RE: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] CAD CAM Software

You're right - some of those ideas would be quite unsatisfactory.
Some ideas that would appeal to ME for a non-commercial-use
version would be (in no order):

1. Limit the frequency of use (as you mention). This doesn't
sound so bad, at least not to me.
2. Limit the number of useable post processors. It would be nice
to be able to post to any machine that one may have, but I would
be fine if I was restricted to use of only a couple, as I don't
have a shop full of machines with different controls.
3. Limit the variety of import translators. Allow at least the
basics, such as DXF/DWG, IGES, and STL

Regards,

Carlos Guillermo
VERVE Engineering & Design

-----Original Message-----
From: odonatas [mailto:edkorn@...]
Sent: Wednesday, June 18, 2003 2:32 PM
To: CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] CAD CAM Software

I would appreciate some help. One of the full featured CAD CAM
software companies is thinking about offering a lesser version of
their software at a very significantly reduced price and we are
trying
to decide which features to limit or eliminate. We want to have
useful
software for the novice, student and hobbyist but still allow the
software company to stay in business by selling the full featured
version to full time users. I'm trying to come up with something
better than these not really satisfactory ideas:

Limit the file size of the Gcode output. This would kill the
ability
to engrave or cut polylines made up of lots of little pieces.

Limit the file size of CAD files. Similar problem to above

Limit the frequency of use or time period of a session. A
hobbyist
might use a program 3 times a week. A professional could be using
it
several times a day.

Limit the posting features, like absolute coordinates only or no
cutter compensation, but not so much that the part time user would
not
get a chance to understand the benefits of the professional
version.

I want this to be be a real and permanent solution for the part
time
user, I don't think it should evaporate or become disabled after a
few
weeks.

Suggestions please, thanks

Ed