I've been using Camworks since 2006. I have a love/hate relationship with it, but the fact is, I've felt that way to some extent about every CAM package I've ever used. Integration with Solidworks is seamless. It operates a little differently from most packages, in that the system finds, or you create, machinable features to start with (in milling, pocket, slot, hole, etc.). You then apply a machining strategy to each feature, which contains tool choice, default speed and feed, lead-in, lead-out, depth-of-cut and other such machining parameters. Tool paths are then generated from the sum of each feature and strategy. The hard, or rather, tedious part is editing your machining database to get the common strategies you would use (it comes with very little). After that, programming is pretty easy. However, you don't have to sit down for days and bang out strategies. You can edit machining parameters as you go, and then save back strategies to the database. In time, you'll have what you would use maybe 80% of the time. Your other challenge will be postprocessors. They "say" your VAR will provide what you need, and depending upon who yours is, that may be true. I did not have that experience. They do include a post generator program, which I learned how to use, so I can create and maintain posts as I wish. Support, as stated above, is through your VAR. Again, not knowing who yours is, I can't say how good it would be. Our VAR is Access Manufacturing, and I can say that support has been good. Maybe not excellent, but good.
