CAD - CAM packages
Posted by
John Stevenson
on 2000-12-04 12:03:37 UTC
James and Gordon,
In reply to your queries I use the following software with my business :-
Fastcad CAD software at www.fastcad.com
Dolphin CAM from www.dolphin.gb.com
Millwrite Engraving from
http://members.aol.com/erichuf/myhomepage/Business.htm
And Discrimator CNC editing program from www.cncedit.com
I also have copies of Bobcad 16.1 and 17 but no longer use them.
I know this looks a lot but they all have their place.
I draw about 20 to 30 times more drawings than I have to process to a CNC
so my main program is Fastcad.
Fastcad is a wonderful company to deal with and I have been with them for a
long time. What other company can you email the owner and software writer
on a Saturday night with a problem and get a reply ? All their upgrades are
free and if there is a bug a new release is on the web site within days.
The help forum is very good. Two weeks ago I asked if there was a way to
dimension a shaft to BS 308 standards that just has an arrow pointing to
the front view and has the diameter at the bottom listed as say 30 and then
the diameter symbol [ sorry can't do it on this keyboard ]
With 12 hours I had a macro from Australia the did just that. Type in SD
[ Shaft diameter - can you remember that Fred ? <g> ] click near both
lines, select the text point and click again - job done.
Dolphin is a 2 1/2D CAD / CAM package only.
It can do certain profile moves and merge two shapes but as I say it's
basically 2 /2D. It's a complete package, Mill, Lathe Wire, Involute, Comms
and post all in the same package. There are no extra's
The Cad side has migrated from a DOS environment to windows but the CAM
side is still in DOS for the time being. The windows version was promised
for this quarter but I think it's still a way off.
One good thing is that it's backwards compatible. Any files done in DOS
will still run as will the post processors.
Mill has all the usual moves, go round, area clear, pocket, holes, merge,
digitise, repeat, sub routine and the rotary fourth axis is built in.
Lathe has turn, groove, proturn, screwcut and part off all built in.
Wire I must admit I have never looked at.
The post processor is a fully user configurable one and can be altered to
suit any operation. Program coms with about 40 to 50 posts to suit popular
mills, lathes and wire machines.The book is a decent size and content at
over 200 pages.
It also has a graphical display to show the tool path.
www.quantumcnc.co.uk are selling a limited version of this for about 220
UKP, It's the full version but will only allow the use of one post
processor so for anybody with just one machine it has to be a good deal
Millwrite had probably been overtaken by some of the more current programs
like Vector etc but it's a good engraving only program in the way it can
quickly handle text.
Discriminator is purely an editing program although it does have a
graphical display of the GENUINE tool path. Bobcad has in the past show the
tool path as being correct but Discriminator has picked up errors like bow
ties and Bobcads often repeated fault of finishing a cut by plunging down
into the work. This program at what was $30 has saved me many times over.
Sorry if this was a bit long but I felt I had to get the points over.
I am in no way connected with these programs, I do not sell software but
feel that if you are getting a good service you should tell some one.
In all four case above I have called for help and promptly got it even
though in Dolphin sand Fastcads case I first bought the programs many years
ago
--
Regards,
John Stevenson
Nottingham, England
In reply to your queries I use the following software with my business :-
Fastcad CAD software at www.fastcad.com
Dolphin CAM from www.dolphin.gb.com
Millwrite Engraving from
http://members.aol.com/erichuf/myhomepage/Business.htm
And Discrimator CNC editing program from www.cncedit.com
I also have copies of Bobcad 16.1 and 17 but no longer use them.
I know this looks a lot but they all have their place.
I draw about 20 to 30 times more drawings than I have to process to a CNC
so my main program is Fastcad.
Fastcad is a wonderful company to deal with and I have been with them for a
long time. What other company can you email the owner and software writer
on a Saturday night with a problem and get a reply ? All their upgrades are
free and if there is a bug a new release is on the web site within days.
The help forum is very good. Two weeks ago I asked if there was a way to
dimension a shaft to BS 308 standards that just has an arrow pointing to
the front view and has the diameter at the bottom listed as say 30 and then
the diameter symbol [ sorry can't do it on this keyboard ]
With 12 hours I had a macro from Australia the did just that. Type in SD
[ Shaft diameter - can you remember that Fred ? <g> ] click near both
lines, select the text point and click again - job done.
Dolphin is a 2 1/2D CAD / CAM package only.
It can do certain profile moves and merge two shapes but as I say it's
basically 2 /2D. It's a complete package, Mill, Lathe Wire, Involute, Comms
and post all in the same package. There are no extra's
The Cad side has migrated from a DOS environment to windows but the CAM
side is still in DOS for the time being. The windows version was promised
for this quarter but I think it's still a way off.
One good thing is that it's backwards compatible. Any files done in DOS
will still run as will the post processors.
Mill has all the usual moves, go round, area clear, pocket, holes, merge,
digitise, repeat, sub routine and the rotary fourth axis is built in.
Lathe has turn, groove, proturn, screwcut and part off all built in.
Wire I must admit I have never looked at.
The post processor is a fully user configurable one and can be altered to
suit any operation. Program coms with about 40 to 50 posts to suit popular
mills, lathes and wire machines.The book is a decent size and content at
over 200 pages.
It also has a graphical display to show the tool path.
www.quantumcnc.co.uk are selling a limited version of this for about 220
UKP, It's the full version but will only allow the use of one post
processor so for anybody with just one machine it has to be a good deal
Millwrite had probably been overtaken by some of the more current programs
like Vector etc but it's a good engraving only program in the way it can
quickly handle text.
Discriminator is purely an editing program although it does have a
graphical display of the GENUINE tool path. Bobcad has in the past show the
tool path as being correct but Discriminator has picked up errors like bow
ties and Bobcads often repeated fault of finishing a cut by plunging down
into the work. This program at what was $30 has saved me many times over.
Sorry if this was a bit long but I felt I had to get the points over.
I am in no way connected with these programs, I do not sell software but
feel that if you are getting a good service you should tell some one.
In all four case above I have called for help and promptly got it even
though in Dolphin sand Fastcads case I first bought the programs many years
ago
--
Regards,
John Stevenson
Nottingham, England