[RAF.]

bobcad runs smooth on all my puters...sumthing must be up in the UK....

Has this lockup crash been fixed in V26?

If automatic save window pops up at the same time as I click on option in cam tree it locks and is not saved.

[dialsc]

What would I like to see? Well, really a lot but most of them I think should already be applied to V26. Some of them are:

- As already mentioned, make the software real multi core capable. I pretty seldom see it using all the cores of my CPU, most time it just uses one.
- FIX THE BUGS! I myself have reported at least two or three dozens of bugs to them and so far there is about one or two single bugs fixed with the latest update.
- The support could stop telling me that I should update my drivers. My whole system is up to date but nevertheless randomly the view port suddenly sux and doesn't show any geometry anymore.
- In terms of software development I think there's a lot that can be done in order to get the product more professionel. It crashes so often because it just misses proper exception handling. By the way, I've never seen a software that crashes so often. Even not rudimental.
- I also never saw a software that has such an obvious and dramatic problem with memory leaking. Check it out, open a project and close it. Repeat that a few times and whatch the memory consumed by BC, unbelievable...

Beside all the problems I've got with it, in terms of functionality I would love to see:

- Automatic chamfer lead in/lead out. Imaging you chamfer an edge that leads to a vertical surface. Calculate the toolpath so it does automatical lead in/out to get the chamfer as close as possible to the vertical surface.
- Stop expanding all the expandable nodes in the CAM tree whenever BC thinks it is a good idea to expand them all, e.g. when canceling the creation of a new feature.
- Add an edit entry to the node menu when right clicking onto an operation in order to directly have this operation selected in the tree menu of the feature edit dialog.
- Introduce a much more sophistic Operation Order editing dialog. Have you ever tried to sort a list of 60+ operations within the existing one? Don't try it...
- Make it possible to edit a tool from within a project's Tool Crib dialog and get the changes applied to all the operations using the specific tool.
- Show me the tool number as defined in the system whide tool crib in the Tool Crib dialog of a job/project. On my workflow I need to know it to get rid of it I have to add the tool number to the Tool Label.
- Add spot drills to the supported tool types
- Make the software able to handle free grindings on tools
- Let me define and use Chamfer Mills without a small diameter, so tools with a tip like a needle
- Let me configure whether I would BC to add the diameter to the name of a drilling feature or not when I copy it and make that name consistent through out the whole software
- Improve load and save times for project files. As soon as a project gets a little bit more complex it take a hugh amount of time to just save it to the disk
- Give the software a consistent user experience throughout all its aspects. E.g. the mouse wheel. In the CAD view you soom in by moving the mouse wheel away from you whereas in the simulation it is the other way around. Let's define things like this through the system settings.
- Make it possible to manipulate system settings without having to open a project
- Make it possible to manipulate the tools crib and materials asf. without having to open a project
- In all the possible dialogs where you enter any kind of data get the content of text fields selected when focusing the field after you've pressed the TAB keyboard button. That would make the process of going through the settings for an operation or whatever faster and more comfortable.
- Allow us to install the software using the same registration data on two or three PCs as others do. It is very annoying having to walk to home in order to apply changes or fix bugs in milling jobs when I discover them at the machine in the workshop.
- For all those action definition window areas like the one where you enter the settings for a Translate or Rotate asf. stop loosing the focus from input fields if you move the mouse out of that are. Pretty uncomfortable in terms of usability.
- Within the simulation view, remember my last settings. I'm really fed up having to press the same buttons again and again after the simulation has been started in order to have it run the way and look I prefere it.
- Give the simulation a better performance. Have you ever started a simulation with a solid that contains e.g. 200+ holes? You can't brew enough coffee for the time you have to wait...
- Improve all those little things that make me ask why did they do it that way. An example: The close button In the simulation has got it's own row of screen area. This is a total wast of space which could be used much better for the simulation it self.
- Give us the oportunity to define on a solid/surface base if it shall be considered to be part of the workpiece or not. An example: You've got some holes/molds/pockets on a surface of a workpiece. In order to get a flatlands operation calculate a better toolpath without considering them I often add little surfaces so the calculation considers the whole are to be one surface. If you then mill or drill into those holes/pockets/what ever the tool collision checker will report a collision.
- Let us define a maximum distance within Adaptive Roughing operations the tools get repositioned using cutting feed rate (link clearance) instead of going to the rapid plane. I've been waiting for such air movements so many times so long to finish without understanding why they are needed.

Well, right now and from the gut that's it. Finally, just one more time: FIX THE BUGS!

So long...

dialsc

[jrmach]

All those problems and this is the first you show up on this Forum ?

Forums aren't for everyone,but they sure can problem solve and also have a voice that is heard at BoB.

Sounds like this(CNC Zone) would be a place for you to participate in.

[dialsc]

Sounds like, yes...

[The Engine Guy]

bobcad runs smooth on all my puters...sumthing must be up in the UK....

Runs smooth enough, just sloooowwww ! !

[jrmach]

I am being serious,I think you would benefit much,and it sounds you have prior experience with CAD/CAM and your knowledge would be of value to us.
There is a lot I agree with above.Some of the stuff,not enough information to really go on.Some of your things you are wrong on or are misunderstanding something.Some of your points are over my head(like computer memory).Some of your points can be solved with work-a-rounds(not the ideal way),but yet solve an issue.You have way to many points above to address,but if you make individual threads on each,I am sure it would help.

[The Engine Guy]

Same here, though I use only 3 axis Mill Pro, so perhaps that's a difference. I run toolpaths with tolerances set to .01mm (.0005"), and have no problems with computing time. The only thing I've noticed with V26 vs. earlier versions is that it takes longer to start up and longer to close than before. Not sure why that has changed, but it is noticeably longer. Since I leave it open for long periods of time (days more often than not), this hasn't been a terrible inconvenience. Once open, V26 has been stable and solid, and similar in speed to V24 and V25 given similar parts and similar toolpath settings. I often open and close up to 10 or 15 different jobs over several days before I actually close the application itself, but rarely have any issues with stability.

I don't use Bobcad to draw anything, so if that's where you are experiencing slow performance, I can't really comment on that. I import IGES or SAT files from Viacad Pro or Bonzai 3d, and produce 3 axis toolpaths from there. Some of the jobs I run toolpaths on are way beyond what most people would consider complex geometry, and most are at least moderately complex (just produced a set of 3d aluminum heat press fixtures for dye sublimation label application of injected molded plastic parts, for example). It's very rare that I have to wait more than a couple minutes for all toolpaths of a job to calculate, which typically include Advanced Roughing, 2d Profiling , Equidistant Offset or Slice Planar, and drilling procedures at minimum. I have been very pleased with V26 in terms of speed and performance, other than the initial start up time when opening the application.

I would welcome the addition of multi-core processing for those toolpath strategies that still don't use it, particularly slice planar. That's about the only way my jobs would get any faster.

Creating toolpaths from IGES files just as you are, it isn`t a drawing issue, just toolpath generation takes forever, if I make multiple levels then it isn`t too bad but even then I am looking at 300Mb plus files to do any real size and depth, current job is 650mm square by 100mm deep cutting shaped blocks into the solid with slots that are only 12mm wide at the bottom with a 2 degree draftangle, every block in a quadrant is a different height with a curved surface so every surface is full 3D, not a straight line in sight, lot of code !!

Not working to any superfine tolerences as the machines involved are only 0.001 resolution so no need for fine tolerance settings, for the rougher stuff a setting of 0.015 is plenty good enough but still slooowwwww!!!

[dialsc]

You have way to many points above to address,but if you make individual threads on each,I am sure it would help.

I guess you're right and in terms of sharing some knowledge it would definitely be a good idea to create threads, yes. I'll do so from time to time when every I find it, the time...

[The Engine Guy]

What would I like to see? Well, really a lot but most of them I think should already be applied to V26. Some of them are:

- As already mentioned, make the software real multi core capable. I pretty seldom see it using all the cores of my CPU, most time it just uses one.
- FIX THE BUGS! I myself have reported at least two or three dozens of bugs to them and so far there is about one or two single bugs fixed with the latest update.
- The support could stop telling me that I should update my drivers. My whole system is up to date but nevertheless randomly the view port suddenly sux and doesn't show any geometry anymore.
- In terms of software development I think there's a lot that can be done in order to get the product more professionel. It crashes so often because it just misses proper exception handling. By the way, I've never seen a software that crashes so often. Even not rudimental.
- I also never saw a software that has such an obvious and dramatic problem with memory leaking. Check it out, open a project and close it. Repeat that a few times and whatch the memory consumed by BC, unbelievable...

Beside all the problems I've got with it, in terms of functionality I would love to see:

- Automatic chamfer lead in/lead out. Imaging you chamfer an edge that leads to a vertical surface. Calculate the toolpath so it does automatical lead in/out to get the chamfer as close as possible to the vertical surface.
- Stop expanding all the expandable nodes in the CAM tree whenever BC thinks it is a good idea to expand them all, e.g. when canceling the creation of a new feature.
- Add an edit entry to the node menu when right clicking onto an operation in order to directly have this operation selected in the tree menu of the feature edit dialog.
- Introduce a much more sophistic Operation Order editing dialog. Have you ever tried to sort a list of 60+ operations within the existing one? Don't try it...
- Make it possible to edit a tool from within a project's Tool Crib dialog and get the changes applied to all the operations using the specific tool.
- Show me the tool number as defined in the system whide tool crib in the Tool Crib dialog of a job/project. On my workflow I need to know it to get rid of it I have to add the tool number to the Tool Label.
- Add spot drills to the supported tool types
- Make the software able to handle free grindings on tools
- Let me define and use Chamfer Mills without a small diameter, so tools with a tip like a needle
- Let me configure whether I would BC to add the diameter to the name of a drilling feature or not when I copy it and make that name consistent through out the whole software
- Improve load and save times for project files. As soon as a project gets a little bit more complex it take a hugh amount of time to just save it to the disk
- Give the software a consistent user experience throughout all its aspects. E.g. the mouse wheel. In the CAD view you soom in by moving the mouse wheel away from you whereas in the simulation it is the other way around. Let's define things like this through the system settings.
- Make it possible to manipulate system settings without having to open a project
- Make it possible to manipulate the tools crib and materials asf. without having to open a project
- In all the possible dialogs where you enter any kind of data get the content of text fields selected when focusing the field after you've pressed the TAB keyboard button. That would make the process of going through the settings for an operation or whatever faster and more comfortable.
- Allow us to install the software using the same registration data on two or three PCs as others do. It is very annoying having to walk to home in order to apply changes or fix bugs in milling jobs when I discover them at the machine in the workshop.
- For all those action definition window areas like the one where you enter the settings for a Translate or Rotate asf. stop loosing the focus from input fields if you move the mouse out of that are. Pretty uncomfortable in terms of usability.
- Within the simulation view, remember my last settings. I'm really fed up having to press the same buttons again and again after the simulation has been started in order to have it run the way and look I prefere it.
- Give the simulation a better performance. Have you ever started a simulation with a solid that contains e.g. 200+ holes? You can't brew enough coffee for the time you have to wait...
- Improve all those little things that make me ask why did they do it that way. An example: The close button In the simulation has got it's own row of screen area. This is a total wast of space which could be used much better for the simulation it self.
- Give us the oportunity to define on a solid/surface base if it shall be considered to be part of the workpiece or not. An example: You've got some holes/molds/pockets on a surface of a workpiece. In order to get a flatlands operation calculate a better toolpath without considering them I often add little surfaces so the calculation considers the whole are to be one surface. If you then mill or drill into those holes/pockets/what ever the tool collision checker will report a collision.
- Let us define a maximum distance within Adaptive Roughing operations the tools get repositioned using cutting feed rate (link clearance) instead of going to the rapid plane. I've been waiting for such air movements so many times so long to finish without understanding why they are needed.

Well, right now and from the gut that's it. Finally, just one more time: FIX THE BUGS!

So long...

dialsc

Well said, I fully agree with all your points, and I have all the same issues, glad to know it isn`t just me and my computers that are experiencing all the above issues ! ! :rainfro::rainfro::rainfro:

[The Engine Guy]

Have you tried setting the machining tolerances down from the defaults? Or do you have machines and jobs that really do create .0001 or .0005 curved surfaces?

Try setting the ops to .001.........

Hi Burr

0.015 should be a breeze, still sloowww ! ! !

[Gallchobhair]

Are all the improvements in the Cad and Cam side only. Will there be anything for us Bobart users. I know we are probably minority users . It would be nice to know we are not forgotten.

I also have many of the same issures many of you are experiencing

Don.

[BurrMan]

Hi Burr

0.015 should be a breeze, still sloowww ! ! !

Yes, with that setting you should calc pretty quick....

[SBC Cycle]

Hi Burr

0.015 should be a breeze, still sloowww ! ! !

Is that in MM or Inches? I don't know how the system tolerances work when in Metric mode.

If MM that would be similar to the default 0.0005" CAM tolerance.

[RAF.]

I have been to a couple of Bobcad Webinars Online and sometimes the calc times are so long that it is hard to get to the next item of discussion. The instructor even says he needs a faster computer. When doing 3D work on large jobs with small tools and .002 step over it does take rather long. I have been trying the equildist rest finishing with .001 tolerance and it seems like it must still have to calc the whole part and if using a small step over it takes a lot of time, but that makes sence .

[jrmach]

Hey folks,,yeah I definitely get bogged down.
But I have to point to 2 things
(1)Al's computer never has problems during video's and he is running video software too.
(2)When I went to Sorin's class,he had a Laptop on steroids.It hooked up to a projector so the whole class good see.Probably 4 X 5.It never fropze up once.It was stupid fast.Never even had a hic-up.
hmmmmmmmmmmmmm just an observation

[RAF.]

My computer seems to be pretty fast at tool path calc when I have .1 step over, but that is not quite as smooth of a surface as I prefer. I usually need a much smoother surface on my 3D work.

[RAF.]

Saw This on Youtube

bobcad v27 release - YouTube

[BurrMan]

Probably meant to point to this:

Upcoming BobCAD-CAM v27 Release - IMTS Preview - YouTube

Pretty cool. A new era.....

[SBC Cycle]

Some cool stuff. One of my first experiences with a "real" CAD system was AutoCAD 2006. Reminds me a lot of that but better, really.

I'm more interested in the CAM personally. But just the rumors I've heard sound fantastic.

[Big Chips]

V27 is finally out of the bag...and finally i can spill the beans...

Guys this should be the turning point for Bobcad i think. Finally we have Parametric and all the easy functions we have all come to love and know...WOW. V27 is a huge step. All geometry is history based and will update when you change just that bit of geometry. There is tons more. Most of it was based on the CAD side but i see now CAM got some additions too.

We now have 2D Boolean...and non uniform scale for letters and shapes so you can change the scale of every aspect of it.

One feature added is the project to Z...all of us will LOVE this!

If you remember what V25 did for the software then this should put it into the next galaxy.

This will make the other software makers drool and turn green with envy i bet!