Re: help with picking CNC software

> >Hello all, > > > >I am new to this group and CNC machining in general. What I do is design > >stuff in SolidWorks. What my new boss wants me to do is take control of his > >new Techno- Isel router machine. It came with BobCAM/BobCAD ver 19. We > >mainly cut 2D profiles out of carbon fiber. My question is, is there a > >better CAM software out there that will work directly with SW so I don't > >have to translate to DXF then generate a tool path. I need to bring all > >files under revision control and the fewer I have between initial design and > >finish product the better. I am not even sure of some of the questions that > >I will need to ask. I appreciate your time and patience. > > > >Matt > > Crossposed to comp.cad.solidworks

SolidCam

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Any cam company should be willing to take one or more of your files and generate code specific to your router so that you can see how it paths the tool. There can be quite a difference in the way that two cam systems deal with the same pocket for instance, and you may find that, in your particular application, ones code performs better.

You could easily spend 15-20k on a super hooty cam program that can do simotaneous 5 axis 3-d nurbs contouring, but if thats not the kind of work that you'll be doing, don't waste the money. The spendy cam program may be able to do everything that you need, but you may find that the $2500 2-d basic cam program will actually do a better job for you, and be much easier to work with.

Bottom line is that there is no one cam program that is best for everyone. Each needs to be evaluated against your application. My particular sofware is Gibbs, and was quite expensive. It performs acceptably for 3-d surfacing (what I bought it for), but does a horrible job when it comes to simple 2-d pockets and contours (my 8 year old version of bob-cad does better).