Re: Software options

Lester;

Have you considered RhinoCAM ? In a Four Axis flavor it�s still not as
badly priced as many programs that have been mentioned that won�t do half
what Rhino CAM will, The only fault I find with Rhino 3D is it isn�t
parametric, (BIG WOOP) I�ve learned to live with that.

Coupled with Visual Mill 5.0 You have ONE system that will do 3D Modeling,
Rendering and an excellent CAM program.

Its accuracy is scalable up to 7 decimal places it takes a less inclined
learning slope compared to say AutoCAD and will export in many formats,
working with Nurbs is quite easy to learn actually, and the results are
amazing,

I have no affiliation with Mc Neel or Mechsoft, I own Rhino ,AutoCAD and use
Mach3 on my very abused Taig milling machine For a CAM system I use MeshCAM
or if it�s not 3D and tiny I�ll use sheetCAM (not great on lettering under
.025) fantastic on larger pieces, The gentleman that is the developer for
MeshCAM is about ready to release a 4 axis version.

I understand your concern about running a windows based time slicing system
like Mach 2/3. I have several computers one is my Susse box I thought that
EMC would be cool, I had no faith in Makro$haft and put up with the
frustration of coding and getting under whelmed, SO I sprung for Mach2 and
loaded it on my design/net box, AMD Athlon XP2800- 756 MB 2 80 gig HDD�s 128
ATI radeon card and it has every thing you are worried about, I can cut a
piece that requires 20 hrs time, and design in Rhino at the same time and
check my email in Outlook,

But I don�t have Norton, I�ve seen too many systems hosed by it. Cutting a
3D part with MeshCAM requires a lot of time compared to some programs but
cutting aluminum mold with lettering as small as .030 and finish depths from
0 to .07 and using end mills in the .020 on the large end down to .008 and
multitasking in Windoze at the same time. Mach 2/3 has never let me down in
the two years I�ve been using it, Not to say it can�t or won�t at some
future date but I Bank on it Way over EMC.

And besides Linux is no longer hack or virus proof so what�s the advantage,
I still have it but I don�t use it any more and only keep it for a back up
computer

Sorry I couldn�t set out on this well beaten horse but that�s my 3.5 cents
(adjusted for inflation and wind velocity)



Regards

Ken Ferrell


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