[SCzEngrgGroup]

Ray - the download and install are no problem. It's finding the time before the trial expires to actually use them enough to know if I want to plunk down money on them that is the problem. Especially since Alibre (err, Geomagic) mostly works just fine for what I need to do and on a good day, SprutCAM is the same. It's the bad SprutCAM days that have me wondering about alternatives. Frankly, SW + HSMWorks for $10k (my guesstimated total price) is just too much buck for the bang for my situation and disposable income.

Mike

Mike,

I completely understand about the money - I could not spring for HSMWorks right now, and Solidworks was a real stretch. But, Solidworks, and Inventor, are both FAR better than Alibre for modeling. And, if you're familiar with Alibre, you'll be comfortable with either Solidworks or Inventor very quickly - I think one afternoon and you'd see how much better they are. I also did a SprutCAM eval a year or two back, and found it extremely complex and convoluted - not remotely intuitive. HSMXpress I found very easy to pickup, and generally very intuitive to use. Even writing my own highly-custom post was downright easy.

Regards,
Ray L.

[MichaelHenry]

Ray - I'll keep it in mind if I ever get some down time. I pretty much have to immerse myself in this sort of thing for a week or so to gain any real understanding of work flow and benefits. Glad to hear I'm not the only one that finds SprutCAM "challenging" at times. Too bad the competition is so much more expensive, at least when the license for SW is bundled into the price.

Mike

[Praymond1209]

Any of you try Space Claim for Solid Modeling? For me the learning curve was far easier than SW.
Pat

[BAMCNC.COM]

Rlockwood,
Great explanation. Do you think having a Video showing this process would be good for new users?

I too need this video, and also looking to add 4th axis support to my Tormach Post linked here - http://camforum.autodesk.com/index.p....0;attach=6164

[rowbare]

Autodesk's Fusion 360 is coming along nicely and includes good CAM functionality based on HSMWorks. I was using Alibre previously and find the CAD in Fusion quite different than what I was used to although most of that is due to my awkwardness with CAD in general. I really like the CAM but have only done a couple of simple 2.5D parts.

They will be releasing a new level in November (Fusion 360 Ultimate) at a higher subscription cost ($1200 yr vs $300 yr for the base version) but whoever subscribes before the end of October will be grandfathered in and get Ultimate at the base price ($300 yr) as long as your subscription stays up to date. I figured at that price it isn't a huge risk.

Expanding the Fusion 360 Family: Introducing Fusio... - Autodesk Community

bob

[BAMCNC.COM]

I agree, Since they don't have Turning I didn't do it though.

[mountaindew]

I agree, Since they don't have Turning I didn't do it though.

I noticed in another thread you ordered 4th axis equipment for your mill.
Does hsm or a version of it drive that tool or are you using another cam program with 4th axis module?
Or your own code?
md

[Arjand]

You can drive the 4th axis in hsmworks at the moment, in inventor hsm and fusion 360 you can index the product and mill on a different side, but not simultanious 4th axis. That will follow next year

[mountaindew]

You can drive the 4th axis in hsmworks at the moment, in inventor hsm and fusion 360 you can index the product and mill on a different side, but not simultanious 4th axis. That will follow next year

Nice!
I see a move to Inventor next year and want to keep current on cam options available.
md

[BAMCNC.COM]

My post in HSMWorks is setup for 4th axis. Only thing is you have to Sub out the Y (or atleast one axis) (Just a click of the mouse to do) to use simultaneous 3 axis otherwise it will index all day long no problem - This is only because my version of HSMWorks is not the Multi-axis version, which I think is 10k, where as my software is the $7,500 version.

My 6" Tilting 4th axis should be here today.