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  1. #1
    I found this interesting free little cad program called DanCAD3D. Its suppose to be free but during installation I got side tracked and then everything went down the tubes since its a somewhat but not really complicated install procedure. SO in short does anybody have any experience/input on it? I understand its free and won't be a super program, but I'm just looking to see if its a useful program for home users. I already have mastercam and rhino so I'm not looking for another CAD/CAM just curious to its quality. Thanks

  2. #2
    Hi Alex,

    That has to be the single most horrible website that has ever scarred my retinas.

    Having said that I'll download a copy and run it against Solidworks to see how it stacks up.
    Nothing is foolproof......to a sufficiently talented fool!

  3. #3
    I'v just downloaded it will be taking a look, check out the Vectric site Alex, Cut3D is quite good.

    I'm about to buy Cut2D i think, you can download fully working demos of each and see what you think.
    .Me

  4. #4
    Vectric products are nice.
    They do exactly what they say and their forum is very helpful. I have met Tony at shows and Vectric's commitment is very evident.

    John S.

  5. #5
    YEa i have been running the ArtCAM demo and have got quite good using it, when i went on a search to learn how to do somthing in artCAM a user on cnczone suggested that the vectric guys used to work at ArtCAM, so strate away i went and had a look on the website, Cut2D seems to be VERY much like ArtCAM but with a diffrent user interface to it, and for £95 i think it was seems like it would be just what i would be looking for, as for the most part i will only be machining 2D parts.

    Let me think £95 for Cut2D or $7,500 for ArtCAM ? heheh, think i know what one i will be going for. I apprecate ArtCAM probly has allot more to it for the money but will i ever use those.
    .Me

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by Lee Roberts View Post
    Let me think £95 for Cut2D or $7,500 for ArtCAM ? heheh, think i know what one i will be going for. I apprecate ArtCAM probly has allot more to it for the money but will i ever use those.
    Artcam express costs circa £700 +VAT. You were probably looking at Artcam Pro + maintenance. Even so, if Cut2D will do all you want it is a steal at the price.

    Jeff.
    Nothing is foolproof......to a sufficiently talented fool!

  7. #7
    Your right Jeff it was ArtCAM Pro i was looking at.
    .Me

  8. #8
    Did anybody else decide to give DanCAD a try?

  9. #9
    I am the author of DANCAD3D.EXE (tm) and www.DANCAD3D.com (sm).

    If anyone here has questions about my programs they can read the EULA at my web site then read Section: 8 and then send me an email.

    I have a few guidelines about support questions since too many people were contacting me with questions about building their own CNC machines that were not directly related to the commands in my programs menus.

    My CAM program DANCAM.EXE (tm) is for 3D machine work such as a vertical mill.

    My CAM program DANPLOT.EXE (tm) is for mostly 2D machine work such as plotting layout or cutting plate and sheet, or drilling patterns such as PCB.

    My program DANCAD3D.EXE (tm) and DANCAD87.EXE (tm) have an "NC" sub-menu in the drawing editor that has some comands for making tool paths. There are also load and save G-code commands, and a teach as you go G-code output from the drawing editor.

    The CAM programs also have teach and save and playback modes in their JOG menus so you can make tool paths without using G-codes, and you can use the DRO display to do semi-manual machine work such as drilling.

    The CAM programs were one of the first that used the Parallel Port to make a junk PC into a machine controller, at one time I had a manual of circuits for stepper and servo circuits to go with those programs, but those have not been revised yet for the WEB site.

    Most of my development now relates to Digital Cinema, the CAM programs were written to do some machine work related to Movie cameras and post production equipment, such as to engrave control pannels and such, other people who helped test the programs did various other projects with them, at one time there was a video showing some content people sent about their CAM projects, and there were some web sites with photos of machines running off my Programs. There were also some magazine articles written about my programs.

    My CAD/CAM programs are best used under Windows ME rescue boot floppy (looks like DOS) and maybe FreeDOS (tm).

    I got an email from a long time CAM user a few weeks ago, so there may be some people still using the programs, if you find any bugs follow the guidelines at the web site and report them by email, if you have problems emailing Yahoo try the same username at gmail (I do not check that one as often).

    Dan Hudgins
    tempnulbox [at] yahoo [dot] com
    http://www.DANCAD3D.com (sm)
    San Francisco, CA 94114 USA
    Last edited by Dan Hudgins; 12-02-2010 at 09:33 PM.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexBanich View Post
    I found this interesting free little cad program called DanCAD3D. Its suppose to be free but during installation I got side tracked and then everything went down the tubes since its a somewhat but not really complicated install procedure. SO in short does anybody have any experience/input on it? I understand its free and won't be a super program, but I'm just looking to see if its a useful program for home users. I already have mastercam and rhino so I'm not looking for another CAD/CAM just curious to its quality. Thanks
    I'm not sure why you would want to use my programs if you have commercial software, although I guess there are some that have because I got a letter from a guy who told me he got a commercial program only to find it did not do what my freeish program did so he went back to using my programs, I thought that was funny since the other company may some money selling a program that was not used, and I got nothing but my program was used... Mostly its used for the special cases where it is easer to get the job done, I got an email once about a special job making a engraved guitar for a well know famous rock group from the UK, they did not have time to use the shop tools so the guy took it home and did the work on his DIY machine running off my programs, at least he said...

    Why do you ask, what need do you have that is not filled by the programs you are using now?

    Dan Hudgins
    tempnulbox [at] yahoo [dot] com
    http://www.DANCAD3D.com (sm)

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