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Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
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I've used what at one time was well regarded in industry, MasterCam VIII and got relatively proficient with it but it's 20+ years old at this point. I'm overwhelmed by the quantity/quality of CAD/CAM software available for free these days and would like to get some input to help me sort through the offerings. I have access to SolidWorks thru an organization membership and have been looking at a Fusion 360 tutorial on YouTube. Also looking at the MPCNC router from V1 Engineering. Comments, reviews, questions, answers all welcomed.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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I have an Epilog CNC Laser, it doesn't do 3D but I have a lot of fun with it doing artistic projects, and make about $10,000/year doing manufacturing of parts for a few good customers. For that I just use Corel. I did use Solidworks some when creating parts for Art Institute students doing furniture design in small scale back in the early 2000s. I have Autocad 13 at work, but mostly just use it for lease exhibits. Sorry, not enough expert to help you. Good luck.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,271 posts, read 53,994,055 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Hemlock140
I have an Epilog CNC Laser, it doesn't do 3D but I have a lot of fun with it doing artistic projects, and make about $10,000/year doing manufacturing of parts for a few good customers. For that I just use Corel. I did use Solidworks some when creating parts for Art Institute students doing furniture design in small scale back in the early 2000s. I have Autocad 13 at work, but mostly just use it for lease exhibits. Sorry, not enough expert to help you. Good luck.
The good thing is there's so much software out there offering free downloads and/or trials I can play around with a few to see which one suits me the best. What shocks me is some of the tutorials I've watched seem as capable as the old MasterCam and that was at least $5K way back when.
I do a lot of 3d printing and I tried to get proficient with Fusion360 but I didn't have the time to devote to learning it. I did, however, get quite good with Tinkercad, and I've built a few useful parts in it. My favorite part is a USB charger cap for Ryobi batteries, and also a landscape light fixture that fits in to an aluminum fence post.
I started 3d printing with a $100 Monoprice Mini Select printer, then once addicted I spent a few hundred on a really big printer (400mm x 400mm x 500mm print volume). It's lots of fun.
I use Thingiverse to share my prints. I don't make any money; just purely a hobby.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,271 posts, read 53,994,055 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCresident2014
I do a lot of 3d printing and I tried to get proficient with Fusion360 but I didn't have the time to devote to learning it. I did, however, get quite good with Tinkercad, and I've built a few useful parts in it. My favorite part is a USB charger cap for Ryobi batteries, and also a landscape light fixture that fits in to an aluminum fence post.
I started 3d printing with a $100 Monoprice Mini Select printer, then once addicted I spent a few hundred on a really big printer (400mm x 400mm x 500mm print volume). It's lots of fun.
I use Thingiverse to share my prints. I don't make any money; just purely a hobby.
Yeah, Fusion 360 seems quite capable but it also seems to have a steep learning curve. I've been fooling around with TinkerCad but get a bit frustrated when I can't do simple things like bevel/fillet/round just one part of a given shape and have to devise another shape that I can group with to do what I want.
Working on putting a CNC router together now which I think will be an interesting pastime.
Yeah, Fusion 360 seems quite capable but it also seems to have a steep learning curve. I've been fooling around with TinkerCad but get a bit frustrated when I can't do simple things like bevel/fillet/round just one part of a given shape and have to devise another shape that I can group with to do what I want.
Working on putting a CNC router together now which I think will be an interesting pastime.
Yeah I totally agree on the Tinkercad point about rounding things. By the time I finish a part, it consists of so many iterations of "add part, group, add part, group". The thing I really like is that since it's web-based, I can tool around in it during downtime at work, or downtime while visiting relatives. It even works on ipads which is cool.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,271 posts, read 53,994,055 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NYCresident2014
Yeah I totally agree on the Tinkercad point about rounding things. By the time I finish a part, it consists of so many iterations of "add part, group, add part, group". The thing I really like is that since it's web-based, I can tool around in it during downtime at work, or downtime while visiting relatives. It even works on ipads which is cool.
Can't beat the price either. 20 + years ago I had the opportunity to learn a bit of MasterCam VIII which was very intuitive and putting a little filet on one line intersection was a piece of cake. Of course 20 years ago you'd pay ~ $5K for the most basic level of MasterCam which I have the feeling programs like Fusion360, available free for hobby use, would likely blow into the weeds.
I just started 3D printing a few months ago when I got back into RC cars, I got an Ender 3 Pro, it's nice to be able to print out spare/upgrade parts. Below is a project I'm working on, left image is stock wheels, right are 3D printed with silk silver.
Location: By the sea, by the sea, by the beautiful sea
68,271 posts, read 53,994,055 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by NHDave
I just started 3D printing a few months ago when I got back into RC cars, I got an Ender 3 Pro, it's nice to be able to print out spare/upgrade parts. Below is a project I'm working on, left image is stock wheels, right are 3D printed with silk silver.
Neat stuff! I have a plain Jane Ender 3 and am pleased with it. I'm starting to learn to use it for some practical things. I needed one of the mounts to hold a shower curtain rod on the wall and was a little irked when the local stores only carried kits of 2 mounts and a rod. I tinkered up a mount , printed it and problem solved.
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20 + years ago I had the opportunity to learn a bit of MasterCam VIII which was very intuitive and putting a little filet on one line intersection was a piece of cake. Of course 20 years ago you'd pay ~ $5K for the most basic level of MasterCam which I have the feeling programs like Fusion360, available free for hobby use, would likely blow into the weeds.
