MC for Solidworks Stability and usability

[rx8pilot]

I just committed to MasterCam for SolidWorks. I will receive the software next week and I am almost excited about it. I have been using Camworks (in Solidworks) for 6 years - programming a huge number of very complicated parts in our 3-4-5 axis machines. We are an engineering house and our volumes are relatively low with many new designs weekly. This keeps us in a constant programming mode, each part having its own challenges and many changes are common. Even though I can eventually get the program I need, I have been frustrated with the crude nature of the software and its horrible stability issues. Crashes 10+ times per day are not uncommon along with a long list of silly bugs, extra useless steps, etc. On top of that, we need to be compatible with outside shops and freelance programmers to help us through busy times. Since Mastercam is so prevalent (especially compared to Camworks), I wanted to switch.

 

Here is my concern - I have been digging around and it is hard to find anything particularly positive about Mastercam for Solidworks. The gripes seems to be very similar to what I have been living with during my time with Camworks. Instability and bugs that last for many versions. Are the happy users just quiet and busy making great parts very efficiently or is there real "show stopping" issues?

 

I am about to go through the learning curve and would love to have a sense of when I am making a rookie mistake and when the software is just being dumb. My experience in Camworks was generally that it was all my fault if anything went wrong. Graphics card, RAM, OS version or service pack, blah, blah blah.... I have gone through a myriad of different hardware and OS configs and as it turns out - Camworks was indeed the delicate flower. (I was a software developer/coder before this carreer, and have little sympathy or respect for an industrial software company that focuses new features and ignores old problems). Fairness disclaimer: I stopped updating Camworks after mid-2010 too frustrated to pay maintenance.

 

A few questions if anyone is kind enough to chime in.

 

Does anyone use Mastercam for Solid works? What is your opinion?

Did you transition from stand alone? Was it a step forward or backward?

Is MC for SW prone to crashing?

Has anyone seen "random" errors or bugs that are hard to repeat?

 

Bonus extra credit quesion:

Anyone with Camworks experience that has moved to MC for SW?

 

Thanks all...

[gcode]

Welcome to the forum.

 

Yes I use MCfSW. I was a beta site for several releases, and talked my day job into buying a seat during the X6 MCfSW beta cycle.

I'm saving up to add a seat to my personal sim.

 

No, I did not transition from standalone X6, I use them together.

I use MCfSW for projects where associativity to the model will be useful, such as fixture/tooling design and manufacturing.

I also use it for stock prep operations. Associativity is a huge time saver for work like this as it is inevitable that something will

need changing as your project progresses.

There is nothing I hate more than importing a SolidWorks designed brick into Mastercam, then discovering a required change and reimporting

the modified model again and again and again.

 

 

"Is MCfSW prone to crashing/"

No, both my home workstation ( see my siggy) and my day job machine are pretty stable.

I have found that MCfSW will crunch toolpaths faster than X6 will.

I've done work in MCfSW, then brought it into X6 and timed it. MCfSW is faster crunching toolpaths

but slower running verify.

Backplot is about the same.

As far as hardware goes, you are running SolidWorks, so you need a SolidWorks machine.

How much machine is a function of the SolidWorks models/assemblies you are building.

Video cards are always an issue, and I ALWAYS run Quadro cards so there's not much I can say

about other options.

 

 

No I've never used CamWorks.

I got a trial license in 2004 (or 5?) and found that I spent more time training the machining wizards than I did machining.

I used to own TekSoft/ProCad and had an awful time with it in 1998/99 which led me to buy Mastercam.

 

You'll get good help here on the forum.

I would not be surprised if Ryan, CNC's go to guy for MCfSW pops in Monday to say hello.

 

Unlike me, he has a life and doesn't come around much on weekends

[rx8pilot]

gcode,

 

Thank you for taking the time, I certainly hope I can benefit from the collective knowledge in this forum. One of my goals is to be more compatible with the huge installed base of MasterCam. I, of course, also want to feel like I moved up at least a little in terms of performance and productivity. It is good to hear that you have not had too much trouble with crashes - I guess I will find out soon enough. I have two machines built for Solidworks, one is a loaded beast and the other is fairly modest for working with one part at a time.

 

The reason I purchased Camworks in 2006 was because it was a Solidworks plug-in. The geometric associativity is life or death for us. My company designs, engineers, and manufactures complex and high precision assemblies for motion picture cameras. We generally go through multiple prototype cycles with minor changes during each phase. Camworks has made that part of the process an absolute breeze - no need to track, document, or search for changes. As time past, it was clear that Camworks would not rise to be the dominant player n the CAM world and we need to have a clean path to work with other shops and freelance programmers.

[Jayson Kramer]

RX8pilot were are you located are located by chance in California?

[rx8pilot]

Why would you guess such a thing?

[Jayson Kramer]

As I would like to be able to help a local user. Did I ask a bad question on your part?

[rx8pilot]

Hi Jay - it's Carlos. Did not take long for you to pick up on my story.

 

Are you using MC for SW?

[Kel61]

I just committed to MasterCam for SolidWorks. I will receive the software next week and I am almost excited about it. I have been using Camworks (in Solidworks) for 6 years - programming a huge number of very complicated parts in our 3-4-5 axis machines. We are an engineering house and our volumes are relatively low with many new designs weekly. This keeps us in a constant programming mode, each part having its own challenges and many changes are common. Even though I can eventually get the program I need, I have been frustrated with the crude nature of the software and its horrible stability issues. Crashes 10+ times per day are not uncommon along with a long list of silly bugs, extra useless steps, etc. On top of that, we need to be compatible with outside shops and freelance programmers to help us through busy times. Since Mastercam is so prevalent (especially compared to Camworks), I wanted to switch.

 

Here is my concern - I have been digging around and it is hard to find anything particularly positive about Mastercam for Solidworks. The gripes seems to be very similar to what I have been living with during my time with Camworks. Instability and bugs that last for many versions. Are the happy users just quiet and busy making great parts very efficiently or is there real "show stopping" issues?

 

I am about to go through the learning curve and would love to have a sense of when I am making a rookie mistake and when the software is just being dumb. My experience in Camworks was generally that it was all my fault if anything went wrong. Graphics card, RAM, OS version or service pack, blah, blah blah.... I have gone through a myriad of different hardware and OS configs and as it turns out - Camworks was indeed the delicate flower. (I was a software developer/coder before this carreer, and have little sympathy or respect for an industrial software company that focuses new features and ignores old problems). Fairness disclaimer: I stopped updating Camworks after mid-2010 too frustrated to pay maintenance.

 

A few questions if anyone is kind enough to chime in.

 

Does anyone use Mastercam for Solid works? What is your opinion?

Did you transition from stand alone? Was it a step forward or backward?

Is MC for SW prone to crashing?

Has anyone seen "random" errors or bugs that are hard to repeat?

 

Bonus extra credit quesion:

Anyone with Camworks experience that has moved to MC for SW?

 

Thanks all...

 

 

I have just started using MCfSW. Generally speaking it's quite OK. I have been using FeatureCam for around 5-6 years and I'm finding that MCfSW isn't as intuitive . I guess however that I'm still learning.

 

I get the feeling though that SolidWorks is a much more advanced piece of software than MasterCam is at present. I am also finding that there is alot of reference to stand alone MasterCam on this forum and not as much for MCfSW at this stage

 

Regards

 

Wayne.

[rx8pilot]

I have just started using MCfSW. Generally speaking it's quite OK. I have been using FeatureCam for around 5-6 years and I'm finding that MCfSW isn't as intuitive . I guess however that I'm still learning.

 

I get the feeling though that SolidWorks is a much more advanced piece of software than MasterCam is at present. I am also finding that there is alot of reference to stand alone MasterCam on this forum and not as much for MCfSW at this stage

 

I have seen that for sure. I have been using SolidWorks since 1998 and I have to say that the stand alone Mastercam is remarkably crude in terms of geometry creation. I did not even consider the stand alone for that reason. I sure hope that MCfSW is the future of the product and not an afterthought or off shoot. Leveraging the graphics engine of Solidworks is very powerful and allows MUCH tighter integration from design to engineering and manufacturing.

 

A little surprised to not find many resources on MCfSW.

[gcode]

MCfSW is a new product so there aren't a lot of users yet

Mastercam has been around since the early 90's and 99% of the people here are Mastercam users.

There are many, like myself who been using SolidWorks for design and Mastercam for toolpathing.

I have been working that way since 2002. MCfSW is new to me as well.

[Jayson Kramer]

Hi Carlos, I sent you a text. I thought that might be you.

[Jayson Kramer]

Hi Jay - it's Carlos. Did not take long for you to pick up on my story.

 

Are you using MC for SW?

I play with both. and looking at offering a class at my collage.