Surfcam or Solidworks/Cam AGAIN

Cliff, thanks for your comments Solidcam works within Solidworks and that is the cad/cam package I was referencing.

I need solids primarily to alleviate recreating these in other packages that we use to make instructional video CDs. Our current method of Acad to 3D Studiomax is a real pain. If I can use the same package to create my 3D models in a solid I have a much quicker creation of the elements needed to generate the files for video editing.

We will need 3 axis for future products in the works now.

You referenced > >Primary interest is the creation of tool paths for my

older Fanuc VMC > About anything could do that.

Can you elaborate on that comment? I am not a machinist but am having to learn about the industry in a hurry. I have a part-time machinist that runs the VMC but we want to be able to utilize the computer to maximize everyone's efforts. If the software (cad/cam) can create the toolpaths for the VMC and create the 3d model it saves everyone time. We want the software to be as seamless as possible, ie.. as little importing / exporting / converting etc to go from design to cutting object on VMC.

As I hate Acad because of the way it works (remember not machinist here), I do like the interface of Solidworks/Cam and Surfcam. What I want from the machinist community is your appraisal of these packages (a) Surfcam (b) Solidworks / SolidCam. There are a lot of medium price users out there who have opinions I'm sure.

Thanks for your comments!

Pete

> > >I'm down to deciding on these two packages. > > > >Any comments good or bad concerning the differences between these two. > > > >Cost is about the same for cad/cam setup on my system. > > Solidworks is only a CAD system. > > >So far Solidwoks seems to be in the lead but I can be swayed. > > But it has no native CAM. > You must buy *at least* one of many third party apps. > > >Primary interest is the creation of tool paths for my older Fanuc VMC > > About anything could do that. > > > from solid models. > > What do you need solids for? > Where is the design data coming from? > > >Please any comments as to why you like/dislike one of these > >packages is welcome. > > Do you NEED full 3 axes contouring? Lots of swoopy surfaces? > > > I'll be buying in the next two weeks. > > Ask in comp.cad.solidworks ....... . > -- > Cliff Huprich >
Reply to
Pete
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Pete, SURFCAM can be used to draw complex surfaces, but it can't draw solids. If solid models are what you need, then Solidworks may be the better choice. SURFCAM can create good, gouge-free (with the proper settings) tool path, and you can draw parts with NURBS surfaces that can be shaded to look like solid models, but if you must have solids, SURFCAM doesn't do that. It will also be much quicker to create new files in Solidworks, so if the majority of what you need is in the CAM features, then Solidworks may be the better choice.

Reply to
Charlie Gary

What about surfcams's solid modeler powered by A3DS? I think they call it design plus?

Brian

Reply to
Brian Fisher

It's a separate system to buy, which went beyond the scope of his question, so I didn't even think about it. Doh!

Reply to
Charlie Gary

No kidding? I thought it was included with all 3x plus systems or higher. No wonder it's not so popular.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Fisher

Brian,

Mastercam also charges extra (above Mill level 3 cost) for it's solids module. It's a $1200.00 option.

Regards

Mark

Reply to
Mark Mossberg

Mark, I vaguely remember you from when your were looking at buying surfcam, what made you you pick mastercam over surfcam if I might ask? Also, do you know who makes the mastercam solids module?

Best Regards,

Brian J. Fisher

Reply to
Brian Fisher

Brian,

Actually, I've been using MC for over thirteen years. I've used other systems as well, but inevitably ran into situations where I couldn't do something the way I wanted to. MC can be intimidating for multi axis stuff (lots of values, checkboxes. etc.,) but if you know it well, you can make it do anything. Kinda like a Swiss army knife CAM system.

When I was looking at Surfcam, I was looking specifically at it's full 4 axis contouring capability. At that time (ver 7 I think) MC only had 4axis surfacing, and "A" axis mapping. I needed to swarf cut the side of a part using either upper and lower rail curves, or tangent to a surface. I was unable to trick MC into doing this at the time, and SC's multi axis was superior to MC's. That changed with version 8.1.1.

Most of the newer systems don't have the flexibility or depth of either of these CAM systems.

Regards

Mark

Reply to
Mark Mossberg

Just thought you would like to know all levels of SURFCAM CAM product includes the Solid modeler including 2-Axis systems.

-Bill

Reply to
Bill Horvat

Brian,

As far as I know, CNC Software wrote it, they licensed Parasolid. According to them (at least the guy I talked with) they saved money by making it an add in module. Apparantly the license fees are less than if you use it as the basis for your whole system. MC ver 9.1 uses Parasolid 14.1.

It's not a design system by Solidworks standards, not by a long stretch. No dimension driven sketches, geometric relations, assembly environment, etc. The only things that can be changed with a number are Parasolid native functions, fillets, chamfers, extrude heights, and so on.

What it can do pretty well are single part files, and fixing buggy translated files.

Regards

Mark

Reply to
Mark Mossberg

When did they start including it? When DesignPlus was introduced it was a separate purchase.

Reply to
Charlie Gary

Bill, this doesn't quite jive with our experience. We kept current on maintenance up until 2000.1 was released, which is what I still use. At that time, the disc included DesignPlus, with a 60-day password. After 60 days was up, we were given the option to purchase DesignPlus for around $3000.00. Since our primary design software is Pro/E, my boss didn't think it a worthwhile investment. If it comes with the software for free now, that's a much better deal.

Reply to
Charlie Gary

I have been working with SW and Surfcam (SC) for the last five years. The work is most 3-5 axis. We create in SW and dump into SC. . The name of the game in machining is get done ASAP. So this way works great for us.

The solid modeler provided by SC is very crude. It is not worth investing in. The next realize of SC will have associatively with SW files. how that will happen I do not know. They have added baby steps along the way. that give warnings that the path that was written for a certain geometry is out dated because a change to that geometry was made ( little red light beside the path).

I came in late on the post, so what kind of work will need to be done?

3-4-5 axis?

I can be contacted off post if need be.

Todd Anderson snipped-for-privacy@oliverrrubber.com

Salisbury Machinery Company ( a division of Cooper Tire)

704-855-1400
Reply to
Todd Anderson

He hasn't really specified what he'll be cutting, but he did mention 3-axis in one of his replies. For that end of it, I have no complaints with the tool path I get from SURFCAM.

Reply to
Charlie Gary

Are you saying that Surfcam is 5 axis? Do you write your own posts?

Reply to
Kathy

Surfcam does 5 axis, and it does it quite well in it's price range. 5x posts for surfcam are not that hard to set up. I believe the 5 axis plug in for solidcam will be based on or the same as the plug in for master cam's 5 axis and I have no idea how they handle posting.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Fisher

message

DOOd! How do you know about EVERY software? You must read every press release and do all the demos.

Reply to
Kathy

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