School me on CAD, CAM, etc..

devils4ever said:
I'm not sure of your question. Do you mean generating G-code for your CNC mill? If so, FreeCAD has that. It's called the PATH workbench.
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Thanks! I haven't tried FreeCAD and didn't know if it included a CAM package. Most of my work to date has been more or less 2.5 D; no 3-D surfacing. I'm still a manual G-coder at this time; at least the CAD would let me do the drawing and tell me tangent points, etc. for arcs.

Bruce
 
When Draftsite was first introduced, it was free, more or less to give former AutoCAD converts something familiar to view and work with 2D drawings. Now it is an annual conscription service. When Fusion 360 was first introduced, I pointedly asked the Fusion people about cost and was assured that the full featured version would be forever free to hobbyists, educators, and entrepreneurs with less than $100K annual revenue. SolidWorks used to be a one time purchase with free annual version updates. It now is a subscription service. These software companies all use bait and switch, offering initial free or low cost software to get their foot in the door and then setting up a "rental plan" as a source of ongoing revenue. This is fine for an engineering firm that generates millions of revenue as a result of use of the software but for the occasional user, as most hobbyist are, the cost per instance of use can be prohibitive.

When I bought my Tormach CNC, I also bought a fully owned seat of SolidWorks and a CAM program called SprutCAM. They are mine forever with no future restrictions other than not having access to version updates and not being ab;le to transfer title in the case of SolidWorks. I did so because I had worked professionally with SolidWorks and had the cash on hand at the time I purchased the CNC. I don't recall that here was a relatively low cost solution for 3D modeling at the time. Were I doing it today, I most likely wouldn't go that route.

I make ir a point not to buy into software that requires an annual fee I use software called Eagle for my printed circuit design. For many years, it was free but several years back, AutoDesk bought the company and incorporated it into their Fusion suite. I don't know if it is still free as I haven't checked in a few years but I retained copy of the pre-acquisition ver. 7.2 as a backup along with the newer version. Whenever I log in to 7.2, I get a reminder that a newer version is available if I would just log in to the AutoDesk website. I decline this invitation.

When looking for CAD, or CAM, I would highly recommend avoiding any with an annual renewal. I would also look for stand-alone software. You won't get the latest and greatest gadgets but you can get enough to function.
 
BGHansen said:
Thanks! I haven't tried FreeCAD and didn't know if it included a CAM package. Most of my work to date has been more or less 2.5 D; no 3-D surfacing. I'm still a manual G-coder at this time; at least the CAD would let me do the drawing and tell me tangent points, etc. for arcs.

Bruce
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Gee, the PATH workbench was there all the time... It is a standard workbench. It is part of the basic FreeCAD package I built from source. Ask devils4ever, I know nothing about it. But I'd like to learn about it!
 
I had at least 6 hours a day to eat, sleep, conduct personal hygiene, and try to improve myself when I was in Iraq in 2004. There, of all places, I was able to get a copy of Solidworks 2002 from Haji, who had it accidentally mixed in with his bootleg DVD movies. I taught myself how to use it by going through the built-in tutorials while lying in my bunk during the wee hours. Since then, I've used SW '03, '06, 07, 09, 11, 14, 16... and a little bit of the DSS versions after that. Truth, 2004 is all I really need for shop work. It has a fastener library, materials library, FIE (static), and all the tools I need. My current install is 2016. Unfortunately, native tool paths didn't come around until 2020, so I still need a CAM package. I have a SheetCAM license for the plasma table, but that doesn't do milling. There are 3rd party CAM plug-ins ($$) for earlier versions.

Because of the time committed to SW and the fact that I like it very much, I've been resistant to try FreeCAD. Not only would I have to learn it, I'd have to de-program what I already know as muscle memory. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old and rigid, unable to adapt to new patterns. I don't think my attitude has always been so. Same as how I feel I would be happier working freely with a T-square and angles, especially when designing, I feel that way about CAD just being easier in Solidworks. Like, I should keep a Windows XP machine running SW 2004 permanently offline so I can just design with what I know, but that never works. I'd look at that antiquated PC and realize I'm much older than it is, and wonder what that says about me.
 
pontiac428 said:
I had at least 6 hours a day to eat, sleep, conduct personal hygiene, and try to improve myself when I was in Iraq in 2004. There, of all places, I was able to get a copy of Solidworks 2002 from Haji, who had it accidentally mixed in with his bootleg DVD movies. I taught myself how to use it by going through the built-in tutorials while lying in my bunk during the wee hours. Since then, I've used SW '03, '06, 07, 09, 11, 14, 16... and a little bit of the DSS versions after that. Truth, 2004 is all I really need for shop work. It has a fastener library, materials library, FIE (static), and all the tools I need. My current install is 2016. Unfortunately, native tool paths didn't come around until 2020, so I still need a CAM package. I have a SheetCAM license for the plasma table, but that doesn't do milling. There are 3rd party CAM plug-ins ($$) for earlier versions.

Because of the time committed to SW and the fact that I like it very much, I've been resistant to try FreeCAD. Not only would I have to learn it, I'd have to de-program what I already know as muscle memory. Maybe it's a sign that I'm getting old and rigid, unable to adapt to new patterns. I don't think my attitude has always been so. Same as how I feel I would be happier working freely with a T-square and angles, especially when designing, I feel that way about CAD just being easier in Solidworks. Like, I should keep a Windows XP machine running SW 2004 permanently offline so I can just design with what I know, but that never works. I'd look at that antiquated PC and realize I'm much older than it is, and wonder what that says about me.
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I would imagine FreeCAD is different, but probably not hugely different in concept. It would be a pain in the you know what to retool, but it isn't that hard. At least you know more than the basics about 3D CAD. I didn't know zip and had to learn it all from scratch. At least if you tried it, you wouldn't be out any $$$. If it proves to be too different, you do have something to fall back on.
 
BGHansen said:
Thanks! I haven't tried FreeCAD and didn't know if it included a CAM package. Most of my work to date has been more or less 2.5 D; no 3-D surfacing. I'm still a manual G-coder at this time; at least the CAD would let me do the drawing and tell me tangent points, etc. for arcs.

Bruce
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There are YouTube examples of using the Path workbench, and at least one that takes you through the whole process from first sketch to milled out part. Similar for 3-D printed parts. I am not at a stage I can tangle with them (yet), but I will.
 
graham-xrf said:
There are YouTube examples of using the Path workbench, and at least one that takes you through the whole process from first sketch to milled out part. Similar for 3-D printed parts. I am not at a stage I can tangle with them (yet), but I will.
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I'll check out the videos. I'm not doing anything too elaborate on my Tormach at this time, mostly 2-D and 2.5-D stuff at this point. FreeCAD would likely do all of my current projects. I have a 4th axis on my Tormach; sure engraving with rotation would be great, but I haven't had a need to do it (yet).

Bruce
 
I'm another FreeCAD user. If general trends continue, freecad will gradually improve over time, and products like Fusion360 will keep trying to corral users into a paid license by stripping features out of the low cost stuff. And as much as I spent the '90's helping to build out Internet connectivity, I like having things on my home computer, rather than in some nebulous cloud.
 
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