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I am researching CAM programs like VisualCAM, BobCADCAM,
DolphinCAM, Rams3D. I would appreciate any feed back on these or any
other CAM program. Basic drawing, stable tool path creation and post
processing to Mach2 are my requirements.

I would suggest you also consider TurboCADCAM. The 3D CAD is outstanding in
ease of use and functionality. One of the best features is the wide range
of file reads. It can read in from just about any other source. The CAM is
only 2.5D but it works very well.

TurboCADCAM is the first system I have used that does CAM in a parametric
manner. If you make changes to your drawing, the CAM functions will respond
intelligently, rebuilding all the Gcode to match your changes in the
drawing.

G. Jackson

I own Both Dolphin Partmaster and Visualmill. They are both very
nice programs and I highly recommend them both. Dolphin Partmaster
will probably do everything you would need and then some. Tru 3D
needs would be met by Visualmill. Bill Griffith at Grifftek is the
US Distruibter for Dolphin products. Bob Campbell is who I bought
Visualmill from and I like doing business with him myself. I know
that Andrew Werby is also a dealer for Visualmill and have also heard
very nice things about him. I don't use it myself but I know alot of
members here also use and like Vector. Fred at IM serve is a very
involved vendor and his support is legendary in these groups.

I downloaded Rams Gold Demo and it keeps crashing my system so I have
not been able to evaluate it.

Bobcad is not very well regarded in the groups I belong to.

Hope this gets your started.

Alan

--- In mach1mach2cnc@..., "routerman10" <marc@s...> wrote:

I am researching CAM programs like VisualCAM, BobCADCAM,
DolphinCAM, Rams3D. I would appreciate any feed back on these or

any

other CAM program. Basic drawing, stable tool path creation and

post

processing to Mach2 are my requirements.

What type of machining are you doing? if as your alias suggests you
are mainly into woodwork you might ask the other members if their CAM
systems cater for contour cutters to be fed into the edge of the
stock. I can't speak for the other programmes but the main(only)
strategy in VM is for the tool to be fed downward into the material.
When I queried MecSoft about this their reply said ".... Since we do
not support these type of cutters, you cannot simulate the toolpath.
So, you have to be little bit more careful, since you cannot verify
the toolpath."

For my own interest I would also like to know if any of the other CAM
programmes support these type of cutters.

Bernard


--- In mach1mach2cnc@..., "routerman10" <marc@s...> wrote:

I am researching CAM programs like VisualCAM, BobCADCAM,
DolphinCAM, Rams3D. I would appreciate any feed back on these or

any

other CAM program. Basic drawing, stable tool path creation and

post

processing to Mach2 are my requirements.

--- In mach1mach2cnc@..., "routerman10" <marc@s...>
wrote:
I am researching CAM programs like VisualCAM, BobCADCAM,
DolphinCAM, Rams3D. I would appreciate any feed back on these or
any
other CAM program. Basic drawing, stable tool path creation and
post
processing to Mach2 are my requirements.

I can comment on Bobcad and Dolphin as I have used both. I did look
at Vector at one point but found it very hard to understand, a fault
that many have also related to

Bobcad like Vector works bit by bit on the job. You select the tool
and it writes the code, you select the speed and it writes the code,
you select the first contour and it writes the code etc , etc
Any mistakes or alterations and you have to delete the block and
insert a new block.
With both these two you also have to draw the tool offset and program
to that and you also have to select or draw the tool approach or
depart if you need to approach on the side of the work with form
cutters.

Dolphin is a far easier program to get started with. For a start a
lot of the work is done for you.
Basically it works like this. You draw your part in the CAD side of
the program, for instance an irregular outside shape with an
irregular pocket in the centre. Once you have the shape you want you
then select the outside shape, give it a name and a depth in a dialog
box that comes up, then click OK. Do the same to the pocket and save
the file. That's all there is in the CAD side to do and all you have
on the screen are the two true shape profiles you want, no offsets,
no run in's etc and no clutter.

Then you move the the CAM side and load the file. Your two profiles
swon on the screem with nothing else. First box that opens
automatically asks foe any file comments and a tool change position
if needed. Next box asks for the cutter size, type [ drill, mill,
ball nosed etc ]and depth of cut per pass.
Next box asks for the speed and feed to be set for the previous
cutter.

Then you select the go round icon and the two profiles are in a drop
down box, select the outside icon, select the way you want to go
round and in options set the approach and depart paths to suit the
job. Click OK and it will draw the toolpath around the outside taking
into acount the tool size you have specified. If some thing isn't
right just double click on the operation, change whats wrong and
rerun the program.
Then select area clear and do the pocket the same way. You get a vast
choice of ways to do it in the options tag.

Once you are happy with what is on the screen you select post and it
runs the program and writes the code. It wll only write the code when
you say.

That file is then paseed to Mach 2 and machines in the normal way.

John S.