2lanemotorsports
Banned
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2010
- Location
- lake havasu city az. usa
i got my 15 year old son a bridgeport boss that has a machine master retrofit now i need to get him some software to start learning.
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What a great present! There's lots that can be done with no software at all. What is your level of experience? How are you at programming? Your son will likely be able to pick up any program very quickly, but he will need some fundamentals before he can do anything useful.
The best software for someone new to CNC is Windows Notepad or another text editor.
Read the control manual and become familiar with the code syntax it requires to make it do what you want it to do.
Start with simple stuff, programming a toolchange, a rectangle, a circle, drill a hole, etc.
Becoming familiar with G code syntax (especially the particular dialect your control requires) is pretty important.
There are a few lower cost CAM systems that are pretty powerful and easy to use, but troubleshooting a program is a h3ll of a sight easier if you can pick the code it posts apart.
That said, I use Alibre Design for 3D modeling and Alibre CAM (a plugin made by MecSoft derived from VisualMill, their very capable relatively low cost CAM software) to do my design and CNC programming.
Another popular and very capable product at the lower midrance is OneCNC. If you purchase a high enough level of their CAM product, it includes a CAD software.
If you want to spend more than that (say in the $10,000 to $15,000 range) there are the industry standards, SolidWorks or SolidEdgefor CAD and say MasterCAM or Gibbs for CAM (to name a few, there are a bunch of similar products out there that people are having success with).
Does the control have any sort of conversational programming? Some of the conversational languages are pretty powerful, too.
Still, it is best in the long run to learn G code since most controls speak some form of it.
Joe
The best software for someone new to CNC is Windows Notepad or another text editor.
Read the control manual and become familiar with the code syntax it requires to make it do what you want it to do.
Start with simple stuff, programming a toolchange, a rectangle, a circle, drill a hole, etc.
Becoming familiar with G code syntax (especially the particular dialect your control requires) is pretty important.
.
.
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Still, it is best in the long run to learn G code since most controls speak some form of it.
Joe
I agree with the previous posters that it would best for your son to learn how to make simple parts using hand written G code programs to start out.
In addition to G code he'll need to learn how to properly set speeds and feeds, which is little different approach with a CNC machine than you may have used on your manual machines. Searching "feeds and speeds" on these forums will hit some good background material on this topic.
I'd also have him start working with some CAD design programs. There are some pretty good free 2D programs. Solidworks, one of the most popular 3D CAD suppliers, has recently introduced a free 2D CAD program. If you search Solidworks 2D you should hit it. SolidEdge also supplies a pretty nice free 2D CAD program.
For free 3D design, the free version of the Google Sketchup program is not too bad. Its has a limitation of not having built in capabilities to export .dxf files, which are needed for some CAM programs, but there is a free plug-in available for it that gives it this capability.
There are also "educational" versions (for student use only) of the 3D design programs that are pretty affordable, I believe both Solidworks and Autodesk/Inventor offers these. These programs are much more powerful than Google Sketchup and are oriented fully towards mechanical design.
For a CAM program I'd start out with the demo version of SheetCAM from SheetCam homepage . This is a 2.5D program but its a good starting point before trying to jump all the way to 3D CAM. The full version of this program is also very affordable (I think around $250. or so) and you'll likely find that most of the parts he will be making are 2.5D.
A 2.5D part means that if you look at the part from a top view while its sitting on a table, all its machined surfaces are either parallel to the table surface or are at right angles to the table surface.
When he's ready to start learning about 3D CAM, there are demo versions available of the VisualMill program from MecSoft Corporation: CAD CAM Software | Computer Aided Design | Computer Aided Manufacturing and the OneCNC program from www.onecnc.com . You can learn alot about the CAD/CAM design process by going through the tutorials of the demo versions of these programs.
Good luck-
Paul T.
Power Technology
....Bobcad used to make me work, sweat, worry and prove out my programs ...
..
Next, I'm going to deviate from the crowd. Don't get a real cheezy CAD and CAM. Whichever one you get, they are painful to learn. You are going to be making an investment. It's worth spending a little more and getting one that will stick with you. Given the choice, I would worry more about getting the CAD program that will stay with you for life.CNC Cookbook: Blog
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