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Hot dickerty
Someone was selling BobCad-Cam on fleabay, did I just buy a $1995 package for $400 including postage :confused:
Or was I ripped? :eek:
I'll let you know :rolleyes:
V21 BobCad-Cam 3D Cad/Cam Software for Mill, Lathe, Laser, Router, Plasma, etc.
Authorized Bobcad dealer inventory liquidation. New software and comes with brand new valid Bobcad license.
No idea :confused:Quote:
Originally Posted by skittles
Bit disappointed when I uploaded my .dwg to the demo BobCad and it didn't take line/arc thickness in to account. I was up to the small hours reading the manual last night, couldn't understand why they were telling me how to draw lines and arcs rather than faces and surfaces. Then around page 200 they started wrapping surfaces on to lines and arcs and, whey hey, it suddenly started to look really good :beer:
For most V21 does everything you want to do unless you are getting into extremely fine micro or Very large Macro projects and you have to download the Post code engines for your type of controller (though they say they will build one for free for any system).
Got mine for £135.00 back in December from BobCAD direct. Love the program and no it is not a full bells and whistles item but it so far is doing the job. No I don't work for them nor do I get any money or funds from them.
All CAD programs have a learning curve. When you start dealing with those that have a huge amount of ability the curve gets steeper. BobCad has an easier learning curve than Mach3 (when really trying to indepth understand what is going on and not just running code and trying to keep it clean).
But hey, If you live life be prepared for the curve.
Michael
Never actually unwrapped it, BobCAD called me and sold me a dongle thing that converts the V23 demo into the "reel thang", along with a full set of training discs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kip
I like the dongle approach 'cause I can have it loaded at home and at the shop without separate licences.
Gave it an AutoCAD outline, extruded it a bit and G-code magically appeared. Then a morning rewriting the output script thing so I got G-code I could use.
Then decided to remake the riser blocks I use to bolt metal to the machine bed, then found a bug in my mill driver software, a nasty little, devious bug so it was some time before the penny dropped.
If it did a vertical shift at the end of an arc it lost position on the Z axis :eek:
Turned out that the arc could end a tiny fraction off the required X,Y. It then scaled the Z feed speed to allow for the cut angle in the X,Y and everything went to hell in a hand basket. Massive Z feed rates, lost steps, goodnight Vienna.
Now that's fixed I can go back to trying my BobCAD G-code and cut the cheeks for the new mill Z axis screw.
Robin
What mill driver software ?
.
Mach3 is the best that I have run across. Great support wonderful running program and will only drive you slightly mad in the process.
Have been doing test cuts with the Bob Cad and my mill getting good results and having to do some edit work on the post processor as it keeps switching to imperial when i use metric and a few other minor bugs that i am finding ways to get it smooth.
Sorry to hear about the Z going south on you hope things get back the way they need to be soon for you.
Michael
Quote:
Originally Posted by m.marino
It's all fixed, the wonderful thing about my software is I have the source code and the compiler on the same computer that drives the mill. I can fix bugs on the fly.
I do as much as possible in AutoCAD then export a dxf file. I get the tool paths from someone else's software then merge them back in with the original dxf on screen.
I can move or locate the tool referencing any circle on the dxf and I always have bolt holes in the workpiece for clamping. The dxf circles locate the bolt holles for drilling, they then locate my riser blocks on the bed. I bolt the work down to the risers then start cutting.
Works for me :beer:
I like the bit where he has to check with his supervisor to see if it's okay to give you that deal he's just thought of, specially for you. There are just 3 of this special bundle left over after a show, a never to be repeated offer.
If you say yes to the offer, he immediately starts selling you the dongle. Say no thanks and down comes the price. After the dongle you start on the extended technical support, but as you've probably already had the training CD set sweetener thrown in you actually don't need that.
I had a very similar experiance. I knew after downloading the demo they would call but I thought I would get a week to play around with it. Not a bit of it, I downloaded at midnight and got the call at about 3 pm gmt.Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemsworthlad
Anyway to cut a long........... I bought the lathe/mill package for £300
I went for the download as the cd / manual was an extra $50.
Then I discovered that to transfer from one computer to another would involve a fee. Plus the download looked a bit tricky and I had a dodgy broadband connection at time. So, I decided to pay the extra and get the cd and although a dongle wasn't mentioned by said smooth talking American, I discovered here on this forum that a dongle exists so decided to obtain that as well.
Thats when my problems started or perhaps they started when I downloaded the demo !
Bobcad have not answered my mails apart from a mail saying somebody would be in touch, ( they havn't) I will try and phone soon but I am feeling a bit pissed, especially as I was welcomed into the Bobcad family and was expecting good customer support.
Be Warned !!! Phil.
I have the Vectric products, Dolphin and Bobcad V21, apparently V22 was crap and isn't listed any more ? and I refuse to go to v23 as it's dongle controlled and they way I get thru USB sticks is no ones business, I must get 3 a week posted back to me.
Vectric products are good, very good support and a user base who have nothing bad to say about the program, that has to mean a lot.
Dolphin is equally as good on support and features but it is limited to 2 1/2D with a tiny bit of 3d inbuilt but it doesn't profess to be a 3D program.
Bobcad tries to be master of all but doesn't succeed, it has to have the worst CAD/CAM reputation in the world, do a web crawl.
Vectric and Dolphin compliment each other, Vectric I class more as an arty program than and engineering program which Vectric will agree with, it can do engineering based parts, the loco wheel we do at shows was programmed in Vectric to show how easy it is but at the end of the day it's more a sign carving and engraving program which it excels at.
Dolphin IS an engineering program, you can engrave with it but it's not as intuitive as Vectric.
Where Dolphin score is it's ability to do a part 8 different ways, doesn't mean to say 7 are wrong and in most cases any will do but on some long jobs 10 minutes playing what if can save a lot of time and it's very easy to order the sequence of cuts.
Both Vectric and Dolphin won't write code until you are happy with the screen simulation and if you want to alter anything you can then post code again.
Bobcad up to V23 was different in that it wrote code on the fly, profile by profile, won't to change anything and it was a cut and paste operation.
Vectric do a starter program called Cut2D that gets you started cheaply, dolphin do a hobby version but you have to contact them for pricing but it is affordable.
.
By profile I mean a profile of the part being machined.
Here's an example:-
http://www.stevenson-engineers.co.uk/files/dolphin1.jpg
Loco wheel with cutter selected, Op 5, Op 6 is the pockets, only one is selected but it's been told to cut all pockets drawn on the same layer.
Now the pocket isn't clean, there are some pips left as it cuts at 70% overlap by default [ can be changed in options but 70% works for most things ]
Double click Op5 and you get the same dialog box come up as when you set it.
http://www.stevenson-engineers.co.uk/files/dolphin2.jpg
http://www.stevenson-engineers.co.uk/files/dolphin4.jpg
In this box we see the overlap which I will change to 65% also you get a choice of how to contour, which way to go regardless of how it was drawn, no stupid arrows. Choice of travelling at clearplane or feed plane, that machine all contours I mentioned and ignore cup depth makes it do the last cut at full depth less any excess put on for the last cleanup pass.
Click OK and see the result.
http://www.stevenson-engineers.co.uk/files/dolphin3.jpg
Job done, now up to this point no code has been written at all, you can play about to your hearts content and ONLY when you are happy with the screen shots do you press Post code and select the post processor.
The code should be perfect and the only editing I do is on the machine and play with the speeds and feeds depending on how it's cutting.
The first time I ever see the code is when it's loaded into Mach or whatever.
I never have to edit the code, if I want any changes I change the operation, watch the preview and post a complete new code.
.
Hope you spelt my name right, I didn't :yahoo:
Loads of good video's on the site and also the US site, I think the US site is better.
Sorry missed that connection, yes I know blind and thick but someone has to carry the cross.
.
I have gotten mixed levels of support from BobCAD and I use V21. Have no real problems with it remembering tools in the tool tray. Have no real problem with the offsets. Only Problem is in the CAM side it keeps putting M6 and M4 which with a manual set up milling bit there is no need for them so at the moment I just gone in and edit that part as to lazy to go into the post processor atm to make the changes. Have had problems with them and there are things they could do better. But than again if you bargian a bit you can get some very good deals from them. SolidWorks is a great program IF you got £1K+ sitting around for the investment. Now if some one knows a way of getting those programs without paying for every part plus tech support please tell me. I remember the day when you bought a product and a certain level of support was expected and included within the product.
Will see as the road goes though have had some very good cutting come out of code set up by BobCAD/CAM and also been doing some larger project work in it as well.
Michael
Kip,Quote:
Originally Posted by Kip
I as you know a good part of my milling is completely through the wood so I use the finish spiral pocket with a proper offset and everything goes just fine. For the milling of pockets on harmonica combs I still find it easier to generate code from the geometry as doing it the pocketing method generates to much code and eats up time like mad. I run it at a 25° to 65° angle and a small step over and two passes with it running at 250mm/min with a 2.5mm EM multi tooth bit. Will eat wood or acrylic like candy and leaves a very nice edge (very little sanding/filing needed).
On the subject of bits have you looked a Sorotec.de they have a wonderful selection at really nice prices. I have also found them and one other German firm to have reasonable prices for Kress collets.
Michael