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SmartCAM Videos, Tabulated Drawings / Family of Parts

why SmartCAM needs a total rewrite from the ground

>up because it's user interface will never attract new users who >expect / demand an easier to user interface,

How would YOU know Jon? You don't even know the basics let alone what it can and can't do.

Show me a CAM program that is faster or easier to program a family of parts than SmartCAM. Here are two videos I made. In these two videos is SmartCAM V15.5, creating two different dash numbers for a family of parts using a tabulated drawing. In the videos I am creating two new machine programs in real time. It generates good g-code for any material any machine* and it only takes a few seconds.

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Prompts operator for two inputs, run mode and what dash number (family size number) then creates the program.

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Simi-automatic, It is for instances where someone wants to order a modified part. In this case customer wants different drill diameter. Notice from the operator input it automatically updated the job plan (tool diameter) and used the correct drill. SmartCAM prompts user for data while giving standard tabulated drawing dimension for that dash number, the user can change or accept by hitting enter or change it by inputting a new value as I did for drill diameter "A".

The advantage being I don't need to update and/or track tens of thousands of legacy programs, after a program is used it is deleted. This way in case tabulated drawing change, advancements in tooling and machinery come along all I need do is edit ONE program for each family of parts rather than tens of thousands of legacy programs.

Tom

  • that I have a code generator for
Reply to
brewertr
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The videos are choppy because of my video capture program and my laptop, not SmartCAM.

I made the SmartCAM window sized small and video capture frame rate low to keep the file size as little as possible while still showing enough detail for the viewer to understand what is going on.

Tom

Reply to
brewertr

See the Jon Banquer blog for the truth about SmartCAM.

Look for the page:

Reading-Between-The-Lines-Of-The SmartCAMCNC V15 Announcement.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA jonbanquer.blogspot.com/

Reply to
jon_banquer

That would be the clueless ramblings of Jonathan Banquer.

Reply to
brewertr

(playing devils advocate) In all fairness you made a macro. Couldn't you do that in most other systems with the same results? Maybe even mastercam 9.1?

(not a cam system, but solidworks does this on steroids)

We used to use macros in the old versions of smartcam to program our moldbases, basically doing what your doing in the video. When we switched to esprit we converted them to esprit macros. What does the new smartcam do differently than the old smartcam?

One more thing...mastercam bought Camax..whereTF is CAMAXXXX!!! lol

Reply to
vinny

The challenge was to show me something that does it faster or easier. I should have stated faster, easier or better. I have seen most macro languages for most CAM programs and I have yet to see anything come close for speed and ease of use, you don't have to be an expert C++ or Visual Basic programmer.

Every CAM vendor that has approached me I give them the same challenge, that we sit down side by side them using their software and me using mine. One of the items is to create a family of parts program together. I don't give it to them cold I give them a sample tabulated drawing ahead of time so they know what to expect before they come in for the demo & test. The deal is if they can beat it I will buy it.

The videos I provided are a very simple, you should see it kick ass on more difficult parts.

I have yet to see SolidWorks create tool path or G-Code for a machine.

What you didn't see is the macro generating G-Code for particular machines. The way I created the macro allows a job shop to standardize tool positions and offsets as much as possible but it does not REQUIRE them to be the same on each and every machine tool, which in some cases is impossible. When they move between machine makes, models, single turret, multiple turret, to gang tool lathes, etc. all the operator has to do is decide what machine to produce the G-Code for. For instance:

1/64R Finish Profile tool may be:

Tool 3, Turret #1, offset #3 on lathe #1 Tool 7, offset #7, on lathe #2 Tool 2 on Turret #2 offset #2 on lathe #3 Tool 7 offset #15 on lathe #4 I made the finish profile tool Step 20 in all job files so it is possible to generate G-Code for all machines using the same process model by loading the machine job file (manually or automatically through macro) and generate good G-Code without any operator intervention or editing of the process model or job file.

Direct answer to your question is that it's best you visit the SmartCAMcnc website and check out the "What's new section".

I am not an expert on V15.5, I used temp key provided by SmartCAMcnc to create the macro, videos and evaluate the program for a local company. Not a bad macro for an ole guy that hasn't programmed a SmartCAM macro in maybe ten years.

The macro language has changed a bit. It is still easy to record, understand, edit and automate as well as being enhanced. My V11.5 macros were not compatible with V15.5 but I was able to write a Microsoft Word Macro to edit update/migrate my V11.5 macros to V15.5 without having to recreate them.

Is SmartCAM for everyone? No, but it is still a damn good product for a wide range of people/machines/shops.

Tom

Reply to
brewertr

See the Jon Banquer blog for the truth about SmartCAM.

Look for the page:

Reading-Between-The-Lines-Of-The SmartCAMCNC V15 Announcement.

Jon Banquer San Diego, CA jonbanquer.blogspot.com/

Reply to
jon_banquer

Tom, shhhhhh, don't tell him that V16 is out already to beta testers, jb is only one full version behind. The jb blog is somewhat dated. Michael

Reply to
Michael

I never/rarely use Smartcam macros but Smartcam is still the fastest CAM I have seen, I have seen everything from UG to Mastercam and most stops in between. Smartcam generates code in a fraction of the time VX generates code. I still have Mastercam customers who hire me to program their machines in Smartcam. Their story is that they can't output code as well in Mastercam as what I generate in Smartcam, I know why but most people don't. I think I will retain the secrets. There are simply things that can be done with Smartcam that other CAM software users can't do. Not referring to macros.

Michael

Reply to
Michael

I hate to cus online... But f*ck I hate mastercam 9.1.

It's got macros..but they don't friggen do anything but record keystrokes. Worthless. The graphics totally suck. The windows suck. the operations manager sux. Advanced toolpath like pencil and restmilling GOUGE! The solid verification solidly sux azz.

I defend this crap because I love a challenge, but the truth is it SUXXXXX!!!!

I'd kill to run a new version of smartcam!

Reply to
vinny

Development

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I'm guessing the secret is: They don't know how to use their software?

Reply to
Joe788

A customer in San Diego/Chula Vista area?

Reply to
brewertr

What was the last version you ran?

Tom

Reply to
brewertr

Smartcam 3d ver 1.51

At the time nothing pc based even pretended to come close.

Reply to
vinny

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