Cad/cam For The Hobby Machinist

I purchased the annual service i believe January, pricing is locked in at $300 per year, unlimited upgrades as long as you pay annual fee. It has a bit of a learning curve like all CAD /CAM systems. Have used it to program several 3d tool paths, and works great. I also use Solidworks with HSMxpress for tool paths and probably is my favorite. HSMxpress (now owned by Autodesk) is a free 2d add-on. Solidworks is not a cheap solution for hobbyist, but I belive they have a cheap addition for students, teachers,etc.
I don't think you can go wrong with Fusion 360, plenty of followers and youtube videos for learning.
 
09kevin said:
Thanks, Bob. I have been thinking about upgrading from Sprutcam7 to 9 but think I will wait and see how people like Fusion 360 before I make a decision.

Kevin
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If you do decide to upgrade SprutCAM, version 10 is in beta now and expected to release in the US in Oct./Nov. Jumping from 7 to 9 or 10 is the full purchase price.

Bob
 
Wow i just got 9 this spring. Where can I get info on what is new in 10? The website makes no mention.
 
A couple comments on the Fusion 360 - the way I read the terms, once download it, the trial period starts. After that, you can sign up for free as a qualifying non commercial or business startup, as already stated, for a year. At the end of that year, you can again sign up at no cost, as long as you still qualify for the non-commercial or startup. It does not read like it is limited to one year, the way I read it - you just have to re-qualify each year. On Windows, it will not run on a 32 bit operating system - you must have a 64 bit operating system. I found the info on the website concerning who qualifies for free to be well written and very clearly stated.
 
That's how I read it as well.


Stan,
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
SEK_22Hornet said:
A couple comments on the Fusion 360 - the way I read the terms, once download it, the trial period starts. After that, you can sign up for free as a qualifying non commercial or business startup, as already stated, for a year. At the end of that year, you can again sign up at no cost, as long as you still qualify for the non-commercial or startup. It does not read like it is limited to one year, the way I read it - you just have to re-qualify each year. On Windows, it will not run on a 32 bit operating system - you must have a 64 bit operating system. I found the info on the website concerning who qualifies for free to be well written and very clearly stated.
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You appear to be correct re: the term of use. I stated that it was a one year period because I specifically asked the Autodesk rep. about the that issue and his response was one year. It had been my impression that it was unlimited as well but I deferred to their knowledge. I just looked at their website and it does appear that as long as you meet the qualifications for student, instructor hobbyist, enthusiast, or startup, it is indeed unlimited free use. Thanks for clarifying.

I am running Windows 7, 64 bit and was not aware that it would not run on 32 bit systems. I did not see any reference to 64 bit Windows systems only. Can you point us to the the webpage where you saw this?

Bob
 
Cheeseking said:
Wow i just got 9 this spring. Where can I get info on what is new in 10? The website makes no mention.
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Talk to Tormach about Ver. 10. They are the biggest sales outlet for US sales. Apparently, Ver. 10 has already been released in Europe. We actually had a preview of 10 as Tormach is running it through its paces now.

Bob
 
I found out about the 64 bit requirement when I tried to download it on my 32 bit machine - it gave me an error telling me my computer wasn't compatible, that I appeared to be running a 32 bit operating system, and that the software required a 64 bit operating system. I did not see that anywhere on their website, either. I tried 2 different machines, both running 32 bit Windows 7, with the same message. I intend to upgrade to 64 bit Windows 10 in the next few months, so I decided to wait until then to start my trial.
 
I've been using Fusion 360 for about six months now and love it. After I watched the YouTube videos I was able to model complex parts with all the CAM tool paths in a mater of hours for a small R/C airplane motor, including nice renderings.


Since that exercise, everything I've build in my shop has been designed, modeled and CAM'd in Fusion360. This is the same CAM processor as HSM Works, but for a hobbyist like me, totally free.

Glass Engine.jpg side view.jpg
 
Very nice! The rendering is amazing compared to SolidWorks. I could have better rendering but it would require a upgrade to in my video card and a rather expensive upgrade to SolidWorks Professional.
I just began the Fusion 360 tutorials. I imagine it will take some time to be able to create something like you have done but it looks like it will be a very worthwhile effort.

Bob
 
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