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#31
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Hi Kobus maybe you can try freemill for your 3d it will import stl .
http://www.mecsoft.com/Mec/Products/FreeMill.shtml Normand |
#32
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Thanks for the link Normand, will go and have a look
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#33
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Feedback on FreeMill....well as my dad used to say....Son, Nothing is for Free....
I tried it, and maybe I am not using it correctly, but it is of little use as it is. I had a STL file...loaded it into FreeMill, but then found out that I cannot change the size of my object. Looks like this program can only take a design and then generate the G-Code for it. I would like to Size and Position it where and how I want. FreeMill cannot do it. Secondly there is no Post Processor for Mach3. I used several options and the GENERAL one seems to be the best. The other problem I encountred was my FEEDRATE. I set it up to my liking....when it generates the code it either have F=1 or even slower (F=0.4). Maybe I am doing something wrong, so if somebody else could have a look, please indicate where and what I am doing wrong. I did manage to EDIT the file to a Feedrate that would move my BBB, but this is not the ideal situation. ![]() |
#34
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Hi Kobus
Here is the page for the post http://www.mecsoft.com/DownloadPosts.shtml I use the full version but maybe it work the same in freemill ,you drag the mach3 post into " C:\Program Files\MecSoft Corporation\FreeMill\Posts" some info from administration http://www.mecsoft.com/phpbb/viewtop...light=freemill or http://www.mecsoft.com/phpbb/viewtop...light=freemill do a search on free mill on the forum Dont expected it to scale or rotate mirror or any cad stuff ,just cam. I download and try it ,I see it only raster no rough . It is confusing like driving an automatic car after driving manual all your life. Normand |
#35
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Kobus you can use www.rhino3d.com for your scaling and cad need .You can save 25 times with it
Normand |
#36
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Thanks Normand will have a nother look and see if the post proc. makes any difference.
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#37
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Quote:
![]() there are a great number of free programs out there that can assist in creating some really cool stuff freemill can be a great program under the right circumstances , I generate a lot of models from bitmaps and other stuff with gmax then I use freemill to generate the code , the two programs combined which are both free have generated 2.5d images that many pro softwares can struggle to produce , this is another program that is currently under developement bmp bender http://www.twmessenger.com/index_files/Software.htm . it produces high quality stl reliefs from bitmaps but there is no scaling at this point of time so I use meshlab http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/ to translate the size by scaling it up or down , I've done a few cuts with models that were generated from that software and they came out great one thing about downoading and installing bmp bender is you have to be very patient if you don't have the latest net frameworks installed , the install will then be painfully slow but well worth the wait Last edited by cnctoybox; Thu 30 April 2009 at 01:22.. |
#38
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I alway keep Gerald's advise, Look up CAM ASAP is one of them, so now that I managed to get the motors sing, I feel its time to look here.
Appearently, Aspire is came highly recommended & the number keep growing despite of the price. I agreed with Kobus's father that nothing comes for free. With Aspire, we can "buy" learning time.... But its really really expensive! may have to do some serious meditation over this... |
#39
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Ken,
You don't have to buy learning time. There are fee tutorial videos for Aspire. |
#40
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#41
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ASAP = As Soon As Possible. Translation: "Google 'CAM' early in your project and learn all you can about it".
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#42
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I tough vetric was free lunch since it come free with many cnc router. Maybe the reason for the hygrade complex
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#43
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Thanks Brad! Sometimes I wonder why I cannot remember things.
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#44
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Quote:
![]() I'm to blame as well, my "English" is weird.... and thanks Brad & Normand for clearing things out. Nils, in"buying time" I meant Aspire is easy to pick-up & use, others takes deeper learning to get to the same results. Last edited by KenC; Fri 29 January 2010 at 19:41.. |
#45
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(easy to pick-up & use, others takes deeper learning to get to the same results.) if it could be that easy
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#46
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Normand, sounds like you have some sound advice that I can use. Please fire away, I'm all ears.
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#47
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Hi Ken
What would be the best cad cam for you is like what would be the best car for you. What is it you want to make with your MM ? anyway I would not suggest toyota for a while |
#48
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I think a quick sum-up would be:
a) Are you a designer, or b) are you only accepting files? For a) you need to take a look what industry you are in - There are excellent programs to design kitchen furniture and they save you a hell lot of time then doing it yourself in Autoklad. E cabinet is such an example of a design tool, but there are many others. - If you are in the sign industry, then artcam or vectric is a good start, there are also some others, but they are hidden in the dark areas of the internet - If you do more of custom in 3D, one off's, or create the same items but in different sizes/types (not sign related) then using a free form CAD tool might be better for you, they often (but not always) come with CAM tools build in, to name a few inventor, Pro/E, SolidW, they are complicated. They are parametric and if you change 'something', often the CAM files are changed accordingly and you don't have to re-do your CAM work. Ideal if you make items under some design, but allow your customer to change the width, hight, length of the item in question. - If you do a lot of 2D cutting, then autocad/qcad might be better for you with a simple dxf2gcode converter, there is no need to get a complex 3D tool if you do mostly cutting. b) If you just accept files to get, but don't do any designs, then you need to make very sure you work with a CAM program that can accept many file types, and understand the customers requirements, understand the limitations of your MM and understand the CAM tool to implement them as such in a timely manner (time is many, right?) the better you can create cut files in terms of time vs cut quality, to more jobs you can do in a day. PS, see what tools your customers use a lot, and get a copy of that yourself so you can always open the file in question in there CAD tool... If you have the $$$ So, it depends what your business is and what the ROI is going to be. It also helps that you are comfortable with a specific tool, for myself I could never get used to Autoklad, I tried 3D once in Autoklad and got angry after 1 hour of working. That said, on the shipyard we had a lisp tool that could properly calculate 3D hulls with cutout/flatten calculations, very nice... Also, look around you what friends/companies are using and what is supported by a local reseller, it's not very efficient to use tool XYZ that is amazing, but nobody uses, so when you have question you are stuck, it's always good to have buddies you can ask to... Just my 1 cent.. Ries |
#49
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Ries, thanks for the insight, opens up my horizon... will spend some effort to find out what others are doing around here & give more thought into what I'll need & getting into.
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#50
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I started with ACE Converter as a free CAM solution but eventually moved to CUT2D.
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#51
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I believe you will not be dissapointed with CUT2D, but once you start using the machine more and more, you would like to do more, but will be limited by the software. I started with CUT2D as wel and eventually ended up buying Vcarve Pro. Now I need Aspire to satisfy my needs....where will it stop.
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#52
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Yes I can see myself moving to Vcarve Pro sometime in the future.
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#53
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Quote:
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#54
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3D work and now that the latest Aspire and Vcarve have the indexer function, (wrapping) and the EASE of using Vectric programs.
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#55
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Hello Kobus
Looking at the way you been going I dont think you will be stopping soon. Get ready to buy lot of software or/and get some free one. After you done your wrap you will be wanting to do real 3D 4axes indexing work and then more Where I think that there is no free lunch is in the EASE of use . I do not know many programs but I figure it is pretty much the same idea for most of them, for ex. few years back rhino 4 came out, it had over 600 new commands and now has load of plugins like this http://wiki.mcneel.com/labs/panelingtools Are they easy or hard ? Are the nedded or wanted And that is just the cad part . Add up the price and learning time of all the sw you buy or borrow ,and compare to sw that would do the same and more in one environement, and all that you learn is alway used not changing from 1 sw to the next With that apetite of your's I think you will never stop wanting more , I would suggest someting big and filling with extras, ![]() |
#56
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I am sure Aspire will fill me up just OK..
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#57
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Bon Appétit mon ami!
Last edited by normand blais; Fri 02 April 2010 at 08:57.. Reason: Girl friend corrected my french |
#58
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Or ArtCam Pro..
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#59
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Art cam is not realy a 3D Software ,but a fancy highfeild bitmap and raster to vector software great for relief work
if it is not to expensive ... ![]() |
#60
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I tested the Vcarve trial & really like it a lot.
Seriously thinking where I can find the money... |
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