Changeing software

[randy]

my boss is thinking of changing software to

solid cam instead of MC have any of you used this and is it any good i am sure you all perfer MC that is why you belong to this great site but i may not have a choice. our eng department is going to use solid works for all our cad work and

the sales men talk a good game about how easy it is to do cam with solid cam would like to my boss and tell him he is but not enough info about solid cam to make my case now use mc level 1 version 9.1mr

but want to up grade to 3d and the boss says look into other cam software

[Storkman]

You would think mc being #1 would be enough of an arguement.

[randy]

I guess i should tell him i looked into it but could not see anything worth a but i dont think it will work

[Trevor Bailey]

The best thing you could do is have the SC rep program and post code AND run it. DO the same file with MC and look at the end result. Notice that code editing!!!!

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Make a search in forum on Solidcam and forum member 498 ,this thing was covered pretty well .

If changing Mastercam over Israely Cad-cam system I would definitly go with Cimatron ,much better !

 

Teh I am one of the first Solidcam users (from ver1.01 )

[cadist]

Never used solidcam. But when our co. decided to go for UG cam module. I opposed it. And in demo literally proved superioty of mastercam over UGcam in demo. Now the boss is convinced for mcx.

All you need is little study over solidcam.

All the best

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Solidcam

~~~~~~~~~~~~

SolidCAM provides a full Manufacturing Suite for 2.5D Milling, 3D Milling, 3+2 Multi-Sided Milling, Turning, Turning with Driven Tools and Wire EDM.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

No 4-5 axes toolpathes ,no substitute rotary axes ,and lacks tons of things in 2,5 and 3 axes

 

Just look over the features they announcing ,that`s enough

[MACHINEMASTERG]

do a search on this its was gone over a few mounths ago ...on that note we use solidworks here and also looked into cam works but thankfully we saw thru the bull sh%t and stuck with mcam also camworks does nothing for you if you do surfacing its basicly holes and 2d ..with mcams ops library and solid drill you can do the same thing

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Greg ,Solidcam is not a camworks .this is 3d side program from former Cadtech (Israel ) now Solidcam .

 

Regards

[MACHINEMASTERG]

ooops thanks for the correction ..any way they both suck compared to MASTERCAM

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

That`s true !

[mold100]

quote:

---

ooops thanks for the correction ..any way they both suck compared to MASTERCAM

---

I'll second that, and move to discard them from this level of competition.

[randy]

I think i will show them this form and what the response is to solid cam maybe they will listen some times i can get trough to them if i push enough

[Henk]

Randy,

 

Also tell them about the Mastercam-direct add-on for Solidworks.

With that Mastercam and Solidworks work seamless together.

[J Coulston]

If you can wait until IMTS is over, see what nifty new tools and cool new interface MCX has.

 

This forum is a huge asset to any installation of MC. Look at your question, the first response was in 3 minutes.

 

I run SolidWorks and MC, works great for me.

 

Does SolidCam tie up a SolidWorks license when programming? If it does tie up a license, add the cost of a seat of SolidWorks to your figures.

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Solidcam has no his own modeler from year 2000 .

It works under Solidworks ,Advanced Mechanikal desktop from Autodesk or Microstation .

Buying Solidcam you must buy Solidworks or one of others .

The program is not bad and it is developing from ver to ver ,but I found it limitied for my needs .

They come to my place every year to try to move me to it ,but every time I ask some simple

questions they have no straight solution .

Last time I asked them to mill 3d spline with compensation like 3d contour ,they ended with engraving (not nice looking toolpath ) and 3d toolpath like surface contour with boundaries .

This version may now have it ,but they lack many other things .

I would use it for production for 2,5and sometimes 3 axes but never for molds .

 

But their former product Cadtool-Nctool for Dos I use even now and love it .

Regards

 

[ 08-10-2004, 03:54 AM: Message edited by: Winnie Teh Pooh ]

[randy]

we make gears for areospace and do a lot of space shuttle parts and gear box dont do any cavity or core applications mostly mill drill pocket and

counture its starting to get a little more complex part thats why i want to up grade to level 3 mill they are still trying to go with solid cam but evean if they do i wont give up my seat of mc they will have to pry the dongal from my cold dead hand before i let it go evean if i have to pay maintance myself this form is a great sorse of info and sometimes entertainment

i for one will never quit you guys and gals are great

[Storkman]

1

[P_Scott]

randy,

 

The best advice you can take to your bosses is from Trevor Bailey's post above. Have Solidcam come out and demo what they can do ON YOUR PART. Than take the same part and have your Mastercam rep demo 3D toolpaths with it. Mcam is #1 for a very good reason, it's the best CAM software in the world. So many others try to copy it and sell its functionality as their own.

 

What type of CAD geometry does Solidcam support? Is it only for solids? Winnie noted that it doesn't have its own modeler so you have to purchase a separate design software to program with it. Mcam is one package, no need to have anything else. Mcam also accepts native file formats from all major design packages, especially Solidworks files. Sales reps will tell you anything is easy if you'll buy it. Put it throught the test and see if it really can do what your company needs it to do.

 

You're already familiar with it. What about training everyone to use the new software? That's downtime which can never be recovered. Learning 3D in a software package you already know is much easier and less time consuming than learning a new software, and then having to learn the 3D part of it.

[pno]

Randy if you have answers about this please tell me, because maybe I am in the same situation. I am very upset about this because right now the MC and my post works very fine and I make very quickly a NC file with all I need part and op. description, right tools and inserts codes needed in the shop.; a good and real tool library with my standard and custom tools.

If we will go to solidcam what the hell , what happen with the old library of parts and programs made in MC? It’s a hell to use in the same times 2 or more CAD-CAM software  you switch the shortcuts, menu’s and so on. Imagine you want to zoom windows with F1 in AutoCAD (I make this every day )

About training, very important - support online like this forum, custom postprocessors for our machines, and so on…….

Right now I have some experience in MC and I can made quickly any god dame complicated parts for lathe, I learn and now all the good and less good parts of MC; if we switch to Solidcam or another software, We will start from the beginning, and I don’t want to learn another software solo again

[Teh Bear without Brains kinda idiot]

Pno !

Welcome back !

Randy and others !

 

I do not want to say bad things over a company where my friends worked ,and I personally know many people and I do not regard this program as bad .

An opposite it is good robust middle class Cam program that has it`s place in the market and perspective .

I only can not compare it to Mastercam ,that`s all.

Mastercam has it`s drawbacks ,it `s natural ,but

one of the things I like in it is 10 dirty ways for every limitation to overpass it and ten ****ing ways to do anything and you can always choose what you like .

This is a first program that I feel comfortable with and I used many .

C-hooks and VBscripts can transform it to anything you need .

It has best converters I ever see and once more I can compare .

And the last not the least is the Forum .

It is a great argument and this is independant forum ,we have rules ,but free to say what we think and you can get help in spare minutes .

Now being a beta tester I must say that CNC software is in constant dialog with end users (beta testers ) and I never saw such relation .

Most of other Cad-Cam companies I worked with never dealed to talk with such low ,humble worm like me ,staying forever in their greatness ,or I would listen from them ~You do not like how this feature makes this -do not use it !

Or

Why on Earth you must use this function in this situation -you do not need it !

or the best :

We will decide for you how you would make this job !

All this B$ about the change of program I have every bloody year ,but only with Cimatron ,Solidcam has nothing to do with me ,I am not in their range .

But after getting quite my boss can see that I never ask for help ,I do anything ,literally anything his imagination can invent and I am staying wwith it .

A waist of time to work on 2 cad-cam programs at the same time

Most of potential is not a program ,but programmer ,those who think that the program is a decisive factor I can make a wager that I would always make good parts on every bloody program ,so help me to work effective !

 

 

Teh one of the first Solidcam users ever !

[pno]

Thanks Winnie for Welcome...

But I was here and I don't write posts; if I can help somebody on the lathe were I have "some" experince OK but on the mill I can't compare with you...

I read every day the "news" on this forum