Surfcam or Solidworks/Cam AGAIN

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.

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

Brian

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

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

Brian

Brian,

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

Regards

Mark

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

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

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

-Bill

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

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

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.

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?

I can be contacted off post if need be.

Todd Anderson snipped-for-privacy@oliverrrubber.com

Salisbury Machinery Company ( a division of Cooper Tire)

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.

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

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

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