[billcain]

Hi Joe, Just checking to see if you got me email as yours was placed in my spam folder where I dont check often. Thanks

[JerryF]

I'm posting this as an interested observer. I started using Partmaker in 2002 and used it to program a variety of swiss machines and turn-mill machines, including a Tornos ENC-264 which never was an easy machine to program under any circumstances. We had a variety of unique situations that we had to do in the machines, especially with regards to unloading of completed parts.

While I won't say that that, in all cases, the posts created a perfect program out of the gate, I will say that Partmaker never once let me down. Each time an issue was presented to them, the corrected post was available quickly, sometimes that same day.

In the process I watched and learned while they made the changes, to the point that, using the post configuration software, I was able to make my own changes. In one case we added some unusual peripheral equipment to a Kia 21LMS trun mill that was controlled by M code. By then, I was easily able to modify the post myself to properly control those additions.

Let me also say that I've used more than one CAM system over the years. I started with Vantage, the predecessor to Esprit, moved on to Esprit, then Partmaker and MasterCam. All were good products, but they also all required an investiment of time to optimize the ability of the programmer to use them efficiently. Of all of them, I got to the proficient level the quickest with Partmaker. As is always the case when doing something of value, the end user has the responsibility to "get some skin in the game"

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them highly.

[ChristianK]

Agreed. You cannot expect partmaker to complete everything for you (unless its just turning/endmilling/drilling). When you think about the thousands/millions of variables these machines have you can only expect it to push out maybe 80% of the program, which in any case will save you hours of writing it out long hand. I personally use partmaker for assistance vs for full parts as I tend to customize my parts to the very max.

Plus, we didn't quite invest the time to totally optimize PartMaker. I'm sure it would solve many issues that I personally have. Still, the posts aren't perfect--nothing is.