Matt - when you have a chance, could you confirm our STL fix is all in order.

Also, note the more efficient binary setting

The trouble with Cut3D and with Modela4 is that their focus appears to be to cut 'raster files'. Though Modela offers Contour cutting and Cut3D also offers other tricks like limiting the border to a halo around the object, their strategies are both quite limited

True z-level 'pocketing' and so on - as I understand - is much quicker .. which comes with more expensive software. My observation is that the better softwares get the head moving is cleverer ways .. for example sweeping up and down in the z axis when pocketing a compound form

Also learning strategies that cut less material are critical .. for example .. to cut only one edge of a pocket when that is all that's needed - therefor saving cut time and bit sharpness. I cant see how to do this in Cut3D

'Limiting surfaces' become important for blocking cuts that aren't necessary from a particular cut side - thus saving time. However, most cheap programs focus on importing and processing a single solid .. and don't allow limiting surfaces

I've been using CamWorks recently. It's a goddam awful interface and almost void of logic .. but provides for the most part quick cutting. It's expensive and I think there are better suites.

Rocket scientists definitely wrote that program. They have no concept of how designers work and are totally non graphical. Seems this is the case with many higher end packages as they too are aimed at machinists

It interfaces and works within SolidWorks .. which makes it quick to change stuff and reprocess those changes. The advantages TIM of a plug-in architecture !

hi jol ,
after ditching my prefs and re loading sp4 I have had a chance to try some stl exports to modela ( roland mdx 650 mill ) from what i can see - acis stl is working and is producing reduced file sizes , binary works and is smaller still but modela does not recognise it - i.e not a recognised file format - maybe i am missing something but i have tried a few options - iges files appear to be exporting consistanly and are reasonble size too - re cut 3d - I may look at it for the halo option alone as this would offer another approach beyond modela and for the money will mean i am cutting less air until i settle on some real tool pathing software - despite mayka's slow response ( enquiry emails ) what is your assesment of the software ???

jol ,
no have not played with mesh cam , may give it a whirl . We might get a ex demo roland mdx 540 milling machine to go with the 650 we already have , the next trick will be to maximise output with the tool path generation and cutting strategies . while the roland machines are not the cheapest the reliability and useability makes it an easy option for our little studio . What sort of machines have you been on lately ???

Matt .. just forwarded some Makya stuRf to you

This is MUCH more like it .. though I have no prices

cutting time comparable to CamWorks I'd suggest

probably a tenth for a complex part .. by not raster cutting

If anybody manages to find a price, pls let me know !

Presented well too !!

I'm testing an AXYZ machine .. (pronounced Axis) with CamWorks

Camworks is written really badly, is illogical, non graphical and confusing - I wouldn't recommend it, though offers piles of constant strategies. One I like in particular is 'constant stepover'. This gives you an x mm stepover on a compound curve as measured not in x, y or z but on the object surface (if that makes sense).

Am learning heaps about efficient cutting strategies

These apps are not written for people like us in general

Oops .. didn't realise .. sorry Matt

Tried to zoom in .. also no go .. too small !

That's the first I've had back from anyone representing Mayka .. it's a start .. but I'd be hesitant about purchasing a product with that kind of response

That'd be like supporting a software package that keeps putting out the same bugs in successive releases .. that'd just be silly !

.. and the winner of my research so far ..

definitely SprutCAM from Russia

Awesome bit of software .. fast, efficient, easy to use .. small code etc etc

Perfect English localisation

Does exactly !!! what it says on the box (ahem) .. no ifs or buts

So many times better than CamWorks .. it's just not funny !

Support is great .. sorry Mayka .. life's too short !

Price is not too horrible

You don't need a plug-in. It takes igs files. What's more, the toolpaths it makes are not based upon faceting the data. Toolpaths are formed upon the nurbs surfaces directly (as I understand)

On the odd occasion I have problems with (standard set) iges, I take a sat 12 file over to another program (like Solidworks) and spit out a standard set iges from there.

You have an option to turn the surfaces to facets and throw toolpaths over them that way - but I only used it once or twice

Sprut is very good indeed - but it's not cheap (I think it was 3K here in the UK) - and the support guy was not the most patient with us - so we haven't upgraded from v2007.

Have you managed to get a better price ? I'd expect the price has come down somewhat now !? Perhaps you can even buy it direct from Russia, I don't know

Aha - ok ... that is expensive. What kind of 5 axis work are you doing ? Jol

tooling for rotomolding ?