Solid Works with Mastercam

[Trapper Paul]

Hello all!

 

Here is another one.

How many out there use Solid works right along with mastercam?

 

Thanks again. Paul

[gcode]

I've been using SW and MC together for about 3 years

[mold100]

That would include me as well, Great combo.

[d00d]

2 years with this combo, can't imagine needing anything more.

[Trapper Paul]

gcode, Thanks

 

And what are the advantages?

I havn't even begun to play with SW's yet.

With be real soon.

[Steve Biehl - Cimquest Inc]

A lot of people do. Many threads on this forum about it. MC reads sldprt's direct including SW2004. Also have a MastercamDirect menu in SW to send the part to MC, with most if not all the solids history tree.

 

Great combo!

[gcode]

I use SW for fixture design. Once I'm happy with

a design I can assign it a WCS in SolidWorks

and bring my model and WCS into Mastercam as a parasolid.

I have one customer who required setup and operation sketches for all programs. I can produce

professional looking shop sketches in SW in a 1/4

the time it takes in Mastercam.

In short I design and draw in SolidWorks, amd cut it in Mastercam.

[MACHINEMASTERG]

we use this combo its the best of both worlds

[gcode]

thread hijack-- SolidWorks 2005 will be out

next month

[Trapper Paul]

Great guys,

 

Its kind of what I thought, but didn't know its a time saver that it sounds like.

 

how about my other post.... how do i get a mold to animate (open and close) in mastercam?

 

I would also ask in SW but realy don't know what I'm talking about or asking because I haven't played with it yet, Again Thanks All

[mold100]

I dont think in mastercam but in solidworks all day long, you can open two halves move ej plate forward and it shows everything.

[lynnz]

I've been using MC and SW together since 97.

They work together well.

 

lynnz

[crazy^millman]

Not usign SDolidworks for drawing but changing engineer or desiger details for machining here and translating some stuff to STL also.

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

I use only Mastercam and I am still alive !

 

Teh Doominant

[jspangler]

HI

I know we're not supposed to discuss MC pricing in here, but what does a basic seat of SW go for? I'm not ready to ask a salesperson, cause they havea hard time taking "we'll see" for an answer.

 

 

John

[gcode]

My prices are a few years old, but the basic pakage is about $4500. They'll say you a required to buy maintenace at 15% , but if you stick your guns they'll fold on that.

I buy maintenance every other year and they alway want to charge me a "reinstatement fee" cause I let maintenance laspe. So far I've always been able to talk them out of that too.

 

If you do a lot of fixture design you will never be sorry you bought it.

[jspangler]

HI

Ouch.

I don't think so.

 

No way I'm going to spend that much on a program that won't MAKE anything. Nothing I do is complex enough to justify the $$$, whereas I'm using MC to program 2 machining centers, and hopefully soon my turning center. Now that's return on investment.

 

SW will just have to wait a little while longer.

 

Thanks for the info

 

JOhn

[Salahuddin]

only MC here. and work great.

SW have a lotof nice future like moving and others thing, I think I can live without it.

[Richard Thomas - Mastercam UK]

quote:

---

how about my other post.... how do i get a mold to animate (open and close) in mastercam?

---

No you can't do that in Mcam by itself, but there is a Mold/Electrode making package called Moldplus that runs within Mcam and automates core/cavity seperation on true 3d models (but only with surface part files, not solids). It can also animate the speration, i.e. show it open & show it closed. It's the best (if not only?) mold package for Macam. You can find out about it at http://www.moldplus.com

[moldmaker10]

As more and more people go to solids, I wonder when moldplus will start using solids instead of just surfaces.

[mayday]

Solidworks has some nice mold features

undercut detection, parting lines,shutoff,parting surface, tool spliting(core cavity) ect.

I just havent learned how to use them yet

[robk]

+1 Mayday

Just started using Solidworks a few months ago. Learning as I move along. Don't want to take the class being completely green, so holding off for a bit.

[Trapper Paul]

Wow nice responses, I'll be checking them out after I get SW's.

 

My cost (I'm new to this, not sure if giving out pricing is ok, but hey where just talking).

$1,295 plus $500 reactivation costs. Now this is just turning on our 2nd seat that has been expired for 3 years.

 

I have just been promoted to mold designer along with being Sr. Moldmaker. I Am looking very forward to this.

 

As far as Mold Plus, I'm a bit tired of Mastercam add-on's, and costly too! And its not in solids.

For me...no way. For design work especially part design its solids all the way.

 

Thanks Paul

[crazy^millman]

I agree 100% with this statement:

quote:

---

For design work especially part design its solids all the way.

---

Congrats on the promotion.

 

Get it done faster quicker and with better quality is how you bring it back across the pond.

[mold100]

quote:

---

Get it done faster quicker and with better quality is how you bring it back across the pond.

---

Amen brother Millman - its quite the hike though for some of us.