CNC code generator

[kozak]

Does any one know of some good cnc code generatorating programs for solid models. preferably free or cheap.

[kozak]

Does any one know of some good cnc code generatorating programs for solid models. preferably free or cheap.

[Jersey Tom]

Well you can write it by hand, which aint all that bad for simple stuff.

Free toolpathing software? Good luck with that... not only do you need the software but a good postprocessor that writes code that your machine can use. Writing those is not easy, and those can be at a premium as well.

The best pricing I've heard on MasterCAM for a university license is on the order of $650 for a seat of Mill level 3, Lathe level 1 and solids. It's what I use. Industrial license is several thousands of dollars.

Dunno about the pricing on Surfcam, Gibbscam, and all them.

You need to know at least some G code so you can take a quick look at your post output and make sure nothin crazy is gonna happen (beyond what crazyness youve programmed into your toolpath)

[rjwoods77]

My suggestion, from experience, use the software that best translates your solid model program. I have found over the years that some feature recognition abilities in some programs dont pick up certain things which require more work to get to work. This isnt really important if you did the model and are doing the program. It is a big problem, which I am currently running into a work, if a machinist takes your solid model and has to enter his own values for things in. Possible mistake can and will pop up.

For instance:

We use soldiworks 2006 for modelling and featurecam for cam software. Decent program as Denny's senior projects show but it doesnt do certain things that are really annoying. The entire threaded hole data(hole wizard functions) dont carry over so the machinist has to refer to the print constantly. Real pain in the ass when it is a threaded hole with multiple counterbores. I learned at a recent solidworks user group meeting that camworks does that. Just one example of what I am talking about. Also it might just be that the cam program has features the user doesnt know about but these are the things that will be important later.

[kozak]

the reason i ask is because i have done g-code programming for my cnc class and it sucked, just wondering if there was any cheap or free alternatives.

[Denny Trimble]

If your school has CNC machines but doesn't have any CAM software, there's something wrong there.

If you're trying to send your code to a sponsor / machine shop, I'd be surprised if they let it run on their machines.

[Travis Garrison]

What CAD system are you working with? Catia and Pro-E typcially come bundled with their CAM packages...not sure about others, but UG is supposed to be decent for machining, and I wouldn't be supprised if Ideas had something you could work with...

[Storbeck]

Ideas has a CAM package, I've used it quite a bit.

It's one of the few things in I-deas that doesn't piss me off.

[kozak]

for solid modeling we have Inventor Pro we had Ideas last year but i don;t think we renewed our license because ideas was bought by autocad or something and it isnt being made anymore. we don;t have any good/working cnc machines on campus but through a joint program with a local community college we developed a advanced integrated machining center (AIM center). They have a three axis vertical cnc, 3 axis horizontal tombstone cnc, 5 axis, super cool cnc lathe with alot of live tooling, 85 ton injection molding machine, 2 wire EDM's, and other assorted stuff. As it was explained to me this was a joint venture between the two schools but i don;t see how we benifit from this. to me joint venture means 50/50 split on useage but we only use it for 1 class. the guys who run the aim center really use it to do their own stuff or job shop related stuff. whenever we ask them to machine stuff for us it always takes weeks and weeks. they have Vericut i think, but that is at their school i kind of wanted stuff that i could have here and work with myself, instead of driving down there any time i wanted to try and do cnc stuff.

[Travis Garrison]

As was mentioned earlier, it's not going to be as simple as getting any old CAM package...for that kind of variety it's entirely possible you'll need a couple of different posts and even then there will be a fair amount of nail biting moments until you get it all sorted out. If they have a CAM package setup, I'd do whatever it takes to get my hands on THAT software. You really don't want to get posts working for all those different machines on your own, not this late in the game...and crashing a machine while getting your post sorted isn't going to impress anyone.