[brow318]

What is everyone using for CAD? I bought 2dCut with my 1100 for CAM. Should meet my needs and be a reduced learning curve than Sprutcam.

I will be mainly working with aluminum, drilling and tapping, bore holes, internal and external threading, recessed holes, and chamfered edging. Nothing overly complex. I also bought the 4th axis with tilting table.

I will need ability to cut text using different fonts. Some engraving down the road.

I don't want too basic but I don't want to spend the price of a 770 either.

Thanks...Kevin

[BAMCNC.COM]

Rhino here, tried others but nothing fits me, and its cheaper...

[johnyac]

I like Cubify Invent, its a stripped down version of Alibre: Cubify Invent | Easy 3D design software, meant for 3D printing
49.00 bucks

This is my first time actually understanding and learning any CAD. Learned by watching the blog posted by Tom Meeks:Cubify 3D Printing Fans & Fun: Cubify Invent - Starting at the Beginning

Planning on buying Alibre PE once they release the new version this year. Hope it will be at the 2012 199.00 price.

[mike sr1]

Rhino here as well.

[tbaker2500]

If all you want to do is 2.5D and engraving, just use the CAD capabilities built into cut2d. I use VCarve pro, and usually never go outside of it's own CAD.

[kevinro]

What is everyone using for CAD? I bought 2dCut with my 1100 for CAM. Should meet my needs and be a reduced learning curve than Sprutcam.

I will be mainly working with aluminum, drilling and tapping, bore holes, internal and external threading, recessed holes, and chamfered edging. Nothing overly complex. I also bought the 4th axis with tilting table.

I will need ability to cut text using different fonts. Some engraving down the road.

I don't want too basic but I don't want to spend the price of a 770 either.

Thanks...Kevin

The 4th axis operation will need a CAM program that can handle 4 axis which means something like SprutCAM or better. I started with SprutCAM and just 'upgraded' to Cut2D for a lot of the things I was making. It is a much easier program to operate for simple jobs. We were making sprockets and gusset plates all last week with it. Worked great. It can do some limited 2.5D work, but you are importing 2D faces and having to do a lot of thinking.

SprutCAM imports 3D models and is actually very feature rich, but has a very slippery learning curve. Some of it makes sense, most of it does not. I have a serious love/hate relationship with SprutCAM (#1 issue: no undo button!)

[victorofga]

download draftsigth.. since it is free, you cant loose..
works like autocad12.. same commands, also you can define single line fonts, linestyles..
full dimensional system, everything you could need..

[DareBee]

The 4th axis operation will need a CAM program that can handle 4 axis which means something like SprutCAM or better. I started with SprutCAM and just 'upgraded' to Cut2D for a lot of the things I was making. It is a much easier program to operate for simple jobs. We were making sprockets and gusset plates all last week with it. Worked great. It can do some limited 2.5D work, but you are importing 2D faces and having to do a lot of thinking.

SprutCAM imports 3D models and is actually very feature rich, but has a very slippery learning curve. Some of it makes sense, most of it does not. I have a serious love/hate relationship with SprutCAM (#1 issue: no undo button!)

Depends on the type of 4th axis work. In a machine shop, 99% of fourth axis work can usually be done with 2.5d machining with a 4th axis position move between mops. Easily done with draftsight and 2.5D Cam program. The 4th axis move is 1 line and cut/paste the 2.5d mops around.

[DiverBob]

I've been pretty happy with BobCad. It gets a lot of bad press, mainly about their Sales department but it is affordable and easy to use. The new version 25 was a nice improvement. If you go that route make sure to get their video training series, it really helps by showing all menu items and how to use them.

Bob

[TiagoSantos]

Just had a look at that cubify invent thing, sounds like an awesome idea - but WAIT, WHAT IS THAT? A green X axis? Y is blue and Z is red?! Whaaaaat?!

Yeah, I could never get used to that.. R, G, B - X, Y, Z. It's simple and a standard! Why would they mess with it?

(just kidding.. sort of..)

[johnyac]

Just had a look at that cubify invent thing, sounds like an awesome idea - but WAIT, WHAT IS THAT? A green X axis? Y is blue and Z is red?! Whaaaaat?!

Yeah, I could never get used to that.. R, G, B - X, Y, Z. It's simple and a standard! Why would they mess with it?

(just kidding.. sort of..)

And here I thought the other stuff was wrong.

[al010964]

+1 rhino3D and purchased vcarvepro for engraving as I found rhino and the text editor in sprutcam limited. Others have found the text components fine with the programs mentioned but I couldn't get the text 100% to my liking hence the vcarvepro purchase.

Cheers,
.adrian

[BAMCNC.COM]

Good info for engraving, but can I ask what's so different, as Rhino imports your M$ fonts, its basically unlimited....

[al010964]

My experience with rhino, was that it has a few (read) one single stroke font that i had any joy with. As I was working in aluminium this is what I needed.

The other issues i had were:
(o) spacing between letters this is dead easy in vcarve
(o) rhino did odd things with letter heights on occasion

Not show stoppers if you don't want a 100% perfection, but annoying enough for me to spring the $$ for vcarve.

Not everyone's experience, but I posted a similar question to the group; which pointed me to vcarve.

Cheers
.adrian