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Opinions on free cam softwares

R

ricardo_gt

Aluminum
Joined
Aug 5, 2012
Location
Portugal
What are your opinions about free cam softwares?
CAD programs are available at the web but CAM programs are no so "free"... however, i am using a lot ECAM to do lathe 3D operations with live tools and PYcam to do the same at the mills... so far so good, it works great!
Do you know any other and do you work with it? How good it is?
 
Please, for the love of all that's Holy, can we stop beating this dead horse?

Use Fusion 360.

Admin, can we get this locked now before it explodes, please? :leaving:
 
There needs to be a tutorial included in the sign up steps called 'using the search function'
 
In much less time than it took to type sarcasm a simple link could have been posted.
:rolleyes5:

@ricardo_gt
If you search this forum you should be able to find a lot of information, and opinions, on what you are looking for.
 
Qwan said:
In much less time than it took to type sarcasm a simple link could have been posted.
:rolleyes5:

@ricardo_gt
If you search this forum you should be able to find a lot of information, and opinions, on what you are looking for.
Click to expand...

Give a man a fish, feed him for a day.

Embarrass a man for being too lazy to do a simple Google search, keep him from annoying all of us with stupid, easily answered questions for a lifetime.
 
How is this any different than the weekly "What's the best CAM software" posts where everyone then proceeds to promote the product they're familiar with as the best? Seems to me there's a lot more Googling that could be happening here.
 
Just because there doesn't currently exist any viable free cam software doesn't mean that someone should be immediately derided for being curious about it.

The natural progression is that eventually open source software acheives feature parity with the commercial products that preceded it. Functionality of commercial cam software has pretty much plateaued over the last decade, so it's only a matter of time IMO.

However, if people get shot down every time they mention it, interest will remain low.
 
gregormarwick said:
Just because there doesn't currently exist any viable free cam software doesn't mean that someone should be immediately derided for being curious about it.

The natural progression is that eventually open source software acheives feature parity with the commercial products that preceded it. Functionality of commercial cam software has pretty much plateaued over the last decade, so it's only a matter of time IMO.

However, if people get shot down every time they mention it, interest will remain low.
Click to expand...

:wall:

There is free CAM software - that was the entire freakin' point. If you Google 'Free CAM Software' it's one of the first things to come up:

Fusion 360

Fully integrated 3D CAD/CAM software from Autodesk. We've beat it to death here, hence my frustration.

If someone wants something better for free, they can go make it themselves. If a company has the sales (over $100k/year) that this isn't free for them, and they think $300 a year is too much money, they should shut down the company and go do something else. $300 is nothing in this World.

We've spent about a hundred pages debating the merits of Fusion (which is free, or so cheap it might as well be free) compared to programs that cost from ten to a hundred times as much. The fact that this is even a conversation should tell you what you need to know about it, which would all be easy to find, should someone spend 30 seconds doing some research.
 
Johnny SolidWorks said:
:wall:

There is free CAM software - that was the entire freakin' point. If you Google 'Free CAM Software' it's one of the first things to come up:

Fusion 360

Fully integrated 3D CAD/CAM software from Autodesk. We've beat it to death here, hence my frustration.

If someone wants something better for free, they can go make it themselves. If a company has the sales (over $100k/year) that this isn't free for them, and they think $300 a year is too much money, they should shut down the company and go do something else. $300 is nothing in this World.

We've spent about a hundred pages debating the merits of Fusion (which is free, or so cheap it might as well be free) compared to programs that cost from ten to a hundred times as much. The fact that this is even a conversation should tell you what you need to know about it, which would all be easy to find, should someone spend 30 seconds doing some research.
Click to expand...

Fusion 360 is super cheap, yes. So what?

It's not viable for most/many of us because of it's feature level, and also leaves you shackled to AD. There's not a single member here who isn't perfectly aware of Fusion 360, I'm quite sure OP included, so why bother posting?
 
gregormarwick said:
Fusion 360 is super cheap, yes. So what?

It's not viable for most/many of us because of it's feature level, and also leaves you shackled to AD. There's not a single member here who isn't perfectly aware of Fusion 360, I'm quite sure OP included, so why bother posting?
Click to expand...

:skep:

I'm sorry, I haven't run across any of your posts before - is this another of Gordon's aliases, simply trying a new avenue of trolling?

The OP asked about free CAM software, and mentions he's using ECAM and PYCAM.

ECAM is a buggy piece of crap that doesn't offer the functionality of Fusion on its best day, and I've never had a chance to use PYCAM, because as far as I knew, it wasn't worth trying even before development was stopped a decade or so ago. I thought the only guys using this crap were the hobby folks running scrap machines they 'retrofitted' and control with LinuxCNC.

I kind of figured anybody putting themselves through that must not be aware of Fusion, considering it is still somewhat new (in the CAM world anyway.)

But in your opinion, it's apparently better to beat yourself over the head with a hammer every time you have to use your CAM software, rather than use anything made by Autodesk? Talk about biting off your nose to spite your face...:nutter:

And no, I'm not particularly a fan of Autodesk either (check the name, slick.) I can't stand Inventor, and don't even really like Fusion - but there is not a better alternative if you want a free CAD or CAM software. Seriously, even if you only do this as a hobby, if $300 isn't the same as free when talking about CAD/CAM packages, just give up now.
 
Johnny SolidWorks said:
:skep:

I'm sorry, I haven't run across any of your posts before - is this another of Gordon's aliases, simply trying a new avenue of trolling?

The OP asked about free CAM software, and mentions he's using ECAM and PYCAM.

ECAM is a buggy piece of crap that doesn't offer the functionality of Fusion on its best day, and I've never had a chance to use PYCAM, because as far as I knew, it wasn't worth trying even before development was stopped a decade or so ago. I thought the only guys using this crap were the hobby folks running scrap machines they 'retrofitted' and control with LinuxCNC.

I kind of figured anybody putting themselves through that must not be aware of Fusion, considering it is still somewhat new (in the CAM world anyway.)

But in your opinion, it's apparently better to beat yourself over the head with a hammer every time you have to use your CAM software, rather than use anything made by Autodesk? Talk about biting off your nose to spite your face...:nutter:

And no, I'm not particularly a fan of Autodesk either (check the name, slick.) I can't stand Inventor, and don't even really like Fusion - but there is not a better alternative if you want a free CAD or CAM software. Seriously, even if you only do this as a hobby, if $300 isn't the same as free when talking about CAD/CAM packages, just give up now.
Click to expand...

I have a hammer, and I ain't skeered to use it.

Fusion is not free. It's $1500/yr if you want to do any "real" work with it (which consequently is what my CAM maint. used to cost before Autodicks.

I must admit, Fusion intrigues me. I actually think it looks like a great tool.
What stops me from even playing with a trial? Cloud based. Fuck that.
No internet? No Fusion. No internet, no access to your intellectual property (part files), which you really don't own.
It blows my mind that Autodicks have gotten as far with this shit as they have.
 
Last edited:
Wheelie I'll be looking for the black helicopters hovering over gilbert on my way home from ASU tempe campus .......so i can avoid the area around your shop :D
 
gregormarwick said:
Let's be clear, I only replied to you because you quoted me while simultaneously ignoring everything I wrote, instead opting to continue banging on about Fusion 360.
Click to expand...

I think we're just talking right past each other - maybe it's an English to American mistranslation deal?

The OP asked about free CAM software, and mentioned currently using two that are inferior in every functional way to Fusion. I thought my last post was fairly on point, and I still have absolutely no idea "what you're banging on about" - to borrow a phrase.

And to be absolutely clear: I don't like Fusion, and I don't use it because I don't like it. I would rather pay good money to use a different program. Again, pay attention to the screen name.

But there is not a better free CAD/CAM program out there. End of story.

I do apologize if I've been a 'tosser' - I was in a bit of a nark today.
 
wheelieking71 said:
I have a hammer, and I ain't skeered to use it.

Fusion is not free. It's $1500/yr if you want to do any "real" work with it (which consequently is what my CAM maint. used to cost before Autodicks.

I must admit, Fusion intrigues me. I actually think it looks like a great tool.
What stops me from even playing with a trial? Cloud based. Fuck that.
No internet? No Fusion. No internet, no access to your intellectual property (part files), which you really don't own.
It blows my mind that Autodicks have gotten as far with this shit as they have.
Click to expand...

True, it's not free for everyone - but I would argue that it winds up being free for most people who are actually going to use it. I.e. if you only have a couple of bucks to spend on CAM, Fusion is for you. For folks doing 'real' CAM work, they are most likely better off with a different (more expensive) software. No argument from me on that.

I understand the rest of the concerns you have with it, and would never consider doing design work on a cloud-based system. CAM stuff, eh, I'd probably be OK with it.
 
Milland said:
You're joking, right? Gregor's been around here for ages, and is quite distinct from Gordon (Except for sharing the first letter of their first names, which now that you mention it is suspicious...).
Click to expand...

Seasoned though he may be, I don't think I have ever interacted with him, so I guess I should have reserved judgement.

Sharing the first letter of the first name can't just be a coincidence though! I'll tell the men in black helicopters when they get here! :willy_nilly:
 
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