Re: Giving up on Vector CADCAM .. alternatives?

Roger, Jack, thanks for the thoughts.

Unfortunately, there's a limit to what I can reasonably spend on 3D CADCAM software, given that this _is_ just a hobby that costs me money and makes me none; Rhino and VisualMill (with the necessary CAM modules) are just completely out of my price range.

I'm looking at Alibre and it sure looks neat, but I'm not sure what it would cost me! The basic drawing program WAS $99.00 but is now $999.00 (big jump) or $1499.00 for a level up or $1999.00 for the top of line version.

The CAM module is another $1,000.00 and if a guys wants 4 axis CAM (which I do), it's another $2,000.00, again, out of my league.

They have a sale on now until the end of the month for (effectively) $600.00 off; closer to my range but still a pretty big stretch.

Here's the weird part. They also have a FREE version of the CAD and a free version of the CAM. You download the full featured demos and use them with every feature for a month. After a month, they revert to lower functionality.

How much lower?

I don't know, and won't know for a month, as there doesn't seem to be a way to downgrade early. MAYBE the free version will do me, maybe not!

But a month from now, the sale is over.


And here's the annoying part; feature for feature, Vector seems to have more in common with the top of the line versions of Rhino/VMill/Alibre than the bottom, if I could only get my head around the use of it.

Oh well, back to the various manuals.

Thanks again for the thoughts.


Alan

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@yahoogroups.com, Jack McKie <freshwatermodels@...> wrote:
>
> Roger,
>  
> I agree with you about having CAD/CAM seperate.   I use Rhinocam which is a plug-in and I wish I had bought Visualmill.   Both are Mecsoft equivelents.