Any ProE - CAM users

[ARP]

I have recently learned that my company may not be going with Mastercam

I think ProE is the logical choice for them because we have many seats of that software for design. I've searched the ProE topics in the forum and read through them already. Is there anybody that has used Pro/TOOLMAKER from PTC or any of the earlier CAM packages associated with ProE? I'm hoping to build a case for Mastercam as I am a long time user of the software and want to use nothing else. I'm hoping to gain some info into how the ProE package works and its quirks and/or faults. I'm not knocking it, I've never used it, but I would rather stick to what I know and not have to take the time to learn something else. I'm not sure, in the end, if my opinion will sway the powers that be but I would push Mastercam 110%.

Thanks in advance for any help the good members of this forum can provide.

[88Matt]

Yes, expect a big and long learning curve.

[gcode]

Budget about $10K per post and expect a tough

time getting the output you require.

Post edits that are 5 minutes work in Mastercam

become 2 week projects in ProE.

You will be begging to get your Mastercam back

before its over

[mold100]

If you dont know how to use pro-e give it up. I used proman (pro manufacturing with pro-e) for awhile, i was working for someone who was going to make the same switch, but after taking 2 pro-e classes and my finger wearing out from the number of clicks to do everything I went back to MC on my own, they didnt even question when they seen the differance. Bought 1 seat and as far as I know have never updated it since... that was 4 years ago.

[Ployd]

The powers that be probably think it is a logical choice to stay with ProE since they already use it.

 

Have you had a MC reseller into your shop to give the higher ups a sales pitch? That might help.

[William Grizwald]

"I've never used it, but I would rather stick to what I know and not have to take the time to learn something else."

 

That statement my friend is the kiss of death in this business. NEVER STOP LEARNING.

 

Is it an enterprize wide based plan (put everyone on the same page)with PDM and rev control process? Or, just a simple "use this because our designers do"?

 

If it's on their dime, give it a try. You can always go back to what you like later if it really doesn't work out for you. Just my .02.

 

--

Bill

[TMozzone]

Pro/E is a great design tool.....My opinion of the manufacturing/machining side of there software is much differnt. Real time toolpath creation is far less with MC than Pro/E. It is what it is.......Good Luck.

[ARP]

Bill,

I am open to change for the better. I think learning new software can only help because it is another tool to put in my "toolbox". However, from the research I've done on this, I don't think it is "for the better". It may seriously hamper my performance in the shop as far as getting stuff out the door. I want results in my hand and I know I can get that with Mastercam. I would get things done with other software, but I don't know how long it will take and I don't want to waste my time or the company's time/money. I know its "their dime" but I would rather have it in my pocket than giving it to another training session or post fix.

I appreciate your .02. and your point about change is duly noted. I have enough to learn just with the company's product line. I don't want to fight with software to make the stuff in 2 or 3 times the time it would take with M/C. Having been a long-time user of one CAM package makes it hard to be objective about migrating to another. It always goes back to "yeh but in MC I would do it this way and be done".

Maybe I'm just gettin' too old and set in my ways or maybe I just want to stick with the best.

[Kevangel]

When I was shopping for CAM software and knew "nothin" ; I asked around Dayton and Denver and was amazed at how many people building Molds used ProE for design and Mastercam for build, so I threw my lot in with the majority "figuring they must have a reason" plus Bob at Fastech did a good presentation and seemed truthful.

[heffy]

We use Pro-E here, and I agree that it is very good design software, however we use MC for programming, because after trying Proman and Gibbs it blew them away. My previous employer just got rid of Proman after using it for 8 years and still had problems getting consistent results from their posts, even after having several "consultants" come in to solve all of their problems. A MC demo may help open some eyes. It really did here.

[doyleg]

I've ran programs from pro-e and i don't know if it was because an "engineer" was programming ROFLMAO or the pro-e. It sucked bad. Program was practically useless.

[crazy^millman]

Take from this what you will I gave up a very good salary, with 3 weeks paid vacation, and all my insurance cost be $133 a month at a $12 billion a year company because they did not get me Mastercam like they promised me they would when they hired me. I personally think it lacks in so many areas it is unreal. The post issue is a big one. The tools are another one though I have learned they changed to almost be like Mastercam if that means anything. Oh and having associatively can not really happen unless you are designing everything amd making the programs for those parts you design. You need full right to edit and change the model. So things you would need to do for machining will effect the original model so now you have to change the finished part to use for machining and if anyone needs the original file to do something and change something you needed guess what your machining file just got hosed. So now you have to save a copy of the original so now you have lost all association so lost what they go on and on about with using it.

 

Read below if you do not like what I have said.

[Redfire427]

I wouldn't waste my time with ProE Toolmaker. I just finished evaluating 8 different cam packages and this one ranked at the very bottom of my list. However, ProE has just purchased NC Graphics ( Depocam ) and are in the process of integrating it into ProE. This is exactly the same company that Mastercam purchased its high speed toolpaths from. Another drawback to this package is the fact that the shopfloor must also learn how to use ProE in order to do any geometry or surface creation.

[Bob W.]

Initially I bought ProE and Pro manufacturing to have parametric CAD and CAM but it was a mistake. The support from PTC is nonexistent and the learning curve is very steep (I was already fluent in ProE, which is a great design tool). I never machined ONE part because they didn't include a post with the purchase and I didn't have the know-how to develop one myself. I bought MasterCAM shortly thereafter and have nothing but good things to say.

 

Maybe you should direct your bosses to this thread.

[cajahawa]

The Company I used to work for switched to pro man WF3 from Surfcam because of all the so-called great features. I used it for about eight months before I quit the company. The Software is incredibly hard to learn, and it's very buggy. Be prepared to restart your computer 20 times a day. It crashed constantly. From the outside it looks much better than Mastercam but eye candy doesn't do you any good if the product doesn't work. Mastercam is much easier to learn and use, in my opinion. PTC has better salesmen though.

[gavetta]

I've used both and prefer MasterCam. I use Pro-e alot but all my programming is done with MC. I could still use Pro if I wanted 'cause we still have the license available, I just prefer the ease of use (yes, even with X2) and toolpath control that I get with MasterCam. Just my .02

Good luck.

[Müřlıń®]

Mastercam makes mincemeat outa Proe Manufacturing..

 

They been using Proe here for 12 years and I came along with Mastercam and do stuff way easier and faster...

 

Now Proe will do the job, But it has alot of shortcommings. I think in Wildfire #3 they finally got their leftover to work...kinda...

 

Most every job they do here now, I have to do some part, or all of it in Mastercam.

Like for instance contouring a set of complex 3-d splines where some of the endpoints don't line up within a specific tolerance.

 

Proe just refuses to do them...Mastercam just jumps right over the gap and keeps on going...

 

Engraving in Proe suxxors bad...

 

And unless you have a powerful PC, defining boundaries will slow to a crawl and is soo labor intensive.

 

They run Proe on Sun's around here....I got them to get a Windows version for me whick is way faster.

 

But GPost and NC post don't work with the Windows stuff and they have to transfer the files back to the Unix to get them Posted.

 

Like G said, it will cost thousands of dollars to get the post worked out and we only have HAAS's..if ya have many different kinds of machine tools you will spend a fortune in posts...

 

Mastercam is far superior....

[Carl Anderson]

I have used Pro-Mfg for the past 8 years and am currently using WF2. Support, education, posts, and learning curve TOTALLY SUCK. If you are doing the simple stuff like milling pockets and poking holes MC will shred Pro-Mfg every time. 99% of our work is native Pro-e complex 3d parts that will eventually be molded. Creating milling geometry, toolpaths, and the excessive mouse clicking can be a PIA, but the processing speed is hard to beat. I have re-programmed several jobs with MCX (default settings) just for comparison sake and and found the processing speed considerably slower. I'm sure there's room to tweak and speed up the processing with MCX, but for now I'll just have to use Pro-Mfg for the gnarly stuff.

[Rob_Jeanjaquet]

Proe is more work, much harder to learn and use.

It has a lot of wasted overhead that you have to keep track of.Tool manager sucks. Every cammand is 5 times the work. Many more clicks of the mouse. Not very forgiving. I've made many icons

to shorten process but still more work than MC X.

I was told when I started that we use pro man

because customers who use pro-e want it. 95 %

of our files are step files. 5 - 10 % of the time you'll be glad your using pro-e the rest you won't. with Pro e I think, with MC X (new user)I do. Stay with MC X for cam, Pro-e is great

for cad but still a lot of work.

 

Good luck

feel free to ask more questions.

Rob Jeanjaqquet

Pro e user for 3 years.

I just

[Watcher]

Pro-e is a great design tool, but it simply sucks for MFG. Mastercam smokes PRO-E in manufacturing. But I have to admit that sometimes would be great if Mastercam could offer the assembly features as PRO-E does....