Onecnc users please respond

I have some money that I have to *burn* prior to the end of the year.
Due to section 146 codes (I think) I have to have any purchased items on the floor by 12/31/05 to use as a write off.

My purchase that I am considering is Onecnc Expert w/ the 4th axis module.

I do not have what one would consider *great* software right now.

Everything I have read from certain members of this forum, and of cnczone makes this software sound better than sliced bread.

Is this true?

My other consideration is Gibbs 2.5D for 6K or 3D for a bunch more.

With Onecnc I can get 3D, and 4th for around 9K.

Is this a good idea?

Would you buy onecnc again?

How has the maintenance been?

how has XCR2 worked for you. Do you have problems getting fixes...well, fixed?

I will decide to purchase on Tuesday 12/27.
So I need any help quickly.

Thanks, and Merry Christmas!

Doug.

I have the express version and it does all that I need at an attractive price. If I had the need I would definitely upgrade within the Onecnc family before I looked at or bought anything else.
I have found the system to be as intuitive as a CAM system can be and the telephone support is very good.
Good luck and Good parts

Not to change the subject, but I believe that if you write the check by 12/31/05 and the invoice is dated 2005, it will be considered a purchase in 2005 calendar year even if you don't have the goods.

Tip - Make sure that your check numbers and dates are in the correct sequence around the end of the year. 'nuff said...

IIRC the purchase needs to not only be on the floor but actually in use by 12/31.

Anywho, I am a noobie with onecnc, just barely cutting my teeth. Looks decent, maybe not the worlds best selection of toolpaths but perhaps I didn't figure that out yet.

I highly recommend OneCNC. I tried using a bunch of the higher priced ones before I purchased OneCNC and none of them can compare to the intuitive user interface. I started out with XR Express and have since upgraded to Advantage. Another good thing about it is when you want to upgrade you basically just have to pay the difference in versions. The support and online board is outstanding. Can’t say enough good things from my perspective. Cheers.

Mark

Doug,
I've been using the Pro version for about 7 months now, and I would buy again with no hesitation. Its amazingly easy to learn. Support is excellent, with answers from people who know the product, and none of the "guy who handles that is out today" stuff. The user forum is excellent, and is monitored daily by their folks from around the world, including the author of the software and principal of the company. Hu Flung Dung, who participates here, is one of two primary user-moderators, and Hu & Ward both have working knowledge of the software from the user's perspective that would simply blow the average CAM reseller's working knowledge of his product into the weeds by comparison. Hu would also be more familiar with the new 4th axis module than anyone else here, and I'm sure he will throw in his nickel's worth in this thread.

As an example of support, a few days back a guy posted on the user's forum that he had purchased the Wire software, but got a defective CD. Within an hour or so of his post, US support replied they would overnite new copies to him, and then posted a link where he could go and do an online download of the program once he entered his registration codes. I imagine some vendors might equal that response level, but it would be hard for them to beat it. Personally, I've never had experience with another vendor of any type software who even came close.

No annual maintenance fees. Excellent range of posts included, but if you need something that's not there, they'll do that for you at no charge. Posts are easily modified or customized by the user too. Excellent file import and export capabilities for all common formats, in both 2D and solid model types. If the customer can send you a good file, you can open it and use it in OneCNC.

All in all, the ease of use and the speed with which one can become productive is the thing that impressed me the most. I had previously used Bobcad, and found it just wasn't worth quoting some onesy twosy parts because the cam time would be worth more than the parts, and definitely more than anyone would want to pay. Now that same sort of part is quotable because its so quick and easy to do the cam work and have posted code that I know will run the part, along with total machining times that are as accurate as your ability to pick feeds and speeds. The software will pay for itself, it'll make you more money, and it'll make your job easier.

Thanks for the replies guys.
I will do a demonstration with them early next week if possible. I am leaning toward buying the software. If the demo goes well, then I will probably pull the trigger....
Merry Christmas

Doug.

Interests: machines, guns, women, motorcycles

Click to expand...

And you still have money to burn?

Let's hear it for Doug.

Life is good in America.


Jim

go to gibbs and tell them what you can get onecnc for. i'll bet they sweeten the deal. after all, it's just a disk

After 6 months I upgraded my Mill Advantage to Mill Pro ordered on Thursday (23rd) received on Friday.
I own several brands of software AutoCad, SurfCam, CadKey so OneCNC was a easy learn,
as far a tool path ways. Creating solids has been a more of a challenge, but so is the part.
WIll have
the OneCNC lathe package in hand before this Friday.

We upgraded from OneCNC XP to XR and were prommised 4th axis support upgrade free of charge as soon as it came out.

Now its out we have bee told by our UK agent that we can't have it !

He is now saying that we first need to upgrade to XR2 (more dosh)then we can have the free upgrade.

His excuse is that orignally the 4th axis add on was going to be compatible with xr but the software developers changed there minds.

All thats hardly my fault, after all a deals a deal.

He now wants to flog me a xr2 5 axis upgrade to go with a machime we have just bought, but considering the stupid problems we have had with XR I'm not sure i will bother.

After we have had our free days onsite training which we were also prommised when we upgraded to xr I'll be in a better position to rate it or I think slate it.

So ask me in a month and I'll flog you my dongle, cd's and manual for a knocked down price.

Tricky,

Have you ever thought about entering the ministry? Chasing you around to reply to your gripe is like chasing down the 12 disciples to try to stifle them.

Well, I thought that the demo was prety cool.
It did aleviate some of my fears of purchasing a 6K-9k better packaged version of Bobcap....
I am going to think on it tonight, and make my decision tomorro mornig prior to coming to work.
Thanks for the help, and the pm's.
Doug.

If $ is tight, you should take a look at the Rhino/RhinoCAM bundle available from

http://www.mecsoft.com/Mec/

I just bought this package with RhinoCAM Basic, the bundle retails for $1499. and I was able squeeze a $200. discount off that.

This was the only package I was able to find that would do both 2.5 and 3D work for less than $2000. (BobCAM wasn't under consideration due to the high levels of user dis-satisfaction). You can get a 2.5d package from OneCNC for less than $2K, but I needed 3D also.

The RhinoCAM part is actually VisualMill 5.0, reworked to function as a plug-in inside Rhino.

Pluses:
Rhino is a pretty powerful 3D design environment.
RhinoCAM will do 3D machining, at same price point OneCNC is limited to 2.5d.

Minuses:
Rhino can be frustrating to use as a design environment, often when you decide to change something you're in for a lot of re-work, if not starting from scratch. I still will use my 2D package for a lot of design entry, importing into Rhino for final design and CAM work.

The Basic version elimimates some machining capabilities. This hasn't nipped me yet but we'll see. I find RhinoCAM/VisualMill to be pretty easy to use, but I'll admit I'm already suprised by some limitations. It will do what I need, mostly prototyping, but I can see that if I was trying to make real efficent toolpaths for higher run production I could be in trouble, at least with this basic version.

Let me detail one limitation I found surprising and perhaps some users of other packages can give me some insight on whether I'm right to be disappointed on this one.

On a 2.5d part I needed to profile the outside of the part. RhinoCAM makes it pretty easy, you select the outline to profile, select 2.5D profiling, specify your stock dimensions, tool, etc.
You can then specify a "stepover size" so it will cut the profile to the final outline in stages, and you can also specify steps in depth, and you can do all this faster than it took me to type this in, including having final finishing passes. Pretty slick.

However, the tool paths it generates for my part with the stepovers cut a lot of air, it wasn't smart enough not to cut where there wasn't any stock, even though it knows the stock size.

Are most packages, including OneCNC smart enough to eliminate the un-needed tools paths in this case?

Overall though, so far I'm happy with the package. Support is apparently pretty good (and free), but I haven't had to use it yet.

Paul T.

A chap from OneCNC USA did indeed promptly leave a voicemail for me at my office, which I only just got today. (Due to an unfortunate incident with a ladder which has ended up with me immobile, in plaster and on crutches!)

I also had another Voicemail from the UK agent.

I haven’t spoken to either of these two guys yet (as today is Sunday) but it would appear that they have talked to each other and sorted something out.

In the UK we (As far as I know) only have one guy that is responsible for all OneCNC UK sales, rather than a fleet of over paid commission only sales reps like some CAD/CAM software companies. I would say that it is important to get things in writing (luckily we did) and I also say that OneCNC USA did respond remarkably quickly to my issues.

Peter (OneCNC technical support) is indeed a very knowledgeable guy and we are lucky to have him coming over to us for onsite training (I did negotiate this as part of the deal when I upgraded to XR)

I guess our UK guy didn’t quite appreciate how much he had upset us and that his hands might of been tied until the USA office intervened.

I don’t expect for one minute that M_aster Cam’s or other Expensive Cam’s boss would of taken such prompt action if I had a problem with their software.

It looks like this one could have a happy ending after all, I’ll keep you posted on progress.

Happy New Year folks

Tricky

Are most packages, including OneCNC smart enough to eliminate the un-needed tools paths in this case?

Click to expand...

I can't speak for OneCNC, but WorkNC uses a stock model to "know" what was cut from the previous tool. This includes cuts from different axis. So with WorkNC, you do not get path where there is no stock.
It should be noted, that not every path can take advantage of this, but the roughing paths do. As far as re-machining corners, it uses the Rest model to "know" how much stock is in the corners, and machines it automatically.

Dan

OneCNC currently uses only a simple (virtual or imaginary) rectangular stock model, or extents box as they call it. Of course, a 2d boundary can also be used to create a more concise wall definition of the stock shape as viewed from above. The Z top and Z bottom of job can be set at any time, or modified values can be used at any time, just with a few clicks when editing a process.

I think the stock model idea sounds good, more for simulation than for toolpathing. We are not really handicapped all that much,though, at least there are methods to minimize air cutting. It is more a matter of how much toolpath do you expect a single process to incorporate?

The assumption that I would make, is that Z level roughing is used to get within at least the finish tool's radius of the final surface, so this puts the onus on the Z level roughing to be efficient. The finishing processes basically adhere to the surface (if machining surfaces), so there is not really an air cutting time issue with finishing toolpaths.

Of course, I don't get to see or work with some of the fancy stuff that you guys do, so my view is an over-simplification. But in general terms, most models with, let's say, a high forged or cast boss, could result in air cutting time if you cut the whole 'extents box', so we simply constrain the tool with a boundary around that area, and work within a certain range of Z levels. When finally the tool gets down to the larger base, then another toolpath is created, and the Z level constraints are simply shifted down into a useful zone and range, and machining continues.

Sometimes it makes more sense to rough with Z level finishing, and give it a couple of iterations at multiple offset's of the tool diameter, to obtain the surface hugging characteristic of Z level finishing logic.

Until I used a system with stock model import capability, I wouldn't fully appreciate the convenience of it. Because of the choice of tool lengths required in some extreme situations, I do question whether it would be as useful as it sounds? I would not want to see the flexibility of the virtual extents box in any direction to be limited by the introduction of a stock model.

Visual Mill has several different types of stock:

Box, cylinder,part box, part cylinder, part offset (which you'd use if you had a near-net type of stock like a forging or casting), regions stock, and an option to import stock.

cheers,
Michael

One of the applications where we find the stock model to be advantageous is when cutting blocks where we have saw cut off extra material, generally on an angle. We make the cut in Rhino too, and export as an IGES file. We then import that into WorkNC as our stock (in addition to the surfaces we wish to machine) and WorkNC only produces roughing paths where there is material.

Another application would be cutting assemblies of details on a base, where there is a variety of block heights and shapes. By importing this as a stock model, the paths are very efficient.

Michael, is this how Visual Mill works too, with their stock import?

Dan

Dan, I've never tried that, but what it says in the help file is:

VisualMill allows import of foreign geometry as a stock model. This is a powerful feature that can cut down on machining time quite significantly if the starting stock model is irregularly shaped and can be modeled. Currently the supported formats are Stereo-Lithography format files, IGES, Parasolid geometry files and SolidEdge part file format files.

Click to expand...

It sounds like what you are talking about.

cheers,
Michael