Re: VectorCad opinions

> Familiarity
> Customer Support
> Price
>
> And, perhaps, it isn't as much of a hassle as it might originally

seem. I do

> a lot of woodworking with a ShopSmith. I've heard all of the

comments about

> how difficult and time consuming it is to change from one mode to

another.

> However, I've never heard those comments from any of us who own and

actually

> use the machine because it's not a hassle.
>
> I've yet to see a program that has NO shortcomings. One that I've

noted with

> all of the CAD programs that I've used is the expectation that the

user

> knows all of the diameters or radii of the holes to be drawn, which

is not

> necessarily true when it comes to numbered drills or taps. This is

true of

> Vector. So, I wrote a Windows based auxiliary program (DrillTap -

Fred's

> included it on his distribution CD) that allows the user to select

a drill

> by number, fraction, or letter or a screw tap or clearance and

directs

> Vector to place the hole automatically.
>
> As far as cutting a thread, a CAD/CAM program's ability to generate

the G33

> is meaningless if the controller doesn't interpret it. And, as

previous

> messages have indicated, those in the hobbyest's price range that

do are

> limited. Taking the approach of generating the individual

primitives in

> G-Code helps assure that more controllers might be able to use the

code

> that's generated.
>
> I've not really done much with the lathe (my Sherline's still

manual), but I

> doubt that it'd be that difficult to automate the functions used

for the

> lathe in the same manner.
>
> -- Carol & Jerry Jankura
> Strongsville, Ohio
> So many toys, so little time....

Hi Jerry,

I have used you drilltap program and like it very much. Currently I
am programming in Delphi 4.0 and was admiring your source code!

Wayne