Low cost 3rd CAD suggestions...

scadvice · Aug 20, 2014

OK...We have a post on what's the best low cost CAM. So what is the best low cost CAM? I have buy another one for home use. We have Alibre at the shop and in order for me to have it at the house (now that I sort of retired) I need to buy another seat or could get away with maybe something else??

jrmach · Aug 20, 2014

scadvice said:
OK...We have a post on what's the best low cost CAM. So what is the best low cost CAM? I have buy another one for home use. We have Alibre at the shop and in order for me to have it at the house (now that I sort of retired) I need to buy another seat or could get away with maybe something else??

What machine and what type of machining.How many parts ? How much $ are you going to make at home as a result ? More,more,info please

shamanj · Aug 21, 2014

`Spaceclaim- low or high cost, spaceclaim

scadvice · Aug 21, 2014

jrmach said:
What machine and what type of machining.How many parts ? How much $ are you going to make at home as a result ? More,more,info please

The title should have been "3D " the Damn phone keeps thinking it smarter than me and changing what I am typing. I"m doing products and machine design concept 3D drawings. Not CAM.

shamanj said:
`Spaceclaim- low or high cost, spaceclaim

So your saying spaceclaim is a CAD?

len_1962 · Aug 21, 2014

Fusion 360, pay for buy the month

has both CAD, parametric\Direct Sub-D push pull and HSM CAM and it runs on PC or Apple.

Thought it is cloud based, it is nice because with an internet connection you can run it anywhere with just a login.

t00lt3ch · Aug 21, 2014

len_1962 said:
Fusion 360, pay for buy the month

has both CAD, parametric\Direct Sub-D push pull and HSM CAM and it runs on PC or Apple.

Thought it is cloud based, it is nice because with an internet connection you can run it anywhere with just a login.

Interesting..

Does it post process for Wire EDM as well, or just CNC Milling?

len_1962 · Aug 21, 2014

currently only mills 2.5 d free, I believe 3d extra.

FYI none of the AutoDesk CAM software's do wire at this time, HSMWorks, Inventor HSM or Fusion360

Michael Moore · Aug 22, 2014

I fiddled for a little bit recently with FreeCAD, which is open source. It doesn't work quite like Alibre but I was able to do some simple stuff. I was checking it out for some friends looking for inexpensive/free 3D modeling they could use to drive CAM software. Depending on what you want to do it may be sufficient. But I only tried some very simple stuff (though I was able to do it) so it is up to you to check it out.

cheers,
Michael

shamanj · Aug 22, 2014

Spaceclaim is CAD, which intergrates, opens, changes and saves in almost all common CAD system files Solidworks/NX/Catia blahdy blarh blar blar... (Like 30 different file types.)
Kicks ass.
Not as expensive as others.
Good support.
Amazingly easy part generation. I actually did a youtube presentation on it years ago using voice to control it. Funny.
Now integrates with most big FEA products, also owned now by ansys.
Not sure who got CAM rights but meh.

scadvice · Aug 23, 2014

Thanks, shamani

I'll look more into it got any idea of the cost?

Michael, I think I've heard of that but I'm not sure I'm CAD versatile (brain wise) enough to use something like that. It won't hurt to look at at though.

scadvice · Aug 23, 2014

scadvice said:
Thanks, shamani

I'll look more into it got any idea of the cost?

OK...I just heard that SC is 3300 bucks...is this the price?

The basic Alibre (Now Geomagic) is 1000 bucks...

So...far...I'm going to have to stick with Alibre at $1000 ...unless someone has something else that I might checkout???

Atomkinder · Aug 23, 2014

Another vote for Fusion. I do love SpaceClaim, but can't justify ~$3K for home use. Or that's what it was about a year ago anyway.

scadvice · Aug 23, 2014

scadvice said:
Michael, I think I've heard of that but I'm not sure I'm CAD versatile (brain wise) enough to use something like that. It won't hurt to look at at though.

Michael, I looked at Freecad and a few utube vids on it it may even be simple enough for my simple CAD mind. :skep:

So I'm downloading it now to play with. If I can get it to do IGEs or Step files that may make it worth using as I can always fluff the drawing at the shop when I get over there. (It's a two and half hour drive from the house now.) I'll spend some time with it and see. Thanks...

len_1962 · Aug 23, 2014

one more option is surfcam part modeler...SURFCAM Part Modeler

Kev h · Aug 25, 2014

Doug said:
scadvice,

Can't you run Alibre on two computers, one in shop, one at home.

I have it on my desktop and laptop. You may have to ask for permission to allow the second download, but it's free.

Yep use Geomagic Design (Alibre) at work and home with same licence and does most of what i need

Cheers Kev :cool:

scadvice · Aug 25, 2014

Kev h said:
Yep use Geomagic Design (Alibre) at work and home with same licence and does most of what i need

Cheers Kev

Yes, however my partner has more need to do so than I do. My needs are for playing around with the "mostly retired guys" product projects. I, at this point, am trying to decide if there is an alternative to buying another seat. All I want to do is sort of 3D sketch out ideas and make some prototypes on my 3 axis MillPwr here at the house. (If I design something I need a 3D program for on a feature I can send it over to the shop and have my partner do a quick G-Code program for me). Once I feel I have a good working proto then I'll move the project to the main shop using the files created in STL or IGES.

Here is something of interest, Cubify Design it appears to be what happened to Alibre's $99 and sometimes free Express package. This might work for me too. Cubify - Express Yourself in 3D Only 199 bucks has anyone seen and used this simplified version lately? I'm thinking of down loading it on the trial bases and comparing it to the FreeCad.

Atomkinder · Aug 25, 2014

Fusion is free if you're not making money off of it. It's the 'Enthusiast' license.

bukwerm · Aug 26, 2014

Rhino5 might be worth your while to look at. It's under a grand and quite powerful. The interface is similar to AutoCAD. I actually prefer Rhino.

The download for a trial version is available on their website without having to call them.

The basic software is simply a 3d modeling package but there are also a lot of 3rd party plugins that allow the user to get more functionality out of it. Many are free but of course the paid ones are more powerful. With the Rhinoworks plug in (~$600 last I looked) you can create and constrain assemblies.

There are also various cam plugins that will run within it. I haven't really tried any of them so I can't say how well they work.

Kev h · Aug 26, 2014

[/QUOTE] Here is something of interest, Cubify Design it appears to be what happened to Alibre's $99 and sometimes free Express package. This might work for me too. Cubify - Express Yourself in 3D Only 199 bucks has anyone seen and used this simplified version lately? I'm thinking of down loading it on the trial bases and comparing it to the FreeCad.[/QUOTE]

Cubify design sounds ideal for your needs as the main restriction is export options which is limited to .stl for 3d printing but i assume the main file types are the same as GMD (.AD_PRT , .AD_DRW etc ) so could be transformed/exported by the work package if needed.

Also your very familiar with the package which has identical UI as far as i can see so no learning curve.

Cheers Kev :cool:

shamanj · Aug 26, 2014

I thought free cad was basically like a light version of spaceclaim which would be great. There is always something free that is just as good ;-)

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