rlockwood
Stainless
- Joined
- May 1, 2013
- Location
- Near Seattle, WA
well, that's your opinion
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Autodesk HSM (HSM works), Any negative comments?
- Thread starter ADFToolmaker
- Start date
- Replies 29
- Views 9,198
well, that's your opinion
John Welden
Diamond
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2009
- Location
- Seattle
markp
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2006
- Location
- Petaluma CA 94952
I recently got a subscription to HSMInventor. Mainly because they have a 5 ax post in the library that was supposed to work on my DMU50V Millplus machine. I locked myself in the shop for a couple days and in the end was able to make the part. Im a gibbs user for 16 years and HSM seems pretty clunky to me. (Im not a CAD person, just always drew my parts in gibbs, so probably different for those types).
However, the best part of learning HSM is that on the HSM forum, the experts are helpful, even to noobs, and very quick to respond. Helped solve several problems I had understanding the correct workflow.
However, the best part of learning HSM is that on the HSM forum, the experts are helpful, even to noobs, and very quick to respond. Helped solve several problems I had understanding the correct workflow.
GBeaman
Hot Rolled
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2006
- Location
- Marble Falls, TX
My ringing endorsement of EdgeCam
I too am an edgecam user. Bought it with my personal money as a business start up in 2008. I use it on ancient bostomatic control for milling and a whole host of others, Fanuc OM, Fadal CNC88, Fanuc 16i, Mori Lathe running Mits, Haas and centroid mills. I love the edit ability of the post and when I get stuck Ecad in Houston pulls off miracles to get it right.
The recent advancements of workflow were a transition but are astounding once I learned the user interface. I can't imagine what you could want the software to do that it doesn't already do.
I used Mastercam up to version X4, and then I bought dolphin (VOMIT!!!) for simple turning. I was so delighted to add the turning module to my seat of EdgeCam back in 2013. I am not the strongest with the lathe. Much more proficient with milling, but It works great and they keep making major advances that usually outpace the competition in the price range.
I can see a lot of getting used to interface, a poorly setup tool library, and maybe some awful support being complaints, but I have none of these and can't wait to implement strategies even more effectively.
There are some tricks. I love the PCI template for example. I find toolpaths that work well and then open that part at the same time I open a new part. If Roughing worked well I create a PCI and simply run it on the new part WAH-LAH!!! Bam!!! new part has an excellent toolpath. If you can make everything associative to the solid you can be ready to fly in no time flat. I LOVE IT!!! Waveform was the biggest breakthrough, however there have been many. At first I ran the lowest possible seat and just ran lines and arcs. Until I got solids!!! Holy crap I wish I had done that sooner. The world OPENED! I know there are other good softwares but I am sold.
The biggest complaint that I have is how expensive maintenance is. I don't mind paying for something once and paying appropriately, but their ongoing cost is quite high. Other then that, and if I were more then a 1 man show the cost wouldn't be so hard to consider.
I got burned by BobCad before finding edge.
No affiliation other then I love the product I purchased with my hard earned dough...
-Greg
I too am an edgecam user. Bought it with my personal money as a business start up in 2008. I use it on ancient bostomatic control for milling and a whole host of others, Fanuc OM, Fadal CNC88, Fanuc 16i, Mori Lathe running Mits, Haas and centroid mills. I love the edit ability of the post and when I get stuck Ecad in Houston pulls off miracles to get it right.
The recent advancements of workflow were a transition but are astounding once I learned the user interface. I can't imagine what you could want the software to do that it doesn't already do.
I used Mastercam up to version X4, and then I bought dolphin (VOMIT!!!) for simple turning. I was so delighted to add the turning module to my seat of EdgeCam back in 2013. I am not the strongest with the lathe. Much more proficient with milling, but It works great and they keep making major advances that usually outpace the competition in the price range.
I can see a lot of getting used to interface, a poorly setup tool library, and maybe some awful support being complaints, but I have none of these and can't wait to implement strategies even more effectively.
There are some tricks. I love the PCI template for example. I find toolpaths that work well and then open that part at the same time I open a new part. If Roughing worked well I create a PCI and simply run it on the new part WAH-LAH!!! Bam!!! new part has an excellent toolpath. If you can make everything associative to the solid you can be ready to fly in no time flat. I LOVE IT!!! Waveform was the biggest breakthrough, however there have been many. At first I ran the lowest possible seat and just ran lines and arcs. Until I got solids!!! Holy crap I wish I had done that sooner. The world OPENED! I know there are other good softwares but I am sold.
The biggest complaint that I have is how expensive maintenance is. I don't mind paying for something once and paying appropriately, but their ongoing cost is quite high. Other then that, and if I were more then a 1 man show the cost wouldn't be so hard to consider.
I got burned by BobCad before finding edge.
No affiliation other then I love the product I purchased with my hard earned dough...
-Greg
ADFToolmaker
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2012
- Location
- Hamilton, New Zealand
Thanks guys for keeping this thread going.
We had a demo from the Autodesk guys a few days ago and were quite impressed with what we saw. Of course that is their job though. Several posts have been along the lines of "whats wrong with Edgecam?" Well, I've been a user for 15 years and generally like the product. I have trained a lot of users too, but along the way have noticed a lack of stability, especially with new users. It seems if you are an expert user and know the workarounds you can get good results but getting a user to that level is costly to a business. It also does not seem to make the best use of the hardware, generation times are longer than many competitors. With some of our more complex mold cavities we get some unexpected outcomes, especially when reloading solids. Creating boundaries on suface models can be painful too.
The demo included some parts we struggled with in edgecam and HSMworks ate it up. The demonstrator had not been given the part in advance, so had no opportunity to practice his demo.
The one surprise to us was no constant cusp finishing in hsmworks, I did not know that was special and expected HSM to have a similar strategy, (or did our demonstrator miss something?) Was also surprised you have to run a simulation to get a cycle time, whereas edgecam has it in the sequence heading in the tree and updates as each cycle is added.
We think the turning will meet our requirements. Our production turning is simple parts, and our mold parts can afford to have some workarounds.
The integration with SW is a big plus for us, (although ec with sw parts is pretty good )modeling is so much easier in SW, and the boundary creation seems to be a doddle compared to ec.
We had a demo from the Autodesk guys a few days ago and were quite impressed with what we saw. Of course that is their job though. Several posts have been along the lines of "whats wrong with Edgecam?" Well, I've been a user for 15 years and generally like the product. I have trained a lot of users too, but along the way have noticed a lack of stability, especially with new users. It seems if you are an expert user and know the workarounds you can get good results but getting a user to that level is costly to a business. It also does not seem to make the best use of the hardware, generation times are longer than many competitors. With some of our more complex mold cavities we get some unexpected outcomes, especially when reloading solids. Creating boundaries on suface models can be painful too.
The demo included some parts we struggled with in edgecam and HSMworks ate it up. The demonstrator had not been given the part in advance, so had no opportunity to practice his demo.
The one surprise to us was no constant cusp finishing in hsmworks, I did not know that was special and expected HSM to have a similar strategy, (or did our demonstrator miss something?) Was also surprised you have to run a simulation to get a cycle time, whereas edgecam has it in the sequence heading in the tree and updates as each cycle is added.
We think the turning will meet our requirements. Our production turning is simple parts, and our mold parts can afford to have some workarounds.
The integration with SW is a big plus for us, (although ec with sw parts is pretty good )modeling is so much easier in SW, and the boundary creation seems to be a doddle compared to ec.
steve_p
Aluminum
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2014
- Location
- Southeast Massachusetts
Constant cusp height in HSMWorks is called "scallop".
If you do purchase and do alot of 3d machining (sounds like you will), check out Rob Lockwood's videos on YouTube.
rlockwood
Stainless
- Joined
- May 1, 2013
- Location
- Near Seattle, WA
That guy is too cocky and overrated.
thunderskunk
Cast Iron
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2018
- Location
- Middle-of-nowhere
Very old post, but it came right up while I was searching for a solution to just this issue.
Spun profile kinda sucks, and it's not fun to work around. I tried it... it works if I make no changes, but I'm trying to make machining programs for similar geometry over several diameters of stock. I could have done a work around inside the Solidworks tree, but now I hit the HSMWorks button and the error is forever lost inside that setup, so time to start fresh. I'd say there's not a lot of progress made on the issues highlighted in the above list since 2017.
Not for advertising,
But talking about SW module, have you considered Solidcam for turning?
www.solidcam.com
I have experience with their mill product and know nothing about turning. Friend of mine using it for lathe and he said that Solidcam turning was awful in past, but was improved recently
But talking about SW module, have you considered Solidcam for turning?
Turning
www.solidcam.com
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I have been using HSM for 3 years, I started with Fusion in 2018 and got sick of the cloud. My take on the lathe.
Like any package you have to learn it’s weirdness.
The “ heights can be confusing, they need to be updated.
You can absolutely add tangential extensions, the confinement is so-so.
How the part is modeled has a lot to do with how good of a tool path you will get.
It is not good at angled grooves.
The posts being in Java is a mixed blessing, It’s powerful, but ya gotta learn some Java. Easier then S-post.
I use it to program relatively simple parts and have had success using it. I haven’t had a part it wouldn’t make, I also spent some time swearing at it....
I’ve used a lot of cam systems, some are better then others. All have quirks. Lathe software is definitely a second thought. Some put out good code, but a pain to use, think Surfcam. Some we awful all around, Mastercam.....
I’ll leave this thought for all, “ maintenance “ .... paying for something you already own , so you can get “ bug fixes” that shouldn’t be needed in the first place. Seems to me these software ass clowns shouldn’t be selling a product that doesn’t work in the first place . You offer “ bug fixes “ for the parts you make to the print? I think not.... cam software is a mature market, unless AI comes along and looks at the print and a Star Trek replicator makes the part materialize in front of you , things are not gonna change much more.
Buy a 15k seat with 3k a year maintance , in 5 years you could have 2 seats. Did it really change that much and was it worth it to finance the bug fixes that shouldn’t have been there to begin with?
Like any package you have to learn it’s weirdness.
The “ heights can be confusing, they need to be updated.
You can absolutely add tangential extensions, the confinement is so-so.
How the part is modeled has a lot to do with how good of a tool path you will get.
It is not good at angled grooves.
The posts being in Java is a mixed blessing, It’s powerful, but ya gotta learn some Java. Easier then S-post.
I use it to program relatively simple parts and have had success using it. I haven’t had a part it wouldn’t make, I also spent some time swearing at it....
I’ve used a lot of cam systems, some are better then others. All have quirks. Lathe software is definitely a second thought. Some put out good code, but a pain to use, think Surfcam. Some we awful all around, Mastercam.....
I’ll leave this thought for all, “ maintenance “ .... paying for something you already own , so you can get “ bug fixes” that shouldn’t be needed in the first place. Seems to me these software ass clowns shouldn’t be selling a product that doesn’t work in the first place . You offer “ bug fixes “ for the parts you make to the print? I think not.... cam software is a mature market, unless AI comes along and looks at the print and a Star Trek replicator makes the part materialize in front of you , things are not gonna change much more.
Buy a 15k seat with 3k a year maintance , in 5 years you could have 2 seats. Did it really change that much and was it worth it to finance the bug fixes that shouldn’t have been there to begin with?
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