What software are you running for your designs

[Neale]

I started with various bits of free software but had so much grief that I sprang for Vectric VCarve. Really good for woodwork, routers, and similar. Fairly easy to use - they have avoided a lot of the complications that more "sophisticated" software has but they still include almost everything you need in their target market. The CAM side is particularly straightforward. There is a minimum level of complication that you can't really avoid but they have made it as easy as possible.

Then I dabbled with Onshape (commercial software but free for hobby users). At about the same time they started to limit the "free" features I discovered Fusion 360. Very powerful (at least next to something like VCarve) and much more suited to milling. One great thing is that the CAM module is included, and again is pretty powerful. However, as mentioned above, recently they introduced restrictions in the hobby version (some say to make money but I wonder if it's more because they found too many commercial users claiming to be "hobbyists"?) which make it less useful for some. No 4th axis (doesn't worry me at the moment); there are also some restrictions around tool-changing and rapid feeds, both of which are largely overcome by a clever little add-in bit of code written by Tim Paterson. Works for me, although I wouldn't want to build a business around it. But then, if I were running a business, I would pay up for the full version.

I'm now working with Solid Edge (note Edge not Works - different products). Even more powerful and intricate than F360 (as per Cropwell's remarks above). However, there is no CAM in the free version. But I have a friend who regularly designs in SE and then exports via .STEP files to F360 to use its CAM.

I have looked at FreeCAD and while I know that it has many supporters, I find the whole fragmented interface, variable documentation, etc, too off-putting when there are products like F360 and SE with plenty of online support and tutorials around. But you pays your money and you takes your choice. But less choice if you don't want to pay...

[cropwell]

Aspire seems to be the go to software for CNC routing, so out of curiosity (I could never afford it!) I looked up the price. From Vectric it costs £1500 for v11.

There were however search results from a site called Wish and AliExpress offering v9.5 for around £30 and v10.5 for just over £50. There was no support option though. Mmmmm, I wonder why!

[BeagleBrainz]

FreeCAD is great for 3D print models. I use it all the time.

[routerdriver]

I would add that Freecad has improved a lot in the last 18 months or so and any assessment of the previous versions may be outdated.Version 0.19 or the Linux appimage are a good bit more advanced.I do with they hadn't hidden the control of the 3D toolpath option quite so deeply though as it moves things into a new dimension in every sense.It still isn't intuitive enough and you really need to watch the most recent youtube tutorials to understand the possibilities as the development keeps progressing faster than the manuals.

[Kitwn]

Librecad for 2D drawings & CamBam for gcode

I'm intrigued why not just CamBam for the whole process, I find it a great package for what I call 'engineering' projects such as clock gears etc. It's not expensive, has a pay-once-upgrades-for-life license and a wide range of well supported add-ons available from the user group which greatly increases it's capability.

Vectric Vcarve (desktop or pro version) is better suited to 'artistic' projects like signs with carved animals or plants all over them but it is relatively expensive. Vectric Aspire, which includes all the cunning 3D modeling tools you need to make your own completely original designs is much more expensive. I suspect many of us don't have the artistic carving skills needed to make best use of it, but those who do might be able to sell their designs (which can be imported into Vcarve) to recover the cost.

[BeagleBrainz]

Just the way I'm comfortable doing things.

To tell the truth I've only used CamBam's cam functions.

[reefy86]

Thanks guys alot of info in here, I don't really do sculptures but if I do it's through a 3d modeling program which I use autodesk 3ds max and then into Zbrush for finer details. Most of my work is through 3ds max just because I've used it almost on a daily basis since 2002. So the majority of my work would have to be converted to stl and then through a cam software. I'll have to start doing some trials on some. And BTW you think aspire is expensive I remember paying 3.5k for 3ds max when I did my freelance work.

[Mattia]

I’m using Fusion 360 because I’m doing this as a hobby and the price can’t be beat, and there is a broad user base. My focus is guitars and associated tools/jigs, for which the parametric modeling is working quite well for me - design it right and just tweak a few numbers in the parameter table for a customized model.


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[Ollie78]

I use Fusion 360 for furniture design type stuff, they have nerfed it a bit for the hobby licence, I am in a constant state of almost buying a licence for a year but can`t bring myself to do it because I dislike its subscription method and I worry they will remove functions and then make you buy them as plugins etc.

I use Vcarve for artistic stuff, engravings and inlays etc, I like the very simple (compared to fusion ) cam setup. It is worth its money after a few projects and the learning curve is pretty quick once you make a few things, you own it once you bought it but can upgrade versions as they improve it very cheaply if you want to, but you don`t have to.
Great for just quickly cutting templates or simple shapes as well.

Tried freecad but just couldn`t get into it, not sure why exactly, not intuitive to me for some reason.

A couple not mentioned are Alibre atom which I tried the demo of and quite liked, I would have liked it more if I wasn`t used to fusion I think.
Its pretty cheap and they do another version called Alibre workshop which comes with Meshcam, a bargain at £390 for a perpetual licence ( same as 1 year of fusion 360 ).

Also Carveco is one I looked at which is basically ArtCam rebranded they do 3 levels of capability I was looking at the maker plus which is the middle one, you can go monthly $50, annual at $600, or perpetual licence at $1200 which is not bad overall. The full fat version of carveco is $8000.

I don`t really dare look at solidworks and stuff like that as there is no way I can afford it and I might like it !

If you are going to do any 3d modelling I would seriously suggest buying a 3d connexions spacemouse, bloody brilliant thing, worth every penny, however it doesn`t work in vectric which is incredibly annoying once you are used to using it in fusion and you switch programmes.

Ollie

[reefy86]

what do people put as their machine in fusion 360 if its a diy made one? getting the hang of it and its nice to play with the simulation to get a feel of it rather then testing on the machine which i don't have yet. ill probably be importing a lot of stuff as a stl file because i make my designs else where but so far fusion 360 seems to be easy enough to use