What is the most powerful + easy to use 3D CAM software that you have used and why?
Catia
Cimatron
Esprit
Mastercam
One CNC
Surfcam
What is the most powerful + easy to use 3D CAM software that you have used and why?
That's kind of a loaded question, and you are missing quite a few packages as well. If you are basing the poll soley on power and price is of no concern, then my answer is Catia.
If you are talking 2.5D components with similar features and such I would say Gibbscam.
Each and every package has it's own strengths and weaknesses. The question to me is a bit vague, and the selections not in the same category. It's not really fair to put something like OneCNC up against Catia. Two totally different leagues. That's like asking what's the best car out there, and putting in a Mercedes SLK550 against anything from Kia or Hyundai.
"It's only funny until some one get's hurt, and then it's just hilarious!!" Mike Patton - Faith No More Ricochet
What about EdgeCam????
Been using it for 7 years now with good results!!
EdgeCam
Ive used Edge cam, Vx variometrics, Mastercam One cnc, Peps & Depocam
Depocam for 3D milling beats them all for ease of use. it may not have fancy features like feature recognition etc but for 3D milling its very quick to get machining.
WorkNC gets my vote.
WorkNC is Vero is Heidenhain
- - - Updated - - -
EdgeCAM is MW/MW is Heidenhain
As the old racer said "how fast do you want to go, how much you got to spend"? One of the other guys said it too. Do you really need full 3D software? Or will 2 1/2 do the trick for you? Catia is very powerfull 3D software. But that said you have to think like a French man to use it. Very strange user interface. And it's very spendy. Unigrafics is high end 3D software with good Cam but again very expensive. It boils down to how much you want to spend and how much time you have to learn how to use it.
Mastercam has 235,000 seats world wide and you can be running it in a few days. Thats what I'm using right now. The Gibbs system is also "low impact"
and works well. Also look at the people that are doing the teck support. If you like those people and can work with them well during startup thats a good thing "very important" If you don't need full 3D software don't go there it just makes life harder then it needs to be. Just so you know I'm not blowing smoke I've run all the brands I've talked about. Good Luck!
EdgeCAM
Rhino 4.0 + RhinoCAM
Does anyone use UGS?
I use NX5. I was starting to feel half way comfortable in NX4, then we got the update. It's a different interface, some things better, some things not as easy to use. As some one mentioned, it's very expensive.
I have been given the task of making templates for jobs that are similar and recurring. I also need to customize the cutter, materials and speed and feeds libraries. I may start a thread about that and see if any one can offer any insight.
Hey, why's it going over there?!!
DELCAM POWERMILL (simply the best)
My preference goes to MASTERCAM (X)
- recognises ACAD, INVENTOR, SOLID EDGE, and a lot more.
- has a own drawing program
- has a lot of postprocessors
- simulation is possible
- processes many types of machines: lathes, milling machines, engraver,...
- a big library of cutting tools
- many more features
You may as well add to that list of mastercam features,
-is bug ridden
-every release seems to introduce more bugs than the last
-it crashes constantly
-features that worked in previous releases get broken
-if your not on maintenance then you dont get service packs to fix the bugs
-graphics issues affecting verify
I could go on and on.
Do I sound bitter?
if we are talking about pure and hard 3D cad/cam worknc has no competitors.
Mastercam same as Disastercam. others seem a nice product, but most of the products are 70% publicity and 30% headache.
I have used UG for 3d work. Actually UG is the autocad of the 3d world. So much that you can do with it. BUT it becomes overwhelming quite quickly.
Currently evaluating Hyper-MILL. Looks good for what we do.
I have friends working for several large and small companies doing injection molding, Tyco is one. They all use Solidworks or ProE. Expensive, $20K plus per seat, and they take a pro a year to learn, but do everything.
I think edge cam
I drawing in autoad and transfer the draw in edge cam
I work in adgecam 5 years with good results.
Easy and powerful: SolidCAM