[Sowen]

The number one thing that I dislike about it is that you appear to have tried to make it like Face book. Face book is great for a social network but would not work very well as an informational network.
Your opening page or home page (I agree with jrmach and Burr) is like trying to find the information on a SH wall.
I didn't just watch the V24 or/and V23 forum section but also paid attention to the other areas as well. Was actually thinking about adding solid works to my package due to watching that part of the forum.
Now I am thinking of dropping Bobcad all together.(nuts)
Bobcad might be a value with someone who has the time to sort thru all the BS but I have more important things to do than root thru a forum like a hog rooting for an acorn. (chair)

There are categories (Just like forum topics). You must go under Groups then click the plus next to Support.

"Now I am thinking of dropping Bobcad all together." - Because you do not like the forum ?

Sort through BS?

Facebook ? Here is a slideshow that I have found... Forum Vs Facebook Vs Online community. Maybe you will get some info on what the difference is.. BobCAD would fall more under Online Community.

[SBC Cycle]

I can access the "Zone" here and the old BobCAD Forum faster on my Blackberry so it`s a little frustrating

Think I`ll just stick with the "Zone", works fine for me

:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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That's my only gripe at the moment. It is very slow on my Android powered phone.

I haven't got a grip on the navigation in the new forum yet but I reckon it will be like visiting a new city. Couple days and I should be able to figure my way around.

[BurrMan]

That's my only gripe at the moment. It is very slow on my Android powered phone.

The new forum is still being tuned up as new users get going on it.. I wonder if this can be looked at on their end.. I'll ask over there....

I can access the "Zone" here and the old BobCAD Forum faster on my Blackberry so it`s a little frustrating

Sorry the General is getting knocked around.. A good asset to the forum...

[Sowen]

Someone make a video would be real great.Like you say,it is new and take time to get use to.Being a fairly new computer/internet guy,what we use to have at the forum is pretty much the extent of my exposure.So anything to help would be a plus,to enjoy and use the new way.

Here is a video that shows how to find a forum (threaded) view .

BobCAD FORUM How to Post and Find threads.mp4
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOfIcBq9YZs]BobCAD FORUM How to Post and Find threads.mp4 - YouTube[/ame]


You may want to view full screen , the video is hard to see as embedded.

[winaa]

Nice thanks, I like the search feature.

[CNCdude]

Not sure what "sucks" about it since nothing was actually mentioned that holds water but I will say a few things.
1. The new site puts us in a new direction to be able to better support our customers through the addition of user groups.
2. New video lessons have been added using better technology.
3. It is a lot cleaner. Easier to look at and find what you are looking for.
4. There have been changes to search engines and the new site will have a better go of things with Google etc.

We aren't making our site into "Facebook." That's funny. However we did lay the groundwork to add nice things for customers in the future which includes more multimedia training products, lessons and resources. So check back now and then. I will admit that it may take a little getting used to but the User Group section was created for you guys.

Engine Guy, how about Skype or sending an email? You've been a customer for years...we don't want to leave you out! And WHY are you V23 guys not using V24 PRO???? C'Mon...Everybody's moving forward...

CNCdude

[The Engine Guy]

Engine Guy, how about Skype or sending an email? You've been a customer for years...we don't want to leave you out! And WHY are you V23 guys not using V24 PRO???? C'Mon...Everybody's moving forward...

CNCdude

CNCdude


Used to have Skype years ago when it first started, dumped it due to the barrage of " I wanna be your friend" garbage messages with filth attached, it was great in the beginning, I used to talk to folks all over the world on my PC but like most good things it soon got "hi-jacked" by the morons

Tried emails, last 2 didn`t get a response

V23 versus V24 :argue::argue:

Answer 1)
I have been running two locations with several computers plus Home PC and a Laptop, I often have to change/upgrade PCs that are at machines and due to the time difference it`s not much fun waiting 4/5 hours for BC to open and then make expensive International calls at peak times to re-licence BobCAD.

I am already down to 1 seat of my V21 on the licensing system due to a HDD failure which means I am not able to provide the required de-authorisation codes that gets me a new set of authorisation codes for a new install on a new HDD, I don`t use it that much nowadays so it`s not a huge issue but I certainly wouldn`t want to go down the same road with V24

I NEED my Dongle :violin:

Answer 2)
Then there is the HSP (High Speed Pocketing for the newer BC users who never saw that) toolpathing that has to be paid for again to transfer it to V24, if I were to go to V24 at all stations then I would probably need to pay for at least 4 maybe 5 transfers.

Not an option for me :violin:

Answer 3)
The same applies to my Predator Editor Level 2 with the back plotting, again I would have to pay for the transfers.

Not an option for me :violin:

Answer 4)
As 99.5% of what I do is 2~2.5D with some 4th axis indexing occasionally thrown in there isn`t really anything I can see in V24 that would benefit me anyway so after thinking long and hard about the points in answers 1 through 3 I will stay with V23 thank you and just use the "Zone" if I need to contact anyone that is still around on there so I won`t be completely "left out"

For the other 0.5% I just go 50 yards round the corner to a friends shop and a half hour/hour on his nice high end expensive software, setup the job on a spare tombstone and shove it into one of his nice big horizontal mills (much cheaper that way) and job done in no time

Not having a moan at anything or anybody, it`s just that BobCAD have now moved in a direction that doesn`t match my needs anymore so I have to do what`s right for my way of working and if that means sticking with what I`ve got then that`s how it has to be.

Regards
Rob

:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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[CNCdude]

Thanks Rob/Engine Guy for all that. Sorry about the dongle and HSP stuff. Not much I can do there even though I wish I could for you. I don't know about transfer fees for your predator. I think we can do better for you there. Just on the V24 for what it's worth we have added contour ramping and customizable start point features for profiling. Don't know if that will help you but it's something. Got it on your buddy around the corner. Can you email me at [email protected] with the predator details. I would like to get you taken care of.
Thanks,
Chris/CNCdude

[winaa]

Hey Engine Guy we just upgraded from V23 to V24pro and I have to say I am really liking it. Like you I don't do much 3D work but the redesigned tool library and contour ramping are worth there weight in gold.
We also had HSP with V23 and this carried over to V24 no cost. Sad about the dongle we didn't use one but I bet you could squeeze another license for home at a minimum cost.

[The Engine Guy]

Thanks Rob/Engine Guy for all that. Sorry about the dongle and HSP stuff. Not much I can do there even though I wish I could for you. I don't know about transfer fees for your predator. I think we can do better for you there. Just on the V24 for what it's worth we have added contour ramping and customizable start point features for profiling. Don't know if that will help you but it's something. Got it on your buddy around the corner. Can you email me at [email protected] with the predator details. I would like to get you taken care of.
Thanks,
Chris/CNCdude

Hi Chris

Thanks for your reply, sorry for the delay getting back to you, been tied up with other stuff.

The Profiling isn`t something that would be of any help to me, unless I want to just skim round a simple square/rectangle etc, I always use the HSP toolpathing for complex shapes, don`t get all the "air cutting" with HSP that comes with the Profile feature.

Email sent regarding the other stuff

:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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[The Engine Guy]

Hey Engine Guy we just upgraded from V23 to V24pro and I have to say I am really liking it. Like you I don't do much 3D work but the redesigned tool library and contour ramping are worth there weight in gold.
We also had HSP with V23 and this carried over to V24 no cost. Sad about the dongle we didn't use one but I bet you could squeeze another license for home at a minimum cost.

Sorry for the delay responding, been busy on other stuff.

Sounds like you were very lucky, the info I had is that it is no longer possible to get the HSP transferred even paying for it, this could be wrong but that`s what I have for now :

I don`t have a problem with the old tool library, yes the new one is much better but I fought my way through the old V2007 and V22 so handling the tool library in V23 isn`t a big deal any more.


I just always use the HSP for Profiling, much better all round than the Profile feature, way faster and no "air cutting" like you have with the Profile feature so I am a little puzzled that you would be using it if you have the HSP. OK to just skim round a simple block but any sort of odd shape means a lot of "air cutting" !!

See the attached image, an odd shaped Profile done with the HSP, to do the same thing with the normal Profile feature would involve loads of "air cutting" time along the three straight sides

This type of toolpathing is the modern way of doing things, some other more advanced (No disrepect to BC, remember some other software companies have been doing this type of CadCAM about 10 years longer than BC ) softwares are now doing what is basically Trochoidal toolpathing with automatic ramping and automatic slow down/speed up of feed speeds when the radius of the cut decreases and speeds up again when the radius gets bigger again, pretty awesome stuff for sure and to be fair to BC outside my budget

Anyway, glad you got a great deal, well done

Regards
Rob

:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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[BurrMan]

Hi General.. What you are showing there is "pocketing".. The term profiling was confusing me.. The profiling is a toolpath that will follow an exact contour (and step in on it)

I dont see "air" in the normal pocket:



Although, as you state, the newer HSP technology, will "Morph" the pocket toolpath to make it more efficient:



The regular pocket routines keep the toolpaths contours as defined by the pockets geometry. The HSP one will recognize pockets within the pocket and create toolpath that morphs and is more efficient..

[The Engine Guy]

Hi General.. What you are showing there is "pocketing".. The term profiling was confusing me.. The profiling is a toolpath that will follow an exact contour (and step in on it)

I dont see "air" in the normal pocket:



Although, as you state, the newer HSP technology, will "Morph" the pocket toolpath to make it more efficient:



The regular pocket routines keep the toolpaths contours as defined by the pockets geometry. The HSP one will recognize pockets within the pocket and create toolpath that morphs and is more efficient..

Hi Burr

It is the terminology that is "muddying the waters", the example image I uploaded is from BobCAD and yes, you are correct in that BobCAD calls it a pocket due to having to draw/set a boundary so in that respect it will be a pocket.

BobCAD use the term "Profile" where other CadCAM softwares don`t for machining around the outside of a shape.

In a different CadCAM software that would be a "side cut" and it does not have to have a boundary drawn as a line or dotted line and simply delves into it`s memory for the stock size/shape as designated either by dimensioning or by use of a solid under a "user defined" stock option or what it has previously already machined from the original stock and then just machines off the excess material the best way it sees fit in order to get to the requested shape.
In that software the term "Profile" for a cut doesn`t exist, see the attached image of the Features available in another software

Again the term HSP (High Speed Pocketing) is really a little misleading although to BobCAD folks that is what they wanted it to mean to others it would simply be termed High Speed Toolpathing which to me is a more correct term for what the software is really doing and I use it for machining round a shape instead of using the Feature named "Profile" as it is as you rightly say way more efficient

Sorry if I haven`t managed to explain that very well, doing my best, I type something and then when I read it back to myself it doesn`t seem to make sense even to me :drowning: :drowning:

Regards
Rob
:rainfro: :rainfro: :rainfro:

P.S. The software version the image is from is from 2004, that`s 7 years ago and they had these toolpaths back then. Yes, it`s expensive

.

[BurrMan]

Hi General,
I see what you are describing... That last shot looks like Delcam. My brother likes that software....

Looks like I may be on V24 soon.. What you are describing sounds like the advanced roughing, where its work can be dictated by "the solid" as opposed to 2d pockets and islands, although I havnt seen it yet, and it may not use the "Trochoidal" stategies like you are showing.. I have seen them say they are working on getting that back in (it wont be there until its there though)...

anyway, talk later. Burr

[winaa]

I think a better term for Profiling would be Contouring but even thats is pretty broad.
Engine Guy yes HSP pocketing is great for the part you showed and using dashed lines to designate stock that the tool can pass over is great.

Burr I have started to use Advanced Roughing to machine 2D operations from a 3D soild and yes no Trochoidal stategies yet but still very usable.

[BurrMan]

Burr I have started to use Advanced Roughing to machine 2D operations from a 3D soild and yes no Trochoidal stategies yet but still very usable.

I think I'll like that as I can build solids pretty quick and not have to check and set pocket depths all the time.. Less brainwork!!!

[dwood]

a little something to look at
not as good in the corners as hsp but not bad
but you can knock some chips with zig zag

[The Engine Guy]

Hi General,
I see what you are describing... That last shot looks like Delcam. My brother likes that software....

Looks like I may be on V24 soon.. What you are describing sounds like the advanced roughing, where its work can be dictated by "the solid" as opposed to 2d pockets and islands, although I havnt seen it yet, and it may not use the "Trochoidal" stategies like you are showing.. I have seen them say they are working on getting that back in (it wont be there until its there though)...

anyway, talk later. Burr

Hi Burr

Yes it is the old Delcam "FeatureCAM" from 2004 and it sounds like your brother is a wise man, I rate their software as "exceptional".

V24 eh, good for you, and yes the advanced roughing in V24 is very similar to what I`ve been using and yes again I did see the Posts either back end of last year or earlier this year where BC were saying they would introduce this type of toolpathing but that it was unlikely to be this year, possibly 2012 which would probably equate in timing with a V25 launch, if that`s the case then that is a version that would probably be well worth waiting for

Regards
Rob
:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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[The Engine Guy]

I think a better term for Profiling would be Contouring but even thats is pretty broad.
Engine Guy yes HSP pocketing is great for the part you showed and using dashed lines to designate stock that the tool can pass over is great.

Burr I have started to use Advanced Roughing to machine 2D operations from a 3D soild and yes no Trochoidal stategies yet but still very usable.

Agreed, "Contouring" is again a little misleading, go on any machine shop floor and usually the guys just refer to doing a "side cut", says exactly what the machine is doing.

In BC a "Contour" is where you turn your geometry into a single entity, in FC they call that a "Curve" which is just as bad I think so none of them are blameless when it comes to terminology

Yes, I`ve also used the advanced roughing, works OK but I have found that it does seem to take a little longer, no idea why as I haven`t done much with it, could just be me not using it well enough .


Regards
Rob
:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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[The Engine Guy]

a little something to look at
not as good in the corners as hsp but not bad
but you can knock some chips with zig zag

This is from FC and is their "simple" side cut feature, nothing fancy here but very quick as it is bi-directional right up to where it starts to go all the way round the shape, there are only a couple of Z axis lifts and one to move to the start of the finish cut.

It doesn`t have any of the fancy ramping in and out and rapiding like the BC HSP but it does get the job done quickly

Burr

I think this is more like what you were expecting to see as a "Profile" ???


Regards
Rob
:rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

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