# software prefrences



## gahux (Mar 9, 2013)

I'm new to the site and am trying to get a feel for what help is out there. I have built several CNC machines over the years and been an avid user of the Mach series of software since it came out. My question here concerns what most people use for CAD/CAM software? I have used Alibre since the days that a person could get a free version for home use for all my CAD design. I have used a variety of CAM (g-code generators) depending on $$$ available and the task at hand. Started with Deskam and moved to Vectric 2D and now starting with Dolphin. I have tried just about every CAM package I could get my hands on but always found it difficult to learn them before the trial peiod expired. I guess if I didn't have to work for a living and didn't have family/house responsibilities I could devote more time to learning new software. I'm sure others have been down this same road and hope they may help others decide on software packages. We are talking hobby type of needs here, not production facilities. I would love to have a full blown version of a CAM package like MasterCAM, if someone wanted to buy it for me, but my budget can't handle that. 

So here are my votes for best bang for the buck:
CAD:  goes to Alibre for normal people, a student may decide on Solidworks. I've used both and like them both.
CAM:  goes to Vectric 2D for normal 2.5D work with single tool. I use Dolphin for multiple tool work due to budget concerns.

What are your choices and why?


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## Dirty Engineer (Mar 9, 2013)

I use the latest versions of Solid Edge and Gibbs Cam at work. A decent combo but not really in the realm of use or cost for the hobby machinist.

Solid Edge - It isn't as powerful as Pro Engineer or Unigraphics for big scale/complex assemblies but it works well for most things. I find it has a much better drafting package than some of the higher end systems. I've modeled stuff in ProE and exported it to SE to make a drawing package because of the time savings and simplicity.  SE isn't that hard of CAD package to learn. Fairly intuitive and once you learn one package it usually isn't hard to use another.  They use the same modeling concepts with different button and tab placement. 

Gibbs Cam - It has quirks but it does a decent job producing code of the multi-task machines I work with (5-9 axis).  I find it a little cumbersome for simple 2.5D stuff and do a lot of manual coding and check it with software such as Cimco Edit and NCplot.


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## Cowman56141 (Mar 9, 2013)

I have an older hurco mill and was able to buy BobCad/Cam real reasonable and have easyDNC5 as a communication program, i am trying Predator but have some problems talking during dripfeed, BobCad I've had to rewrite my post processor but it appears to work good


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## jumps4 (Mar 9, 2013)

for almost everything i do with my mill i use d2nc it imports dxf and i think it's about the easiest to learn
for hobby use it is pretty powerful and written by a machinist that uses it daily
it is 2d but it also does 4th axis
if you go to d2nc.com there are videos to see how it works the videos at the bottom of the list are the new versions and for dxf import 
it also has a drawing section i dont use but is in the first videos
it's $79 and well worth the money
i have no relationship to this company i just love how easy it made it for me and i tell others
artsoft mach3 shows it on their website and it incorporates right into mach3 for ease of use
steve


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## kevin (Mar 10, 2013)

Is there any worthwhile software that runs on Linux (or on WINE in Linux)?


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## johnas (Mar 10, 2013)

I run LinuxCNC; QCad for drawing, dxf2gcode, or pycam for CAM, and LinuxCNC. 

Seems to work fine; getting to grips with pycam, it will eventually replace dxf2gcode.

Cambam also has a linux version out; we'll see if I pick that one up.

So far, I have purchased only QCad; the rest is open source, and is fine.

Some think that Google Sketchup is fine for 3D CAD - seen some really good things come from it. Not used it for the workshop, though.


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## xyz_dude (Mar 11, 2013)

johnas said:


> I run LinuxCNC; QCad for drawing, dxf2gcode, or pycam for CAM, and LinuxCNC.
> 
> Seems to work fine; getting to grips with pycam, it will eventually replace dxf2gcode.
> 
> ...



+1 for pycam, i'm a huge opensource supporter. nothing like drawing in inkscape and importing to pycam for gcode FOR FREE!  love it love it love it!


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## Mid Day Machining (Mar 11, 2013)

I am a former owner of a real CNC shop and I was a GibbsCam user there. When I sold the shop the new owners didn't want my GibbsCam, they wanted to use MasterCam, so I brought my GibbsCam home with me. I had a little over $18,000.00 invested so I wasn't about to just throw it away.

Now I use it in my home shop where I have a Tormach PCNC 1100 in the garage that I use to make parts for gasoline powered remote control race boats.

I have tried BobCad V23 and it was WAY too cumbersome for me. I had a bootlegged copy of Mastercam 9. I loaded it and worked with it for about a month, even bought a training video, After about 6 weeks I took it off and gave the disk to someone else.

I find my GibbsCam to be far easier to use than any other program I tried. Some will say theirs is easier to use. I think it all comes down to what you were trained on.

For the most part, GibbsCam is probably not practical for the home shop user because last time I checked, it starts at about $5,000.00.


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## jbcj (Mar 11, 2013)

I have a HAAS TM2P) mill and a YAM lathe using LinuxCNC). I use BOBCAM VER25 for the mill and lathe. Once you have worked with BOBCad's* paradigm* it it is not bad and the cost is resonable. For most things on the lathe I use NGCGUI (subroutines built inside LinuxCNC)  and all is good and easy.


Jim


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## 24more (Mar 11, 2013)

draftsight(free) for drawing 2D.
Vectric 2D for cam.
Mach3 for controller.

2'x4' cnc router in the works.


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## cbtrek (Mar 12, 2013)

I have been using Vectric Aspire.
 Very easy to design in and to import from Corel Draw and Photoshop, so I don't need to use CAD software. 

I had never programmed before and to me it was very easy with the training videos and support on there form, if you need it. 

My Legacy CNC Router uses Mach 3 software to operate and is also very easy to use. Legacy has live online training that is very help full for both software programs.


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## gahux (Mar 12, 2013)

I wish I would of known about D2NC before I bought my Dolphin CAD/CAM package. I may still get it any way. I'm setting up an older Bridgeport CNC with some new electronics for resale. I may just throw in some software with it. That would give me an excuse to try the progam. Thanks for the tip!


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## bonehead (May 12, 2013)

There are a lot of software programs out there which offer different levels of involvement. Some of the programs take a graphic file and spit out gcode, others require you to put in some values. I have longed for the software that can spit out g code with little input as possible but I am so cheap i would rather write my own program than spend $2K or more for a decent program. This is my thoughts on that: I own a machine that can make almost anything, it can replicate itself quite easily so why am i going to pay for a part that i can make for a big fraction of the cost and learn something along the way. It would be nice to buy the expensive software but i have no deadlines to meet so time is on my side. i use free software for everything, blender for the drawing and designing, and linuxcnc for everything else. It can cut from a picture(png,jpg,gif,etc) it does require some user input but i have been able to do everything i needed so far. In school i used mastercam and that is very powerful software and expensive so you get what you pay for. This might be helpful but i had to give my 2 cents.


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## brucer (May 25, 2013)

Sheetcam is pretty good for the money..  It is kind of cluttered though.


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## geotek (May 25, 2013)

For general mechanical use I like CamBam.  Cheap, easy to use, and it works!
For signage and other v-carving tasks it's hard to beat V-Carve.
If I was trapped on a desert island with only one CAM program, I would want V-Carve Pro.


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