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Affordable CAD-CAM Software

fstmar

Plastic
Joined
Sep 19, 2013
Location
Canada Montreal
RoutCad de Luxe V 1.12 Full CAD-CAM Release is a Computer Aided Design software and a Computer Aided Manufacturing software all bundle in a single easy to use package. You can use it to create contours, shapes, and 3D objects. Once the object is designed, you easily define the toolpath and export to g-code.
 
I’ve watched this software since it came out. It’s priced double the cost on eBay than website, no forum support or anyone that even talks about it though from screenshots looks alright. When you can get fusion 360 for free and many control board softwares have cam and conversational already built in it’s hard to take the leap especially as you stated there is no way to trial it. I’d be interested just to see how it compares to Mach, Linux, and centroid.
 
if you want something that has options and wont break the bank. Go and download the free version of Fusion 360 if you like it then buy it. The price point is low for what it can do as a CAD/CAM Program.
 
Bobcad used to be the poor-man's CAD-CAM...
But they are trying to bleed me to death now.
Oh, by dropping support on my version to make me shell out for a brand-new seat. Thousands.
Nope.
I am going Fusion 360
 
I’ve watched this software since it came out. It’s priced double the cost on eBay than website, no forum support or anyone that even talks about it though from screenshots looks alright. When you can get fusion 360 for free and many control board softwares have cam and conversational already built in it’s hard to take the leap especially as you stated there is no way to trial it. I’d be interested just to see how it compares to Mach, Linux, and centroid.

I think you are talking apples and oranges. :-) Mach, Linuxcnc and Centroid are cnc software not CAD/CAM. Having said that I run Linuxcnc on a Cinci contourmaster (tracer) converted to servos and on a Mazak V5.
I started with an illegal copy of Autosketch, bought a legal copy but really needed CAM. So I switched to Weber Systems Synergy.
Does 2.5D, wireframe and 3D milling, lathe, wire edm. Well hidden is the facility for extrusion screws. I use the lofted surfaces quite a bit but also fall back to plain 2.5D. 30 day demo is available. I found the learning curve pretty steep but then I was starting from zero. Exports to dxf, dwg but not well, too many versions to cover. Exports to IGES. Runs on Windows and Linux. I have heard tell of guys that were fully up to speed in 30 days but then they had previous CAD/CAM experience.
I've heard great things about Fusion 360 but I worry about getting left high and dry when they change the pricing structure.
YMMV
 
Your right. I was thinking it was more so like a conversational software where it was macro based. Centroids is pretty decent and we have that here on almost all of our machines excelt one is Linux and one is Fanuc controlled. Centroid Conversational is nice to use. It’s very difficult to tell what routcad actually is and going back to the website while trying to understand the Essential differences between the packages is somewhat frustrating. He has listed a 2.5d lathe package for $129.99, then deluxe for $299.99, and then deluxe with translation for $499.99, then 1yr deluxe for $89.99, and 6 months for $69.99 or something along those lines and understanding clear differences are vague at best. If the 1 yr for $89.99 is the same as the lifetime for $499.99 I would pay that to trial it. When I asked I could tell he is foreign and was very vague in answering questions and basically told me if I want to do the cad cam and gcode to our machine we had to buy the $499.99 package. It would seem one may as well purchase that full package so no regrets later but then there is the question whether it’s value is there without a given trial version or at least a lower one year purchase option to see if buying lifetime is worth it. I think if he wanted to really sell it he would go and clean up the descriptions explaining them better and give a 30 day trial to see how the deluxe works. We use Gibbs, Inventor, and Fusion, as well occasionally we are resorting to inkscape and makercam but mostly those last two for engraving purposes. We wanted a package that was lathe orientated where it’s smooth to jump on and run; kind of how Gibbs is with 3 axis vertical milling. Yes autodesk works but some things you just don’t want to spend the time modeling and as far as their lathe tool paths we have a 2 axis gang with a live option and it doesn’t integrate well with our machine. I’ve seen where others are having some similar issues with gang lathes in autodesk but for milling it’s pretty straight forward to use with less cam options than Gibbs. If our lathe had centeoid we would probably never need cad/cam for the parts we make. I would consider the option to trial routcad and if I like it I think we would probably buy it then they could get someone who knows about it enough who shares with others what it’s functions, capabilities, and whether there is value in processing, along with cycle times, and any other potential beneficial features it may have; for example where Gibbs has volumill. Many of us have basic lathe needs and don’t need an extensive package. Now shelling out $3,000 for Gibbs 2 axis lathe plus maintenance isn’t worth it to us for a machine that essentially makes simple add on parts we could probably have made in China for cheap but want in house for convenience. Without considering our recent gear hobbing machine we will soon start cutting gear blanks so it’s giving us a reason to look for alternatives right now and something like routcad could be it. The reality is where the software cost increases it would probably be worthy considering installing Centroid lathe and just using conversational while calling it a day.
 
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