thats impressive if it doesnt include any stock models!
did a program a few months ago for an intake manifold, 2gb with stock models...
Largest Manufacturing Technology Community on the Web
Stay Connected:
Inventor CAM or MasterCam
- Thread starter OVodov
- Start date
- Replies 38
- Views 1,525
did a program a few months ago for an intake manifold, 2gb with stock models...
And I thought mine was impressive! I don't save NC files, its just programmed solid part files and matching prints over the last 4 years. I always repost my programs, it refreshes my memory on how the program will run and most the time older programs I wonder why the hell I programmed it like that!
Do each of your "parts" have their own sub folders? I have learned there is proper way to set up folders to make searching for files a lot easier and have been told the more folders or sub folders the better, not sure if there's any truth to that but it seems to make finding files easier and faster.
Attachments
I have my folders sorted by our main customer, then their customer then part number.
So I have pretty good sub folder tree that makes it a lot more clear.
Kinda have to once you get to a certain point, otherwise it would drive me insane.
I also have other sub folders for families of parts. For example if I have 40 details that all start with a static number but have a -Det1,-Det2 etc then I make a folder with that static number and have subs for all of the separate details in that family.
My files don't get near that big unless it's a big assembly then it's approaching 1gb in size. Most of my files are still in the MB range which is fine by me lol.thats impressive if it doesnt include any stock models!
did a program a few months ago for an intake manifold, 2gb with stock models...
But that picture I posted is just for my NC programs.
My cad folder is much less impressive in size.
Attachments
I switched from Autodesk cam products to solidcam's inventorcam back in march, and I've been really happy with the purchase. The posts are a bit rough initially, but the support that solidcam does give with a maintenance package is excellent and quick to address any issues. If I'm struggling to get something to work, I can call tech support, and some guy will remote into my PC and walk me through it. The software is really stable thanks to the processing methods it uses; more often than not, inventor will crash before solidcam does.
The technical advantages are where solidcam shines through. Solidcam owns the patents on dynamic milling. It's the only cam system using the material's ultimate tensile strength and cutter geometry to calculate stepovers, speeds and feeds, engagement angles, cutter loads, etc... At the end of the day, it makes programming challenging parts and materials a breeze. My milling spindles sit at the same load 100% of the program as the feed rates and stepovers change constantly. It's impressive. They also calculate the cut's ACP (axial contact points), which I've found to be hugely helpful if I'm doing something sketchy or getting poor tool life. Overall, it's one of the most powerful and intuitive cam systems I've ever used.
The other thing I like is the ridiculous amount of training videos they have. I purchased training hours when I bought the software and never used them. Between the free online training courses and the tech support guys, I've never found myself struggling to figure out how to do something I've never done before.
I've used Esprit, Powermill, Mastercam, Fusion360, Inventor HSM, PTC Creo, Featurecam, and NX. Solidcam is hands down the best bang for the buck. I would choose solidcam over Mastercam any day of the week.
The technical advantages are where solidcam shines through. Solidcam owns the patents on dynamic milling. It's the only cam system using the material's ultimate tensile strength and cutter geometry to calculate stepovers, speeds and feeds, engagement angles, cutter loads, etc... At the end of the day, it makes programming challenging parts and materials a breeze. My milling spindles sit at the same load 100% of the program as the feed rates and stepovers change constantly. It's impressive. They also calculate the cut's ACP (axial contact points), which I've found to be hugely helpful if I'm doing something sketchy or getting poor tool life. Overall, it's one of the most powerful and intuitive cam systems I've ever used.
The other thing I like is the ridiculous amount of training videos they have. I purchased training hours when I bought the software and never used them. Between the free online training courses and the tech support guys, I've never found myself struggling to figure out how to do something I've never done before.
I've used Esprit, Powermill, Mastercam, Fusion360, Inventor HSM, PTC Creo, Featurecam, and NX. Solidcam is hands down the best bang for the buck. I would choose solidcam over Mastercam any day of the week.
Installed trial version of Inventor CAM. Not impressed at all.
I would recommend it for small machine shop - programming in Inventor much faster than in MasterCam.
MC is famous for extra clicks needed to create a simple tool path.
On other side for small shop MC is better if you just buy a perpetual license and never spent money on CAM again.
For mold and multiaxis I would still say that MC is better option.
Inventor CAM has very limited options od 3D milling and 5axis toolpaths compared to MC.
I would recommend it for small machine shop - programming in Inventor much faster than in MasterCam.
MC is famous for extra clicks needed to create a simple tool path.
On other side for small shop MC is better if you just buy a perpetual license and never spent money on CAM again.
For mold and multiaxis I would still say that MC is better option.
Inventor CAM has very limited options od 3D milling and 5axis toolpaths compared to MC.
I installed Inventor CAM and actually see Fusion style CAM not a SolidCAM style. it has Adaptive milling and not iMachining
That sounds like HSM, not Inventorcam. HSM is heavily neglected compared to Fusion.. I'd recommend avoiding it.
You can get the fully unlocked Inventorcam trial here: https://www.solidcam.com/trial-registration
That isn't my experience. What are these extra clicks you're referring to? I can do simple toolpaths very quickly.
Now try to make a not simple toolpath.
Even contour with Deth Cuts and Multi Passes and all Linking Parameters.
In Inventor you set your Linking parameters once you create a working plane and it toolpaths take from there.
Pocket even worse. You will need to choose between 8 strategies and actually none of them is good.
High Speed can make Corner smoothing radius but leaves uncut places which is bad for,
Constant overlap Spiral and Parallel Spiral like to go full slot and travel on already cut areas switching direction without radius.
OptiRough jerking around corners while iMachining 3D and Volumill 3D just flying in the same places.
Dynamic Mill still doesn't have finishing passes that was requested 5 years ago.
If needed I can continue and even check how many options for simple Contour have Inventor CAM and MC.
Do you have your defaults all setup how you like per individual toolpath?
It makes life a LOT easier.
I also don't have any experience with other cad/cam programs so Mastercam is my only frame of reference. But I don't really see a ton of extra clicks unless I'm trying to do some funky 5 axis or full 4th toolpath, then it's usually trial and error for me, especially with 5 axis stuff since I don't do a lot of that.
I set all defaults as I needed them. Many times, it's not working. I make lots of different kind, shape and material of parts.
In one day, I program 3 axis acrylic prismatic part with bunch of small pockets for avionics and on next day it could be structural part for aircraft wing and on third day titanium with lots of Dynamic Mill and 3D Surfacing. It's totally different workflow and defaults.
I worked on SolidCAM for 3 years and played with Fusion at home for a while.
Last edited:
rootsandstones
Plastic
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2019
- Location
- Switzerland
I have the same problems. I would like to set different templates for the same operations. Because that's not really possible I work the template files and import the operations as needed but thats just a workaround.
Mastercam 2024 will let you do this I believe.
I know that new versions of SolidCAM work with templates very well, but now I have doubts about purchasing SolidCAM.
I see how buggy SolidWorks became.
How many versions of MasterCAM I should wait till they will make it work?
They even can't fix their own forum yet.
I used to participate in MC beta program and now just gave up.
Last edited:
I've used a few different CAM software and found that MasterCam did require quite a few more clicks than others to create tool paths. Now I haven't used MasterCam since 2017ish. I do recall asking someone with more experience how to set some defaults for particular settings that I found I was constantly changing and was told I couldn't, not sure if they just didn't know.
In CAMWorks I can set defaults for every setting. I can make it through some parts without touching a single setting, speed, feed, clearance planes, lead in/out. I can set defaults based on material type, individual tool, operation, etc. And within each operation of itself I can have multiple other defaults in a drop down menu.
I'm assuming all software has a way to do something similar, just a matter of how to make it happen, I didn't find MasterCam very user friendly. Just my opinion.
You can do this in Mastercam also.
While I don't use the material type speeds and feeds I do use tool type (mostly). But those change also since I'm constantly doing different parts daily that require different levels of roughing, finishing, etc...
You can't set a default for EVERYTHING in Mastercam, some things are still hard-coded, the little things are. Like the default value of a fillet or chamfer etc... but you can set defaults for the majority of things you do in Mastercam.
