CNC software

[Andy Birko]

Someone pointed me to this today: http://www.deskproto.com/products/dpfull.htm VisualMill was my top contender as I'll be doing mostly 3D stuff and not relief carving but this package looks pretty good. Seems like it could be easier to use too. Once I get my machine I'll download the demo.

Anyone have any experience with it?

oops, didn't see Gerry's post regarding DeskProto.

[Gerald Wubs]

Meshcam is very nice, and also affordable - special offer of $175.00. Try the 30 day demo, also see my post regarding my first project in this forum.

[Nicholas Bukky]

Gerry will it do 4th axis for 175??

Thanks,
Nick

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Yes, but it's indexed 4th axis, not continuous. You specify the number of sides, and it'll rotate that many times, machining to a user defined depth at each side. The depth is the same for all the sides.

[Belinda Barfield]

Another vote for Aspire. We have Artcam 2.5D also, which we rarely work in now that we have Aspire. WinCNC runs the machine.

[Brandon MacDougall]

With the powerful 3D software available for a fraction of the price of the limited 2.5 d software mentioned above, you be well ahead of the game to invest in 3D as you be hard pressed to build complex shapes without the use of 3D software.

VisualMill was my top contender

good choice..

[Andy Birko]

Brandon,

Could you elaborate a bit on what you like about VisualMill? I've gone through a good chunk of the tutorials on the demo version and although it seems very powerful, it also seems kind of hard to use. DeskProto was recommended as an easier to use package that's almost as good as VM. Thoughts?

[Mike Heidrick]

What is the difference between 2.5d and 3d?

[Andy Birko]

2.5d is X-Y curves with a fixed Z depth but, different curves can have different final depths. Full 3D is just that.

[Dan Hintz]

What is the difference between 2.5d and 3d?

The "3D" designs often seen on flatwork (flourishes, fleur-de-lis, etc.) are examples of 2.5D...

[John McClanahan]

Signs and plaques are often created with 2.5D software, sometimes with additional tricks to improve the final product. if they have illustrations or pictures that look like a carving, thats 3D. Both the CAD and CAM software must be able to produce 3D in order to get 3D G-code.

John

[Brandon MacDougall]

Andy,

I do not work for the co. but the programmer's will setup a live demo, just make sure you have a mini project in mind first and some 3D objects you like to load as a test like a STL neck or body shape....


2.5 d Uses raster images to make bumps on the top surfaces.. or what we call "altitude maps" from 0 to 255 in gray scale it a 2D process.

[Eric Mims]

3d is when you have X, Y, and Z all moving at the exact same time.. or at least the ability to. Examples would be v-carving (even though some marketing might call this 2.5d), spiral parallel finishing (picture a spiral projected onto curved surface), or even a relief that is raster cut at 45deg. XYZ is all moving at once. In practice, if you raster cut your relief at 90deg or 0 deg, you could call that 2.5d because only XZ are moving at once, then Y moves a hair and back and forth you go. Same with pocketing out an area in XY, using multiple step downs. That can be called 2.5d also. Again, in reality, some people call 2D just cutting simple profiles, but it is actually doing multiple Z moves, and if it is ramping into the piece, possibly 3D moves. A program like Rhinocam can engrave, or run the bit along a true 3d curve that you draw and select. Imagine if you needed to cut out a skateboard with typical curled up ends. You couldn't cut it like a flat 2d profile or you would crash into the curled ends at some point. Most people don't need that kind of thing, but don't take for granted that every CAM program can do such a thing.