Entry Level CAM Steel Cage Death Match! Sunday Sunday Sunday!

[ToolChatter]

To set the stage: I recently started a company that does both engineering consulting and also incubates/develops its own new product concepts. I picked up a Bridgeport Series II factory CNC (Centroid M40 controller currently running CNC7) to use for both building prototypes and making parts for consulting clients. To be clear, making parts in-house is a fairly ancillary aspect of the business, and I'm definitely not rolling in cash at this point, so every purchase decision has to be budget conscious.

I've combed through all the relevant posts that I could find for guidance, but am still left with quite a few questions. If you're sick of noobs asking what CAM software they should get, stop here. If you think there's still some relevant debate to be had...read on.


I already run Solidworks Premium, so where an integrated option is available, that's what I'm looking at. Here are the contenders as I see it:
OneCNC
VisualCam Mill for Solidworks
Sprutcam
FeatureCam
(gulp) BobCad for Solidworks



I anticipate needing 3-axis capability at some point, so I'd rather only consider those packages now rather than find the best bargain on a 2.5-axis platform and then have to compromise or learn something new later. Other features that I consider valuable are:


Advanced toolpaths: basically the ability to do more than constant-z 3-d surfacing for improved finish etc.
Solidworks integration: I'm sure the learning curve will be faster using a GUI that I'm already pretty good at.
Rest machining: Seems like a waste to have a 4hp machine and not use big tools for roughing.


I put together a table of these basic parameters for each contender. I don't have all the info to completely fill it out (still contacting the various companies), so if you can fill in any of the blanks (or correct any errors), please reply and do so.

Product	VisualCam Mill for Solidworks	OneCNC	SprutCam	BobCad for Solidworks	FeatureCam
Version	Std	Expert	Pro	Advantage	Pro	Expert	Standard	Pro	?
Cost	$1,250.00	$2,500.00	$5,000.00	?	?	$2,125.00	$1,000.00	?	?
Solidworks Integration	Y	Y	Y	N	N	N	Y	Y	N
Advanced toolpaths	Y	Y	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y
Rest Machining	N	N	Y	N	Y	Y	N	Y	Y

Of course, the biggest thing this table doesn't capture is the overall quality and ease of use of each package. After reading about so many negative experiences, I took BobCad off the list. Then I noticed a trend that the negative reviews seem to be getting fewer and farther between as time goes by, and I've found very few reviews of BobCam for Solidworks. Have they improved their product that much in recent years? Have they learned their lessons about overly aggressive sales tactics and shoddy customer support? Until I can figure out those answers, it's back on the list.


I only just started looking at FeatureCam after a few people mentioned it in some posts. The big unknown is how much it costs...can anyone chime in on that?


How come so few people (without Tormach machines) are using Sprutcam? Looks like it might be the cheapest option to offer Rest machining and advanced toolpaths.


VisualCam looks like a pretty good deal and people seem to really like it, but you have to jump up to Pro for Rest machining (as far as I can tell). I can't spend that much money right now.


Can anyone provide rough cost for OneCNC? I haven't heard back from them yet.


Sorry for re-hashing such an old debate. I really value any insight anyone can add to help inform this decision.


Thanks!
Tom

 

[JimDawson]

Let me throw one more at you. Take a look at CAM360 by Autodesk, full featured, free download for the 2.5-D version (and I think free to use forever?). It's Solid Works compatible, multi-axis upgradable later.

http://cam.autodesk.com/

http://www.hsmworks.com/

EDIT: BTW I use CamBam $200. It's really 2.5-D, but possible to torturer it into 3-D tool paths

 

[Tony Wells]

I realize you said entry level, but for comparison's sake, check out Espirit.

https://www.dptechnology.com/

 

[ToolChatter]

Let me throw one more at you. Take a look at CAM360 by Autodesk, full featured, free download for the 2.5-D version (and I think free to use forever?). It's Solid Works compatible, multi-axis upgradable later.

http://cam.autodesk.com/

http://www.hsmworks.com/

EDIT: BTW I use CamBam $200. It's really 2.5-D, but possible to torturer it into 3-D tool paths

Thank you.

I did look at HSMWorks...the express (free) version doesn't quite have the capability I want, and the full version is quite a bit more expensive than the others I'm looking at.

 

[ToolChatter]

Well, it's all said and done. I went with BobCad Pro. They gave me a standalone license and a SolidWorks license for a pretty damn good price. Thanks to everyone for their valuable insights. I will certainly post about my experience with it. However...


...looks like the hard drive on my CNC pooped the bed. If I can get it to boot, I can get all the config files off of it and should be back up and running soon. If not, I may be able to use a drive recovery service to get them. If not, it's going to be a fairly cumbersome process of setting the controller back up for my machine. Wish me luck!

 

[JimDawson]

Man, that sucks. If it's DOS based, and it's just the boot sector, then you may have a chance of sticking it in an older computer and extracting the files. I've managed to do this quite a few times. If the above conditions don't apply, then best of luck.