[Sowen]

Sean please see the thread I started today on adaptive roughing tool path.Thanks

jrmach

OK, makes sense now.. I believe burr's response about the additional controls in the Multi-Axis is what your looking for... We can certainly get a feature request in for this with our developers to add into the 2 & 3 axis....

This is good, please keep the info coming! I would like to wait about a week then sit down here with management and present these requests.

[jrmach]

thanks Sean,and good article on the Trochodial Tool Paths.Anybody using Adaptive Roughing should spend some time and read it.Little long and technical,but even if you just skim over the info it will help you understand what is going on better.+1 reading material

[segengineering]

Hi,
1st) Bringing back the DONGLES would be a great help, (makes the system more portable, just take the DONGLE with you to a customer, download BOBCAD, work with the customer and when you leave they have a trial version of BOBCAD, which they might decide to purchase after trying it).
2nd) NPT THreadMilling, (taper threads).
3rd) Cheaper UPGRADE price, (if you have 10,000 customers, and make it cheap enough to upgrade from last version to next version, say $250, then almost everyone would UPGRADE every time, thus 10000 X 250 = $2500000 plus everyone spreading the word and increasing the customer base constantly).
4th) More free tutorial webinars, so everyone gets the most out of this software

[TonyW]

Npt Tapered Threads: Was told a few months ago it is already being worked on. Will be out in a future update

[SBC Cycle]

Some small points, but important because it shows users a professional product.

Like to see: Continuity between all functions. example, hitting tab and going between data boxes. Some highlight the data so you can type in new. some do not and you have to highlight each one with mouse, then enter data, then tab or mouse to the next box. All should act the same.

Features should have same functionality. Example, I can pick multiple points to drill holes, but then can not pick all those same points to thread mill. Each hole requires separate feature. And when doing 2-3 passes per hole to get thread size, it means 3 features just for one hole, multiplied times the number of holes.

Also in drill cycle, I do not have a feed plane like I do in all other features. Should be the same as milling, etc.

Enhancement: Let us choose the tool we want to use for a feature. If I choose a drill feature, don't just let me see the drills in tool crib/library. I should be able to choose what I want, such as an endmill. If I choose a cutoff saw and crash the machine, then it's MY fault. But would like the option of choosing whatever I want for a certain feature.

I have a lot of small points like this, would have to sit down and find them all. But as a user of the software, to me that shows a professional, superior product. It's like using someones software, and seeing words misspelled in it. Does not inspire confidence always, or make people feel it's a good product. And please, by NO MEANS am I ripping on Bobcad. Love the product. Just noticing lots of little things like these in it that makes it appear lower class to some people and trying to give constructive ideas

As far as what do I prefer? I think functionality is best. Ease of use can be important, but lets face it. Some things just can't be made to do easy. But, learning the software will make people smarter as they are using it. Therefore the software then becomes easier to use to THEM. I remember when I started using BobCAD. Was pretty lost. But after putting a few weeks of time into learning it, found it was not that hard. Just needed to put in the time

Damn near all of this is at the top of my list. The thread mill has always been a sore spot because it's so easy to code/fix. I have at least 3 different spreadsheets that do thread milling infinitely easier than BobCAD can. I just don't get why it's so wrong and bad compared to the rest of the software. No option to use cutter comp, no multi-tooth support, no multi-pass support, no staggered tooth support, no multi-hole support. I almost attempted to code it myself into BCC with a script but it really is so easy to use a spreadsheet (or even by hand!!!!) that I haven't bothered. One nice thing to say about the thread mill, it does appear that helical arc leadin/leadout has been fixed. That finally makes it attempt-able to do thread milling inside the software (using "arcs") without a crash. That's also the reason I quit complaining about it. It was just flat wrong before, now it is attempt-able.

The tabbing orders and the highlighting fix would be extremely nice and probably not that hard to do either.

I have to say that I haven't found many shortcomings with BobCAD since V23. Every release is an enhancement and even the new Simulation is growing on me slowly but surely. I'm not personally interested in "ease of use", I want power (MUAHAAHAHA), functionality, and flexibility.

I dig working exclusively with solids. In a very general sense, I want to see BobCAD head that direction much like they are with BobCAM. But that's going to mean some adjustments to the features. For example, I have a plate with 2" holes in it that comes to me as a solid STEP model. The drawing calls for +0.001 to +0.002" on the bore in the holes. I can't enter a negative value for side allowance and it's drawn right at 2.000. I can't select the solid geometry and make it work. I can't even extract the edges and make it work. I have to offset my holes out 0.0005 - 0.001 to get the right code for the interpolation without monkeying my tool diameter (which is set by a probe). Those types of situations will need to be handled before we can work directly with solid model data for 2D milling.

All in all, I do believe BobCAD is listening and responding. I hope this is all constructive ideas as well, there isn't much that BobCAD can't do and it does it pretty well.

[mcphill]

1. One and only 1 feature: 4th axis machining (and 5th when I am ready)
2. Thread milling; shape tools
3. Functionality (once I understand how to use it). In my opinion, BobCAD's current ease of use is pretty low initially, but once up the learning curve it is pretty easy to move between versions, functions, etc. Now that I "get it", more functionality is all that is important (any new user should be stating Ease of Use, though).

[TonyW]

Another thing that would be appreciated. Sometimes I do need and use the CAD dimensioning feature. But, when I am dimensioning something vertical, why can't I set the text to be horizontal?? Text is always vertical so people have to rotate the paper in their hands to see the dimension size. Should be an easy fix, yes?

[Big Chips]

I will second that for Tony!

[BurrMan]

Another thing that would be appreciated. Sometimes I do need and use the CAD dimensioning feature. But, when I am dimensioning something vertical, why can't I set the text to be horizontal?? Text is always vertical so people have to rotate the paper in their hands to see the dimension size. Should be an easy fix, yes?

Which way is "horizontal?" Dont forget to use "y ordinate".. There are also UCS planes.

[TonyW]

Doh! Good point Burr. Forgot that one

[spock]

Selecting location of tool change was handy in older versions. ( Yes i know this can be added as per Aldepaulo). Also, the ability to put several machining ops in a folder together, like when I have 20 different drills to run in a plate, would not only help keep path organized but wouldn't it be awesome to be able to save that folder as a whole, and load it later into another part program? Instead of just one feature at a time? I would love to see that kind of organizational functionality.

[jrmach]

Actually you can,,sort of.Make a copy of the file that you used 20 tools.Re-Name 20 tools,,or whatever.Open it up,delete all geometry and layers.Save file.Now you got a 20 tool file that you can make copies of and use.Add Cad,re-select geometry per feature,,compute tool path.

[bobcad guy]

I believe the proper reply is " STOP trying to make bobcad work the way you want, and just do it the way bob wants"

[jrmach]

Something that needs improvement



View image: Fillets

[SBC Cycle]

I believe the proper reply is " STOP trying to make bobcad work the way you want, and just do it the way bob wants"

Lesson learned so long ago that I am now "re"-discovering features of BobCAD, lol! I just try to work the way I've learned that it wants to work. I also teach the new guys here to BobCAD the same thing. I hardly show them anything, they're better off learning themselves what works and what don't.

[spock]

the person who started this thread asked for this: "2. What features/enhancements do you want to see added?"

That is what I stated. If I was interested in any one of 19 other ways to get the job done, that I don't already know, I would have started my own thread and asked for suggestions. Bobcad has come a long way, and I have been with it since version 16, so I know a few things about "workarounds". The development team is looking for input, not any one of 19 other ways to get the job done. They already know that. Solidworks has had this functionality for a long time (folders in the feature tree, that do not disrupt the parent/child relationship). I think it would be awesome if Bobcad could add this someday. I know how "Bob" wants to do it. As a customer, I am in this thread to tell the developers what I want to tell them. My discussion in this thread is with them.

[jrmach]

Gotcha,sorry to have posted

[newusername]

1. Why did you upgrade to Version 25? I dont know, I thought it would be better.
What features did you like best? Advanced rough.
2. What features/enhancements do you want to see added? Dynamic zoom like in the simulation program. Rotate view around a point.
arrows key to rotate view. Some good cad drawing tools
3. What is most important to you? Stability! Software driven by logic not emotion. I dont care about a fresh new look. I just want a reliable tool path generator. tool crib and machine setup made things more cumbersome. blanking has a problem. All those red X's looks like a bad math test from the 5th grade. A solid green for post red for no post. Bad contrast of colors in icons, someone failed art class too. turn on Edit in the post window would be nice option. Simple back plot in program like V21.
Ease of use = Functionality

[vector459]

+1 Another vote for a simple tool change height setting maybe in the machine setup.

The only other thing would be make the simulation use less resources, gets a little choppy and slow if you dont have a pretty fast computer on 3d parts.

[BurrMan]

+1 Another vote for a simple tool change height setting maybe in the machine setup..

Just in case you didnt know, you can add a height for this in your post processor. Also, a dynamic one can be added with scripting.

If this is just a request to have a setting in the UI without having to add it in yourself, then you can disregard this post.