM software give unbiased views, because (as we all know) this stuff can get pretty expensive.

First step though is to get my servo box repaired after I screwed up the power supply. (chair) One step at a time.

Hey Swede, Just want to say that I checked out your blog and it is very good info and great work. Love to see more.

Couple of things I want to say though about the software. I have VM6 standard and also Alibre Design Expert and Cam Expert. And I see that your question is whether the VM you have is good enough or update. But I see no mention of whether you should update your Design software. While that may not be a concern, it might be worth looking at Alibe Design and Cam as a package. You would still get the Visual Mill 6 software along with the integrated Design software that will be up to date.

Furthermore, Alibre is pretty flexible on price and payment options. Many of us hobbyists have paid Alibre out over time as to save the initial shock of the investment.

Just thought it might be looking into.

Take care..

[Swede]

cj, thanks for the suggestions, but it's hard to ignore the effort I've place in Rhino. I do like it, and there's a lot of power I need to tap. I'm definitely the limiting factor in all this.

It sounds like going from 4 to 5 is a "must." I emailed Mecsoft to see if they would allow just that one-step upgrade, rather than going two full steps. But sometimes, companies simply don't do that and expect the user to take the full leap, from 4 to 6. We'll see.