TurboCadCam 3.0?

[kr_fitz]

Just got a call from an IMSI salesman offering me TurboCadCam 3.0 and TurboCad v11.1 Pro together for $399.95 with free shipping. I asked him if it does V carving and he did not know, but said he would check. The latest version of TC I have is 7 Pro, and it would be nice to upgrade. The web site says TurboCadCam produces native G code; there are no postprocessors. That concerns me. Has anybody used native G on their ShopBot?

[bill.young]

Hey Kevin,

I ordered a copy on a $199 upgrade offer that ended on July 31 but haven't had a chance to mess with it yet...I've gotten so I dread trying new software! You might see if they will give you that same deal...it's hard to go too far wrong at that price.

Bill

[kr_fitz]

Bill,

$199.00 for what? If it's just the CAM part, it would not do me any good because I have TC 7 Pro and it will not work with that. If you are talking TC 11 Pro plus TCC 3, then $199.00 is great and I would jump on it in a second if available.

-Kevin

[bill.young]

Hey Kevin,

It was the full bundle with TurboCAD 11 PRO and the CAM part. The only thing I've used is the TurboCAD part as a file filter to convert newer dwg files...it opens dwg files from AutoCAD 2005.

Bill

[paul_z]

Guys,

I just ran Turbo CAD/CAM 3.0 and it seems to allow the user to define a taper end mill including the taper angle. It also seems as though the user can allow the end mill to have a flat on the bottom or not (eliminating the need for a bit change???).

It seems as if all of the predefined materials to be cut are metals so default cutting speeds will be ever so slooooowwwww.

When I look at the simulated cut paths, they seem to be quite efficient with minimal wasted movements. The computed paths include a final cut with a user specifiable final cut width as a part of the bit definition data.

I,m running a 30day trial version and I'd suggest that you try before you buy (although $199 is quite a bargin).

Paul Z

PS My PRT Alpha 96 is waiting at the local freight yard and I'll pick it up this morning.

[kr_fitz]

Yes, but can it do V-carving? Will ShopBot run the native G-code without any problems? Trial version is not really an option with a dialup connection. The $199.00 offer is not available for those of us with older versions of the program.

[gerald_d]

TurboCadCam has a facility to create your own post-processor. The coding required for a ShopBot is very low-level stuff and I reckon that most of us could knock together a post-processor with TurboCadCam. Also, I would not be surprised if TurboCadCam offered you the post-processor if you are seriously interested - it is the type of thing that software companies are expected to do.

[dmdraper]

Hi All,

I've been using TCC for a few weeks now. TCC is a plug in for TurboCAD. When I ordered TCC, it came with the new version of TurboCAD on the CD.

The results have been favorable. So far I have exported .nc from TCC and used the SB file converter to get .sbp files. Everything has been clean with the exception of arcs, which I have to explode in TurboCAD into polylines. I even made the drilling routines work.

I'm in the process of creating a ShopBot post, but can tell you that it is NOT that straightforward. My initial impression is that it will need to be a Visual Basic plugin and not something that you can create with TCC (because TCC assumes any posts use g-code). That "initial impression" may change after I have more time to work with the program.

Also, I don't think it is as full featured as PW (no v-carve fonts), but then again, IMO, considering what you get for the money (a very good drawing program and the CAM plugin), it's a good deal.

BEWARE!! Tech support for TCC seems to be non-existent and useful information on the TCC forum is almost non-existent.

Dave

[trakwebster]

Hello, folks,

My ShopBot is yet to be delivered, and I don't think I'll be using CAD a lot. However, for some years I've had TurboCAD and I learned how to use it once upon a time. I've upgraded over the years from version 6 to (currently) version 10+.

Today I got an email about upgrading to TurboCAD version 11.1 and it caused me to call the IMSI folks. In that discussion, I was offerred an upgrade from TurboCAD 10 to TurboCADCAM for $199.

I grabbed it.

(I'd planned to use my existing TurboCAD and adding $250 for Mill Wizard, but this seems like it might be a better route, and even cost less.)

So, I don't know about the previous posts. Earlier in this thread, Bill Young mentioned an offer ending July 31. And Kevin Fitz-Gerald mentioned a $399 price.

All I know is that calling IMSI sales at (415) 878-4000) today (9/23/05) got me a $199 offer to upgrade from version 10 to version 11.1 and includes the CAM part.

(I have no affiliation with IMSI, other than as a sometime user of their product.)

[dmdraper]

Arthur,

The deal you are being offered is exactly what you understand it to be - $199 for version 11 of TurboCAD and the TurboCADCAM plug-in.

I'm using both with good success for 2.5D parts. There is not a ShopBot post processor for TCC at this point, so you will have to convert the NC output from TCC using the ShopBot file convertor in order to get a .sbp file.

As time permits I've been building a ShopBot "machine" to use in the TCC machine setup which I will share when finished. It eliminates unused NC commands from the Fanuc set. This not the same thing as a ShopBot post processor, but it will make the NC conversion a little cleaner.

If there is enough interest, I'd be willing to start a new thread with some "quick start" instructions. Let me know what you think.

Dave D.

[trakwebster]

Hello, David,

My TurboCadCam software came today, and did in fact contain the new vesion 11+ of TurboCAD and the version 3 of the CAM plug-in.

Somehow, I'd failed to research completely, and falsely believee that just because TurboCAD is 3D, that the CAM plug-in would also be 3D.

But it's not.

TurboCadCam is a 2.5D program, that is, a 2-axis milling program, though you can extrude the 2D shape through the Z-dimension onscreen so as to show your stock before cutting. But other than rounding an edge, it won't cut 3D surfaces, such as the back of a guitar neck. I guess I'll still have to purchase Mill Wizardo in order to render 3D forms millable.

(The TurboCad CAM plug-in also will do lathing, so some folks might find that useful.)

On the other hand, I do not regret my $200 for this upgrade. For 2D I'll try both the program that comes with ShopBot and the TurboCadCam program.

Given TurboCad company's past history of ongoing, relentless, regular and fast expansion, probably the CAM module will grow into 3D in future, and then given the way they always offer super deals on upgrades, most likely they'll get there.

When you complete the ShopBot machine settings for the TurboCadCam plug-in, I would be grateful for your sharing. I see the method to the way you enter machine settings to 'build a machine', but the settings and the bits settings seem ... well ... pretty busy.

So I, for one, would be interested in your new thread. (And even for future shopbotters who haven't arrived here yet, the info would be useful to be archived and available here.)

Thank you!

[dmdraper]

Arthur,

There has been some discussion on the TurbCADCAM forum about TCC becoming a full 3D product. No time frame given however.

Dave

[kennyd]

David Drapper..."The results have been favorable. So far I have exported .nc from TCC and used the SB file converter to get .sbp files. Everything has been clean with the exception of arcs, which I have to explode in TurboCAD into polylines. I even made the drilling routines work."

Thanks for the input on conversion. We just set up TCC with our machine and are trying to get through our first experience with a CAM environment. Could you elaborate a bit more on the .nc export. We were trying to get the g-code into the converter without success.

Yes I would be interested in any work that you are doing with TCC.

Arcs...We are primarily cutting arcs and elipses. Are you exploding arcs by simply "ungrouping" the arc and then regrouping into a polyline, or does TC have a polyline command that can be applied to a selection?

Have you worked with any elipticle parts from TCC to the shopbot? if so, did you also have to explode the elipse?

[dmdraper]

Kenneth,

Since my post above, I have switched (from Vector) to using TC & TCC for about 95% of my work. I still use ShopBot's typesetter for v-carving.

Arcs and elipses are not a problem, they do not need to be exploded - I meant to say "fillets" instead of arcs in the post above. For some reason, fillets are a different entity from arcs, TC.

I'll post some instructions on how to export and convert the .nc file - hopefully later on today.

[dmdraper]

Those of you using, or thinking about using TurboCAD with the TurboCADCAM plugin may find the following posts helpful. As time permits, I will do a series of these covering the following topics:

Machine Setup
.nc to .sbp File Conversion
CNC Part Setup
Using Tools Sets
Modifying the Drill Cycle

The first two topics are posted below. I tried to include screen shots, but couldn’t stay below the file size maximum. If you would like a .pdf of these posts that includes screen shots, feel free to e-mail me.

Dave D.

[dmdraper]

TurboCAD V. 11.1 running TurboCADCAM plugin v 3.0

TurboCADCAM Machine Setup

NOTE: These steps only need to be performed once.

To setup a machine that produces nc code output suitable for conversion to ShopBot part file format (.sbp):

1) From the TC main menu select CAM>Settings>Machine Setup. Select FANUC in the Machine dialog box.

2) From the TurboCADCAM Setup – Machine menu, select CNC Setup. Configure CNC Setup for the default X&Y and Z axis max feeds. Enter desired speeds (e.g., 75 IPM) in the Max XY feed and Max Z feed dialog boxes.

NOTE: These setting are in inches per minute. Be sure to convert your desired ShopBot setting (inches per second) to inches per minute.

3) Click OK twice to save the machine setup.

[dmdraper]

TurboCAD V. 11.1 running TurboCADCAM plugin v 3.0

TurboCADCAM .nc File Export and Conversion to ShopBot Part File (.sbp)


TurboCADCAM:

1) In the CAM palette, highlight the part or operation for which you want to save the .nc code.
2) Right-click the highlighted selection and select Save G-code to File. Choose the desired folder on your computer and click Save.

NOTE: In the Save As dialog box, select All Files (*.*) for the save as type:. This will ensure the file is saved with an .nc extension.

ShopBot:

3) From the ShopBot Control Console, click on [F]ile then highlight and click file [C]onversions
4) In the Select a ShopBot Part File menu, select G-Code Files in the Files of Type: dialog box.
5) Browse to and highlight the .nc file you saved in Step 2 above.
6) Click Open. The ShopBot file converter will generate a file having the save name as your .nc file with a .sbp file extension.

[john_humphrey]

Thanks David ,
Keep Posting Ineed the info

[kennyd]

This is very appreciated David. BTW JT Humphrey is my father in law. He's really the one having to know all of this right now. He's the lock stock and barrel behind our cnc.

[kennyd]

"2) Right-click the highlighted selection and select Save G-code to File. Choose the desired folder on your computer and click Save.

NOTE: In the Save As dialog box, select All Files (*.*) for the save as type:. This will ensure the file is saved with an .nc extension."

David, in order to save this g-code with a .nc extension, are we supposed to simply add .nc to the end of our file name? I am not sure how to achieve a .nc file type.

[kennyd]

Thanks Dave for the screen shots. Simply changing the file name with the .nc at the end gave SB a legible g-coode filee. Now we just have to trouble shoot through xyz speed settings.

We are getting an error in SB stating that our VS parameters are too low and SB is changing those settings to .05 I'll submit a post with the exact error message and what settings we are using in both SB and TCC.

[dmdraper]

Kenneth,

This problem caused by the default tool setup. The g-code that is generated contains x,y & z speeds based on what tool you have selected. These speeds get translated into ShopBot VS values by the file converter.

Right now, you are probably using the default speeds for the tools as found in the Tool Store. You can build custom tools that set the correct speeds using Tool Sets (more on that later).

For right now, the easiest fix is to do a search and replace in the ShopBot file to set the VS parameters to the same values throughout the whole file (they appear once for each contour mill path you have). Once you have a custom Tool Set you won't need to do this.

Go ahead and post or e-mail me your setting and we'll go from there.

Dave D.

[kennyd]

We are using a 1/2" carbide end mill the x and y are set to 90 ipm and the z to 60 ipm. You're right these settings do not stick when we set them. The next time we go to this tool the settings revert back to their default.

[dmdraper]

Kennneth,

You've discovered where tools sets come into play. When you build a tool set, you can establish new defaults for tools (as well as "building" new tools). Once you have a tool set, you just load it with a couple of mouse clicks each time you start a new drawing. Right now my tool set has five bits in it, four end mills with various diameters, and one tapered end mill.

Dave

[john_humphrey]

Dave
Just how do you make a custom tool set.

John humphrey

[johnthumph3@aol.com]

Dave
Just how do you make a custom tool set.

John humphrey

[kennyd]

David...could you give us an example of the tool set up parameters that you use for a 1/2" single flute end mill?

[kennyd]

Bump: I know that I still have some open ended questions concerning the tool set up.

Anyone fimiliar with TCC, if you could share any tips to a proper tool set up, it would be appreciated. I know that we are having serious problems with our speed settings (ws). Are you using the speed settings in TCC or simply bypassing the speed settings in TCC and using the speed settings in SB. We primarily use a half inch endmill and want to use a final finish pass after a rough in.