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Recently purchased a ShopSabre CNC and should have it in my shop in 5-6 weeks. Wanted to get a head start and get good at the whole cad/cam software. Never worked with cad and am very eager to learn. Also purchased a Laser templater LT-55 and have been playing with it to get the hang of it. Does anybody know of any good countertop cad software? Looking at Allencad, but want others thoughts. Please help!
I use AlphaCAM but it is pretty expensive. Many use AutoCAD lite and then convert the cad to cam using a proprietary program.
You can try AutoCAD LT, free for 30 days. The program is not quite as complicated as the full version.
Keep asking questions. You will learn a lot before you even get your CNC.
I use Autocad LT and then use Toolpath (Comes with AXYZ machines) to create and send the code to the AXYZ machine. But after one month I am finding limitations in the software for some of the things we want to do. I am looking at switching to Enroute3 which comes in about 5 different versions, but it is quite expensive.
Paul
Turbo CAD, from IMSI has done well for us in the 6 or 7 years we’ve been working our CNC.
I think, if you add up all the upgrades we’ve done, you may have been able to buy your first copy of Auto CAD LT. Not counting any yearly upgrade fees, subscriptions, etc.
Just remember when you buy software for the CNC you have two components:
- CAD – Computer Aided Design software that creates the shapes
- CAM – This is the software that converts the CAD design into machine language so your CNC knows what to do
Some programs have both in one program while others you need two seperate programs.
Paul, I have Enroute Pro Wood. It is a nice programm but I still use toolpath for all of my basic solid surface tops. Toolpath is better for setting up your order to cut and startpoints than Enroute.
For cad we use autocad. I would stay away from allen cad becuase if you ever buy a plotter you are limitted to the allen datagraph machine.
Tom, I guess not. When AXYZ came and set it up they said thats the way I had to do it. It goes to file in an NC format. I have never tried to export directly to machine cause they said I had to use that AXYZ dnc.
Paul,
We have a AXYZ also. As Travis said you have to use the AXYZ dnc. We use ProfileLab, AutoCad LT, and OneCNC CAD/CAM software. Any file written has to go through the AXYZ dnc although the ones written in ProfileLab and OneCNC actually pass straight through to the machine with little or no adjustments.
I’ve used Corel Draw on most of my letter or shape routing. I can export in .dxf, to go straight to toolpath, but I generally run it through TurboCAD first, just to check that no crazy art effects that can’t be read get through to toolpath. Corel let’s me export out in so many different vector files that I’ve noticed some working better than others. .Plt and .dxf seem the best, overall.
It seems to make more sense using a graphics program to draw up your – ummm…graphics.
Aloha, Chino
Good luck on this one because I’m totally confused with this whole thing. Talk to Jim at Aloha State Sales maybe he can help some what. Since he just went through that learning curve.
Darren
Mike G,
Corel is where I create the image to work on the CNC. It has a much better series of scalable doohickies than almost any CAD program out there. CASmate is not bad for signage, but Corel and Adobe Illustrator are teh bomb.
Toolpath (AXYZ’s toolpathing program) is where the decisions are made for island fill, out line, engrave, etc.
The thing to remember is some stuff you do in Corel cannot make the trip to CAD or toolpath. Extrusions, drop shadows (and wouldn’t that be cool) and other visual manipulations of the file won’t make the trip. Making some raised letter looks, or some 3-d effects can be sent over and look incredible. Basically, before you export, change your view to wireframe and you get an idea what it might import as in CAD.
Tom, I use ProfileLab now Check it out at http://www.cadlink.com. It’s made machining easy. Posts file right thru toolpath.
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