Re: [CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO] Re: Acad 2002

Hi Fred,

Don't get stuck on the boat bit, this is just my project for now. I was trained as a draughtsman on a drawing board so can set out my own drawings and have been using 3D geometric solids in Acad for many years for drawing models and 2D dimensioned printouts for use in my home/hobby workshop. At the moment my milling machine is manual and the lathe is a Harrison 280 CNC/Manual trainer with the original control, which I program in G-Code at the machine as I don't have the off-machine software.

Firstly I am not looking for a CAD program to replace my years of drawing experience and training. CAD to me is just an electronic drawing board. I am also not looking for photo realistic models but it is nice for the picture to represent what I think I have drawn.

Some time in the future I will finish CNC'ing my miller and will probably want CAM software, although programming in G-Code is not difficult if it can save time and mistakes. My question was simply is Vector up to being used as a CAD program, so I don't end up buying a new CAD (I'm not getting on with Acad now that I'm trying to learn it properly) and then later a CAM program thus doubling my costs.

Regards,

Terry

> Hi,
>
> If I was in the market for just one programme how do the CAD/CAM

applications like Vector stack up against the pure CAD like
Acad/Rhino?


Terry, Rhino can usually be purchased for just under $600, and
AutoCAd
lite was around $600-$700 last I checked, w the 3D Autocad licenses
over $2000. There are a lot of "free" 2D cad programs, and Allibre
is
usually pushing some scheme with either adware or crippled versions
of
their solid modeler. Checkout freecad.com for a few weeks of
downloaders heaven.

All CAD programs will have a significant learning curve. If you
already know how to draw 2D with Autocad, pick Autosketch or one of
the intellicad based clones to get up to speed quickly.

For 3D surface modeling, Rhino gets pushed a lot by the dealers that
hang out here. There are several other inexpensive programs that
have
similar capabilities, but have no economic incentive to be mentioned.

Check this link for some mouth watering hulldesign software:
http://www.boatdesign.net/software/index.htm

I'm somewhat partial to this guy's stuff because he knew a LOT more
about boats than me, he understood what a nurbs curve is about, and
then he wrote the software too. ;-)

http://www.newavesys.com/products.htm


So where does VectorCam fit in? It talks to all the above. It can
edit, modify, and even create complementary geometry and merge it
with
an optimized design. The languages are .dxf, .iges, and .3dm file
formats which Vector speaks fluently. Vector is a nurbs based
surface
modeler, which means that it can accurately use complicated curve
and
surface data. It can also process .stl and point cloud files like
those created from surface scanning processes. The massive data
sets
can then be combined with other surface models and Vector can use
the
design to create CNC programs.

Vector can create the 3D designs, but it is not focused on the
specific tasks of hull design and ship/boat performance analysis and
so may not be the most efficient tool for that purpose.

Vector is a unique product in that it is sold comercially for about
5 to 10 times what we make it available to the group here. It has
some very sophisticated HSM, EDM, and 5 axis tools that require a
very solid and reliable core cad-cam program.

As an example of this, the Tru-Type text outlines that Vector
creates can be Nurbs curves. This simplifies the geometry and uses
fewer entities, thus using a smaller file size and less memory.
When these text outlines are used for creating CNC code, Vector can
directly interpolate the curves into lines, or can arc-fit the
curves to create more compact G-code for the CNC machine.

We are permitted to offer this solid basic Cad-Cam at a discount to
encourage hobby CNC(under $400 for 2D cad, 3D surface modeling,
lathe, mill and wire edm).

For additional information about Vector, please visit this link:

http://www.vectorcam.com

Fred Smith - IMService
http://www.cadcamcadcam.com/hobby




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