[CNCdude]

Hi Randy,
The main goal here at BobCAD-CAM is to provide effective PC based CNC programming software that is both easy to use and that is affordable for a shop to purchase. OneCNC is another CAD-CAM system that is avaiable on the market for programming.

What version of BobCAD-CAM do you use?
CNC Dude

[Randall]

CNC Dude
I have had V19 for 2-3 months and I must say that the manuals and tutors are great. I just ordered V20 today after playing with demo (I could,nt pass up on the price). For me the program just flows, by the way I have not used onecnc, but have used other cadcams but this is hands down the winner. I say this in the context of what my level of need is in cadcam.
Randy

[studysession]

The hold up for me is the costs. These softwares are very expensive. I am considering at the Bobcad hobby version - but it is still very costly for me. How does everyone do it with the costs being so high?

[CNCdude]

Hi Studysession,
When it comes to cost vs. functionality, V20 offers an exceptional value. Try the demo. However, you msy not need solids technology. You may only need something basic. Our sales staff are available to answer any questions that you may have in regards to the right software for your applications. Don't hesitate to email me as well if you have any unanswered questions that I may be able to assist you with.
Sincerely,
CNC Dude

[JFettig]

For what bobcad costs(v19) its not too bad, I have not been a big fan though. I have used a few other cam packages, nothing too great. From my short experience, the one thing I dont like about bobcad is that you have to do a lot more work to make the toolpath and make it right.

In order to make a pocket in the program, I had to unstitch a solid, color the peice I wanted, then extract the edges, color them and then I had to go into the pocket program with those lines to make the part. I then had to go into the nc editor, set the paramaters for depth and feeds and all that.
I personally believe that the program should set the depth and all from the drawing, it should also have the pocket command which then asks you what you want to pocket and what you want to leave out rather than having to go through all the steps.

One thing that I do like is bobart, It does do a good job.

Jon

[CNCdude]

I can see where you're coming from on the pocketing thing in V19. Try the V20 demo. You don't have to do so much. There is also a profile machining wizard in the CAM machine menu as well. The list of improvements in V20 is long and well worth the cost. Also, you don't have to unstitch the entire solid. Just unstitch the surface you want to machine and use the to part edge option. Try this in V20. You have more tools, can program off of the tool tip or tool center as well as use the new simulation features. I'm sure that you will find this beneficial.
Sincerely,
CNC Dude

[SmallParts]

New here. Does BobCAD update the software with any regularity to add features and provide good value to the user? Or do they have the same product that they've been selling for a long time. I see various referenced around this board suggesting both.

Also, does BobCAD take as input any kind of solid model file exported by things like Autodesk Inventor?

Thanks,
Tom

[ginamc]

Even before I bought my CNC machine, I used bobcad just to get a feel for it. I use Autocad to draw both my 2d and 3d parts.

V20 will open dwg files from Autocad with out converting to dxf. This really helps, it was confusing haveing both a dwg, and dxf version of the same file.

I find it very simple to generate g-code using bob-cad, and I like to use the "Geometry from g-code" command. I usally do that before sending the code to the router. If there is a proplem I can catch it before I ruin my part.

Several time I have had problems with pocketing. Once I got so fed up with with trying to get Bobcad's pocketing command to work, that I took the file back into Autocad and created my own pocketing tool path with an exploded hatch and alternated connecting the end points. Then took it back into Bobcad and generated the G-code.

The point I am trying to make is that BobCad can usally do what you need it to do, but I would not feel comfortable counting on the cad side 100%. If I did not have a back up Cad program like Autocad I would have been in trouble several times. But for generating g-code, I have never had a problem with Bobcad.

Gina

[SmallParts]

Several times I have had problems with pocketing. Once I got so fed up...Gina

The pocketing problem seems to come up a lot in discussions about BobCAD. What is the nature of the problem, and can you catch the problem before any metal is wasted?

Thank you for your kind reply.
Tom

[ginamc]

Tom,

Yes, you can always catch it before machining. The tool path for the pocket lines go right thru portions of the text. You will see it right away.

Some times the pocket command works sometimes it doesn't. I think it depends on the text font. Some people think it is importing text from another program. Yet I have created all my text in BobCad and then vectorized the text, and still had the same problem with pocketing.

My guess is that since there has been much discussion on the pocket problem, BobCad must be aware of it. Hopefully they will fix it in V21.

With the combination of AutoCad and BobCad I have not miss a dead line yet. If you can not afford Autocad they make several low cost cad packages ($200-$500) that will do just about every AutoCad will do.


Gina

[SmallParts]

The AutoCAD thing is not a problem. I have Inventor which came with a version of AutoCAD called Mechanical Desktop 2005. Though in a roundabout way you can export 2D drawings from Inventor if need be.

So to be clear, the problem is pockets in the shape of text?

And since you mentioned V21, how long is the interval between versions in BobCAD and in your experience is there really much improvement from version to version?

Again, thanks for taking the time to respond.
Tom

[CNCdude]

The V20 pocketing functions should work fine. We did have some issues in the V18 product that we have addressed. Currently we have adressed an issue that involved the UCS and pocket toolpath where if you had moved the UCS the lead-in/out would result incorrectly. This has been fixed and is scheduled to be released in a live update soon along with a few other small things that needed fixing. If you import geometry in the form of a DWG or DXF file for pocketing and have trouble creating toolpath you will want to see that there are not double entities. You can delete the double entity and the pocketing operation will work perfect every time. You can also perform a "Cleanup & Optimize" to correct this problem as well which is a function located in the CHANGE menu in the Reorganize sub-menu. Currently I am looking into some of the items brought up in this forum to test them and discover if in fact there are bugs. Sometimes what will happen is a bug will be reported that isn't a bug but is a lack of a specific function or is actually a user training issue. In the software world, these 3 scenarios exist. Right wrong or whatever, we are only interested in the end user being successful with BobCAD-CAM products and cutting parts. This is ultimately what it's all about. I have seen it where someone starts posting data about a "bug" and starts getting nasty and then another person who has personal issues with BobCAD-CAM as an organization that are un-addressed will "feed the fire" by saying how worthless the software is. OK. You guys didn't get to where you are today by being nasty. In my opinion and experience software issues can be resolved faster without the nasty. However, if the software did something it shouldn't have, let's get it ironed out. On that note, let's move on. Currently the roughing toolpath function does not offer methods or different options for linking the steps or passes. The tool comes out, rapids back to the start point of the toolpath and proceeds. Dashed lines are rapid moves and bring the tool to clearance before going back across the part.
CNC Dude

[Randall]

CNCDude
Well said, I get so tired of people panning things without being contructive. I always get help with issues from Bobcad. I have no regrets in purchasing my version 20 software.
Randy

[ginamc]

So to be clear, the problem is pockets in the shape of text?

And since you mentioned V21, how long is the interval between versions in BobCAD and in your experience is there really much improvement from version to version?

Tom,
Yes to be clear I only have problems pocketing with text. Then again I normally do not pocket any thing else.

As for how often they update bobcad, I can only share my experince. I got V19 about a year ago. They updated to v20 and I paid 400 for the upgrade. I really didn't notice much diffrence but then again I use Autocad for the cad side. I am a marine systems designer and have been using Autocad for over 18 years so there is really no point of me learning the cad side of BobCad.

They have up graded Bob Art twice since I purchase V!9. BobArt is an optional package that will vectorize rasters. The first upgrade I got the last one I didn't.

Oh by the way I do use the optimize and clean up every time. I don't know why it works with some fonts and not with others.

Gina



Gina

[ginamc]

CnCDude,

I guess you must work for bobcad. Anyway I write piping programs for the offshore industry and I hate fixing bugs. I never say any thing works, I always say it "appears to work when I use it".

I went back and tried to reproduce the problem on a new file. I used "Victorian LET" as the font (Client choice). Made a box around the text and used horizontal pocketing. Yes it worked fine, no problems.

Then I remembered my sign was oriented 90 degrees. So I did the same thing use "Victorian Let" text font, selected 90 as my angle, created a box around it. Then used the horizontal pocket command. It no longer worked fine. The pocket lines started to go thru the text. Maybe that is where the bug is.

I'm sorry if you think I was talking badly about BobCad. It was not my intension. I'm so used to talking about bugs in programs, that I am completely emotional detached when I talk about software. I just share my experince, and for the most part I have had a good experince with bobcad.

Gina

[CNCdude]

Hi GinaMC,
I'm not upset at all. If there's a bug, there's a bug and it should be fixed. When you do your pocketing, the outer boundary geometry and any island geometry needs to be on the same plane equal at whatever Z-level you have. Even if you have rotated geometry around the Z axis with the above in mind you will get accurate toolpath. Try this. Yes, I work here at BobCAD-CAM. But even if I didn't I would have responded the same way or would have just left the forum.
CNC Dude

[ginamc]

Cnc Dude

I explained how I did it. Straight from Bob cad not importing a Dxf file. I did not change my "z" elevation. I only selected 90 degrees for the text angle in the text box dialog. Are you saying that the "Z" elevation changes with out any action on the user part? Maybe that could be the bug. Anyway my positon stands. I said many good things about Bobcad in my orginal post, my only complaint was that some times the pocket command works and sometimes in doesn't.

As far as importing from Autocad and double entities, my opinion is this. If my client has a DXF file, and I tell them that is no proplem, the software I use excepts Dxf. Then I expect the function to work. If I have to take it into another progam like AutoCad to preform the task bobcad was suppose to do, I concider that a bug in bobCad. Regardless of the reason Bobcad may give. If someone is asking for an opinion on thier experince with Bobcad that is what I will tell them. I beleive that was the orginal question. "Who uses Bobcad and what do they think?"


My over all experince with Bobcad has been very good. I wish the Pocket command work 100% of the time. Even if importing from other programs. Calling customer support all the time is not an option for me.

[ginamc]

Cnc One.

Here are the files I was trying to pocket.

The first file text.dwg is from the orginal sign. I do the text in AutoCad because they have a center justify. Then export to bobcad and use the vectorize text command.
The pocket command does not work on this file.

The next file I went back into autocad and used the autocad boundary command. This command will find a boundry and make one entity. This command should elimate the duplicate entity problem if it exists. Then I go back into Bobcad and for what ever reason The text is several objects again. The pocket command does not work on this file.

The final file was done completly in Bobcad. I had to move the text around to center it because bobcad does not have a center justify. All objects are on the same plane. The pocket command will not work on this file either.

I am using a 0.078 tool, and .03 step over. Maybe I could have use a bigger bit, but the text font was so complicated I did not want to hack off the scrolls on some of the text.

Anyway if you can get the pocket command to work on these file, please let me know what you did.

[Randall]

Ginamc
Nice post, I agree completly.
Randy

[ger21]

AutoCAD's boundary command creates a duplicate object on top of the original that you used to create the boundary from. Also, if you use AutoCAD's explode text command, that can create duplicate lines in the text. If you're using the boundary command, create a new layer and make it current before using the boundary command. After creating the boundaries, turn off the current layer and delete everything else. Then turn the layer back on and save. See if that helps.