Losing My Mind Trying To Find Right CAM - EdgeCAM PowerMill etc

I have a particular part I am using for a baseline to try to find the right CAM solution. I have a place that is willing to let me use their old copy of Powermill 2010 since no one there no how to use it. I started doing training on it but I can't seem to figure out how to get a better tool path than the $300 software I had been using that uses static step overs on the geometry. After watching a EdgeCAM video I decided to demo it because it looked really slick with the feature recognition but it can't do anything with the part I am trying it with and after several hour with it I can't figure out how to make it work like other CAMs in "manual" mode... I mean, I know how it is used, but the options never produce tool paths that are right.

I have been using a cheap 3D CAM and I have been able to crank out POSTS in 10 minutes all day long, but the software isn't smart enough for things like REST roughing and finishing. It also doesn't recognize vertical walls to do clean up profiling on areas that are critical. This means I have to set the tool to a tiny stepover to get close to the details but even then it can miss them because it has a static stepover.

So this is why I started working with more robust packages thinking that if they are charging an arm and a leg for a 3 axis package it must be able to do everything I do with my cheap software but better and even faster. So far I don't know if it is a combination of the wrong software for this type of part or I am just overlooking the procedures needed to do it.

If someone can lead me towards a CAM package that is best designed for this type of part, which doesn't have many "true" features, but does have vertical edges that need milled in tight tolerance, that would be great. What I expect the software to do is:
Rough out all the material with 2 or 3 progressively smaller roughing tools (rest roughing)
Do a finishing pass with a flat end mill (for all the flats and edges), and a rest finishing pass for the contours with a ball end mill of the same size
Then do one more rest finishing pass with a small flat endmill since there is a slot that only a small endmill can hit on the part

I know the procedure I want it to take, but none of the few packages I have tried can seem to be easily programmed to do that. They are either great at handling just 3D only, or just 2.5D... or 3D that has true 2.5D obvious features (a pocket), but a part like this where it is 75% 2.5D (but without obvious features) and 25% 3D surfaces I can't find anything that works well.

I am hoping a Powermill 2010 guru can show me the light because I have access to that software already, but I'm willing to look at anything at this point because I have spent a week trying to figure out how to cut chips on this type of part AND be able to program it fairly easily to no avail.

What drives me crazy about this part it is can be cut so quickly but so far it looks like there is a ton of leg work involved in getting to that point and there has got to be a better way.

Any tips or online training pieces that show how to optimize similar parts would be ideal.

Look at autodesk 360 ..

Do you mean Fusion 360? Someone else recommended I look at it also. I will check that out.

Here's what is crazy, I haven't spent much time with Sprutcam, but compared to the bigger packages I've tried it actually seems to do a better job at these types of parts. Because of that I feel like it might be because of lack of experience with these other packages is why I can't get the results. It is no doubt those packages can get results with enough programming, but I've got to be able to have these smalls parts for POST in tens of minutes and not hours.

Hi,
i also had an learning curve
I started with Cut2d,cut3d then i needed 4th axis did Deskproto 5
but on the end i had to look at Software more professional for 3D Milling (and Time saving) and also a CNC Lathe
I compared
Mastercam, Sprutcam , Rhincom, Madcam and Bobcad
My dayjob is it so i had not really issues to understand and make tests (i did a mold for an Fan http://www.tkamsker.at:8080/web/pub/version4 if you like the pictures)
So i think that if you are a factory (like car engines) Mastercam is for you if you do molds and like Rhino 3d Madcam or Rhinocam will do it for you
But i had limited budget and needed an solution for Lathe and Mill i ended with an ok compromiss i use Bobcad V25 and get also fast results.
My Toolchanin is I do the drawing on the mac using Turbocad Pro V5 and V7 export in iges and use it in Bobcad for generating the G Code
I switched some jears ago to Linuxcnc so postprocessor is Linuxcnc (was WIN-NC and short Mach3 )
I think that the 360 is a verry good idea and in future all solution will be like that but the Customer Experience and UI is horrible even I managed to get some results but with 30 odd years of IT and Mecanic experience i am not a standard user ;)-
but if you like send me an IGES tell me the size and speeds of millers and i get you an G Code file of bobcad so you can see if you like it

Some new guys here have a lot of good to say about this software and its price. I think they had a promotion on recently as one fella here bought a copy of CAD for his hobby business.

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