Why do people dislike BobCad

[bob]

I dont use it but had a demo seems ok to me
Bob

 

[EmGo]

I dont use it but had a demo seems ok to me
Bob

I've got a copy of v14. It's great for quick drawings and pulling geometry. Really fast and straightforward to use.

They mucked it up when they went to windows, imo.

 

[Dan B]

We've all heard stories of BobCAD sales people hounding potential customers with non-stop calls. But I did a demo back in 2020, wasn't super impressed and never heard from them again. So maybe that was how things used to be, but from personal experience, it's not like that now.

 

[Volitan]

I think it's pretty decent.
They had a reputation though for being absolutely relentless with the sales calls if you downloaded a demo. I got calls and postcards for about 3 years after giving my info to them to try a demo.
Someone here joked that will all these bigger companies buying smaller cad/cam companies, the reason no one bought Bobcad is because they'd have to give up their phone number to buy them. I thought that was pretty funny.

Anyway, this is old news, from what I've been reading they haven't been like that for a long time now.

 

[13engines]

I still use V21 on a daily basis. Been making money with it for nearly a couple decades. I find it's CAD-CAM integration spot on and super easy to get where you're going. The comment about V14 is the same. I started at V17. I program semi manually. Meaning I mostly use it to supply me with all the X-Y-Z coordinates and prefix G codes. It also backplots well right off the G code. Although the simulation is a total joke and basically unusable. When they went to V22 or 23 they completely changed the interface. I mean they couldn't have made things more different if they tried. The root basics like the order of how you did things and even how things were selected did a complete 180. That's where they lost me. I've wanted to try a brand new version, but first I have to get off my XP computer. :-) More then anything I'd really like to have kick-ass Simulation off of G code. Not sure the new BobCad can supply that.

 

[jhov]

I find their CAD clunky to use, but it's not terrible. It would be fine if I took the time to learn it. I opted for their Rhino CAM plugin instead, which is quite good, especially for the cost.

 

[triumph406]

I know a few who use BobCad and like it. One of the best machinists I know (trained by me no less) uses BobCad and does some really outstanding work withit.

Most of the people who have adverse comments about BobCad probably have never used it, either as a demo, or as a money making tool.

 

[FredC]

I was going to say their salespeople but a couple of posts already mentioned that, so I do not have to. :-)

 

[SeymourDumore]

I started at V17. I program semi manually. Meaning I mostly use it to supply me with all the X-Y-Z coordinates and prefix G codes. It also backplots well right off the G code.

^^^ THIS ^^^

All Wire EDM, all lathe and some milling programs, I draw my exact toolpath in ACAD, export as DXF cut-chain in Bobcad.
Can't think of a faster way to program with absolute control over what you want.
I'm on V18, so the code and the graphics is still side by side.
Version 22 is when they've changed to the typical background post processing, which is also when Bobcad became completely useless for me.

 

[EmGo]

I'm on V18 ....

You guys should upgrade to 14, the DOS interface is way faster

 

[SeymourDumore]

You guys should upgrade to 14, the DOS interface is way faster

I know, I know ... but for the record, I was only responding to 13engines's post.

 

[triumph406]

You guys should upgrade to 14, the DOS interface is way faster

Your probably still using Cadley 4.5 the DOS version, you old timer

 

[EmGo]

Your probably still using Cadley 4.5 the DOS version, you old timer

I kinda bifurcated. WIldfire 2 for more solid-type stuff and Blobcad for the quick and dirty. Cadkey was in-between ... but what I kick myself for daily is the Cadkey 6 I had for Solaris. That one is rare as hen's teeth and I lost the tape

Speaking of rare, if anyone comes across a copy of Varimetrix for Irix, I'd happily buy them a case of Black Label or maybe even Pabst. That seems to be even more rare

 

[SteveEx30]

We Don't hate the software we hate the relentless sales guys calling every 3 months for 15 years after you buy their software.

I used it for 2 years when I first went on my own, no complaints for $500. But man was I happy when I finally could afford a seat of Cimaton !

BOBCAD is entry-level software.

 

[Rogue_Machinist]

When I went to school to learn CNC Machining the instructor swore by BobCAD/CAM. And once I learned it I found it to be much more user friendly and intuitive over MasterCAM. And far cheaper as well. These software companies asking $5000 for a single seat license is the problem industry wide. I use ShopCAM for both Mill and Turn at my work shop and its works great for what I need. Nothing we do is highly complex and it makes the programs I need. Only downside to ShopCAM is there threading cycles are god awful. And shopcam for a single seat license is $250 with life time updates and support. Granted if they ever go out of business I will go to BobCAD/CAM. MasterCAM has a hot ass for their pricing. They literally act like they are the best program out there. When I can do whatever I need faster and than MasterCAM for literally 1/50th the price.

 

[triumph406]

We Don't hate the software we hate the relentless sales guys calling every 3 months for 15 years after you buy their software.

I used it for 2 years when I first went on my own, no complaints for $500. But man was I happy when I finally could afford a seat of Cimaton !

BOBCAD is entry-level software.

You get bent out of shape getting a call every 3 months?? A call that can be concluded in 30-60 seconds. Bizarre

 

[triumph406]

I kinda bifurcated. WIldfire 2 for more solid-type stuff and Blobcad for the quick and dirty. Cadkey was in-between ... but what I kick myself for daily is the Cadkey 6 I had for Solaris. That one is rare as hen's teeth and I lost the tape

Speaking of rare, if anyone comes across a copy of Varimetrix for Irix, I'd happily buy them a case of Black Label or maybe even Pabst. That seems to be even more rare

I still (somewhere) have the disks for Cadkey 6.0 for DOS, give up Solaris and embrace DOS again. You know you can.

When the commies lock you down again you'll have plenty of time.

 

[1032screw]

I have used V21 sporadically for the last 11 years. It was clunky to use and not super intuitive. Back in 2011 when it was still sort of current it just seemed behind its competition on the user interface. I use it for programming an equation driven curve to be turned on a lathe and occasionally I can't get a toolpath to generate the way I want and like it has done before for no understandable reason.

As others have said the sales people were pushy and annoying. It took me telling them I abandoned the software and would never use one of their products again to get them to stop calling me.

 

[EmGo]

I still (somewhere) have the disks for Cadkey 6.0 for DOS, give up Solaris and embrace DOS again. You know you can.

I still have v 7 for DOS ... it was the solaris part I was sad about losing. If it weren't for the pharlap memory stuff it could probably run in dosbox.

When the commies lock you down again you'll have plenty of time.

Did my lockedup time, I'm out ! free as a bird !



However, still would like a low-end cad program for irix. I even talked to Bob once (of Bobcad fame) about porting to irix but never went through with it. He was cool. Maybe now that the old dos code is not worth much ? A motif port would work in loonix, too. Better than anything else they have ...

 

[triumph406]

I still have v 7 for DOS ... it was the solaris part I was sad about losing. If it weren't for the pharlap memory stuff it could probably run in dosbox.



Did my lockedup time, I'm out ! free as a bird !

View attachment 381979

However, still would like a low-end cad program for irix. I even talked to Bob once (of Bobcad fame) about porting to irix but never went through with it. He was cool. Maybe now that the old dos code is not worth much ? A motif port would work in loonix, too. Better than anything else they have ...

So what do you gain from these other OS's that DOS or Windows can't do?

I know Windows isn't ideal, but I've never felt the OS holding any CAD/CAM system I use back.

But that's just me, I still run Fadals and BP's what the f' do I know



Now are the other OS's better for trolling the 'net for hot chickas?