What's your favorite CAD software?

[saxman242]

One mistake that I have seen over and over again from those I have learned from, is that they get so stuck in their ways (myself included) that we stop paying learning the evolving techniques.

Solidworks has many CAM plugins (I've only played with HSM , Mastercam, and Camworks) that operate inside of Solidworks and interface fairly well. There is no intermediate file translation needed. And while I am not necessarily a fan of the some of the machining strategies, they are employing feature based machining which updates parametrically.

To give some context to my perspective, I spent much of my early engineering career as an ME doing my own design work, generally in Catia, and then machining through mastercam on Haas machines. Catia doesn't integrate into mastercam as well as some of the solidworks plug ins, at least with the versions we had, so I generally did everything via step file import into mastercam. I've played with HSM as well as some cheaper cam solutions (vectra procut, etc).


I should also add that of the all the maintstream cad/3d modeling softwares I've used, I hate solidworks the most. It always great for 95% of what I'm trying to do and then makes me homicidal when I get to the other 5%. I'm sure most of that is due to me knowing how to get other cad softwares to do what I want and trying to impose those methods onto solidworks.

 

[lostsheep]

I hate step and iges fwiw. If I have to use an intermediate format my go to is parasolid x_t. I have no idea why .iges and .stp frequently split holes into 2 arcs or straight lines into nurbs....that is maddening.

The only other CAD that I found easy to transition to was inventor...that being said I am still a solidworks fan boy lol.

 

[CuriousRambler]

I absolutely agree. The machinist I mentioned has asked me to help him learn Mastercam a few times. He's got it on his computer, but doesn't use it for anything. He's the first to admit he's guilty of not adapting to new methods available. He's still an incredible machinst, who's taught me more than anyone else alive in terms of machining. But he also relies heavily on customers to provide DXFs, or quality drawings. Most of his customers are engineers with no drafting or manufacturing experience, so it's often a hard battle to get usable info out of them, where they don't understand why an IGES isn't good enough. He kicks himself for not being able to better bridge that gap, but is too in-demand to break away from the process he knows, to turn out work at half the speed or less, in order to facilitate learning Mastercam.

I do a lot of design, and make many of my own parts, but don't currently use CNCs at all, so CAM is a realm I'm pretty much clueless about, aside from a couple classes at the local community college that I took just to learn. We're working on getting a ProtoTRAK and a waterjet, which will give me the opportunity to learn

Edit: whoa, two posts while I was typing. I use x_t whenever I can get away with it, but most people want STP or IGES because they know it. A few disgusting individuals want STLs, because their experience with 3d modeling was borne of hobby 3d printers, so STL is obviously the best.

 

[James79]

A few disgusting individuals want STLs, because their experience with 3d modeling was borne of hobby 3d printers, so STL is obviously the best.

In all fairness, wanting to use what your familiar with does not mean people think "it is obviously the best." I'm self taught with FreeCad, due to one of those hobby 3d printers, and get pretty decent results, but am not impressed with STL file limitations.... however it's what I started with, and presently don't have the time to learn how to utilize a different file type. I'm also disappointed (yet understand why) that there isn't a truly cross compatible format for CAD designs.
Respectfully,
James

 

[lostsheep]

I think the SIP and drying out is starting to get to me, did someone say prototrak?

 

[CuriousRambler]

In all fairness, wanting to use what your familiar with does not mean people think "it is obviously the best." I'm self taught with FreeCad, due to one of those hobby 3d printers, and get pretty decent results, but am not impressed with STL file limitations.... however it's what I started with, and presently don't have the time to learn how to utilize a different file type. I'm also disappointed (yet understand why) that there isn't a truly cross compatible format for CAD designs.

Oh I agree. As with anything in the world though, they come in all flavors. There are people who know STL because it's what they know, and there are people who know STL "BECAUSE IT'S THE BEST." I've had more had a few at work who are very much in the latter category.

Edit: also, props on learning the stuff on your own. I can honestly say I find learning through application WAY easier/more effective than classes. I took months of formal Solidworks training. It wasn't useless, but it didn't take me long at all to find real world problems my training didn't do anything for.

 

[saxman242]

Ugh, I hate STL. Only time I ever save something in stl is if it's immediately going to the slicer for my printer.

 

[-JD-]

@CuriousRambler & @lostsheep Hey, another TRAKie here. DPM w/ A.G.E 3. Cool.

 

[Southside]

Same sentiments with .STL files, the only time I use them is when I'm transferring to my slicer software as that's the file format it uses. Solidworks has their own file formats that work pretty well especially with PDM and previewing without having to open an assembly.

 

[ScubaWithTurk]

I think the SIP and drying out is starting to get to me, did someone say prototrak? View attachment 586632

Oh man...that brings back memories. We had on old trak with manual Z and then purchased two new ones with automated Z. I learned I could very quickly program simple parts in a trak without ever leaving the machine.