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IndustryArena Forum > CAM Software > SprutCAM > Sprut cam training
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  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    163

    Sprut cam training

    Is there any one that can help me with Sprutcam
    training (that will answer the phone).

    I bought a Tormach 1100 mill and all the goodies
    and the Sprutcam I spent about 12,500.00 with
    Tormach.
    When I was asking questions they were telling me
    what I wanted to here.

    All I need is a little help with one or two parts to get me started and I’ll be fine the guys a Tormach don’t know any more than I do. Sad……

    That wasn’t the case when I was looking into buying
    one.

    Well they have my money now no need to waste any more time, on to the next sucker…………

    If any one can help thanks.

    Singed
    Very disappointed Tormach owner

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    3063
    I also replied to the same post on the Tormach section but neglected to ask what you are using to generate your design. If by some chance you are using Alibre or can provide a copy of the design in STEP, IGES or SAT format and would like to email me a sample part design, I'll give it a shot in SprutCAM. I'm one of the world's worst teachers so doing it by phone would probably be a waste of time.

    Mike

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    1
    I am at the same place as you. I have the same software, machine, and cost. I got no joy with SprutCam 4.0. The tutorials did not match the software, had me click on buttons that had changed names or were not present anymore. Most clicks were given no explanation of their use so learning new skills was not developed. I can click on a button or type a number into a DRO but unless you tell me why, no learning gain for me. I could not finish any one tutorial all the way thru. Also, the tutorials would crash my computer often. I have upgraded to SprutCam version 7.0 and have finally achieved some joy. I have actually gotten thru modeling two of my own designs and have finished simulating the complete design. I think Ver 7.0 is worth the upgrade (mine was a free update because of when I purchased Ver 4.0) I now believe I will be able to make chips via CNC control. I've been doing manual milling which is still easier then cranking handles and the DRO is right on with distances. The ver 7.0 tutorials have button errors which is always a giant setback but the whole CAM sequence seems better now and I now have big hopes for the future. Tormach, SprutCam, us new homeshop machinist wanta-bees just need some useful tutorials and some step-by-step projects to help get us up and running. Hay Tormach, how about having a 2 or 3 day seminar on using SprutCam generating G-Code for your machine with some actual hands on. You have the best machine out there right now, just think outside the box and organize some training for us. Not free, I'm willing to pay for some good useful training. I know your machine can do almost any job I would ever need just help me thru the CAM quagmire.
    Good Luck to all who have enough guts to venture into this new adventure.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    163
    You need to do what I done, get rid of the Spurtcam and move on to some real software that you can get some support for.
    I’m a Visualmill 5.0 owner now and a very happy one at that.

    You won’t find better support, the guys at VM are a class act!!!!!!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Posts
    3063
    ndodson,

    Greg at Tormach mentioned that they are considering providing some form of fee-based support for SprutCAM. It sounded like they were still in the planning stages but you might want to contact Tormach and let them know what sort of support you'd like to see them provide.

    In the mean time, Dave has been doing an outstanding job on the SprutCAM support forum. The main problem there is that the forum seems to go inaccessible for days at a time. That gets real annoying when you are on a deadline.

    Mike

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    5
    Hi ndodson I have been experiencing many of the same problems that you were talking about with sprutcam4.0. Was it just a matter of talking with Greg at Tormach and upgrading to straighten out the problems? To say that the tutorials for this are frustrating is an understatement. Any felp would be helpful, art

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    3
    Hi,

    I have been using Sprutcam for years since its early intro over here and I have had a lot of luck with it. I do agree that it is VERY poorly supported by its NA distributors however, and I have always dealt directly with the guys in Russia, and believe me those are some sharp lads. It is actually very easy to use, and very capable software, especially when you consider the cost, but as with ANY other software, there is a learning curve and if your new to CAM it is always foggy regardless of what you are using. Do not give up on it. If you have questions or need help send me an email and I will see if I can help.

    Willy

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    13

    Sprutcam Training..

    I noticed this thread and felt compelled to reply....

    I too find myself in the position of having purchased the Sprutcam product in conjunction with the Tormach mill, and have been ridiculously disappointed with the lack of a "useful" support or training outlet. True, the Sprut team are very sharp, but waiting weeks for a reply only to find my question was "lost in translation" does little to provide anything productive in completing a project, let alone learn the product.

    I currently consider my Sprut purchase to have been a complete waste of money, and if given the chance, would gladly refund it for a better supported product.

    Can ANYONE provide assistance with Sprut Training, or direct me ("us") to "useful" tutorials that follow a IGES and .DXF project from start to finish?

    I am desperate to save this investment......

    Steve

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by TT350 View Post
    You need to do what I done, get rid of the Spurtcam and move on to some real software that you can get some support for.
    I’m a Visualmill 5.0 owner now and a very happy one at that.

    You won’t find better support, the guys at VM are a class act!!!!!!
    I must agree. I bought a K2CNC router and they partner with Rhino and Rhinocam. Well you just don't buy an inferior system. You use a better system which in my case was Mastercam. I think the Tormach is a great little CNC. I used one several years ago and I really liked it.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    163
    Give these guys a call I have the 5.0 vertion and love it.
    There is NO better support anywhere these guys are a class act!

    http://www.mecsoft.com

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Posts
    3

    Sprutcam Help

    Mecsoft is also good software, but if he already has Sprut I would say stick with it and save the money. If you need help email me and I'll try to help, I can try to walk you through some things on the phone if its easier.
    Please don't forget that with some users completely new to CAM, that any software can be very frustrating.
    I think I will try to make a solid getting started tutorial for Sprut.

  12. #12
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    163
    There is NOsupport for Sprutcam in the US.

    Visualmill will blow the doors off Sprutcam and the support is incredible.

    I don't know if things have been updated in Sprutcam but when I had my copy they said it would do 4th axes, and it will as long as all your doing is indexing they called it 3+1 witch means that it will only index so simultaneous 4th axes milling is not available.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Posts
    13
    Thanks for the advice TT350, but I really need to exhaust all possibilities before I can justify the loss on Sprutcam. I'm sure VM is a fantastic product, but sinking another $2-$5K into yet another unknown for me is simply not justifyable, yet...

    Sturmflieger, thanks for the offer!

  14. #14
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    163
    I feel your pain man!!!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Posts
    86
    bumperscoot,

    Have you looked at the Sprutcam UK site. It has a few tutorials.

    Also the Sprutcam forum, has been a help. The UK sales guy is quite helpful.

    I'm successfully making parts with it on my Tormach. I can try to help if you post something.

    Mark

  16. #16
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Posts
    163
    The UK Sprutcam rep is a top notch guy but I
    didn’t have time to bounce things back and
    forth on the board.

    The guys at Visualmill will return my emails
    within two hours In most cases and I can
    buy one on one phone support where they
    linkup our PC’s and we work on a project together
    and that was the part that helped me get off the
    ground and make the learning curve almost painless.

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2004
    Posts
    595
    Tormach is working on a support program for Sprutcam now... Check the sprutcam forum for help... very supportive over there.

    Also, the tutorials are very good, and the new release has some support for 4th axis work, and they are planning full implementation. The new release has been very good.

    Im super happy with 2007 and the capabilities are very good.

    David

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Oct 2006
    Posts
    25
    If you don't know anything about cam or even cad, sprutcam can be a little challenging from not having any handholding. The documentation that comes with it is technically correct but generally reads like a bunch of unix man pages - frustrating if you are starting from ground zero but once you have a general understanding of what you are doing they are very good for filling in the missing pieces.

    As far as being buggy and doing stupid things like gouging parts, it is solid product. Lockups are extremely rare and usually come from user errors/inexperience, and once you get a basic understanding, it is very fast to generate good code with. Version 5.39 that was released a couple of weeks ago will do live 4th, and 5th axis on the mill, as well as having a lathe module that is really looking cool (still a work in progress). Now the cad part of sprut does give me flashbacks to autocad 7, I use an external cad program an import iges solid models.

    I have used a couple of other products (Visual Mill 5 and Mastercam 9.1) and they all have their oddities (don't even mention bobcad 21), and a lot of learning the packages is learning how to work around them. To learn how to use sprut without having any live training available, I would suggest reading the user forums and not being afraid to ask questions, read the manual that came with it several times, and look for generic cam training material on the web and ebay. I have actually learned more about how to use sprut from a 3rd party mastercam training book than I did from the sprut documentation.

    Any cam package is going to take a major investment in time or time and a lot of money to get good with, but for me sprut has been a solid package with a lot of capability that fit in the budget. I would love to have mastercam 10.3 with 5 axis capability, but my wife would kill me if I spent 20K plus on it.

  19. #19
    Why not buy Siemens/UGS NX6 CAD/CAM complete with basic machine verification for 20K instead? A lot more bank for your buck. They have over 4 milllion seats worldwide.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2003
    Posts
    64
    Try here: sprut.ca.

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