Great Free 3D software

[brian_harnett]

I have found a great 3d freeform program
called Anim8tor.
Using this program and a file converter called
Quick 3d I am able to export to my cam program (rams gold)
If you do the tutorials on the site the program is easy to grasp.
The author does the program as a hobby I am quite impressed with it.
here are the links
http://www.anim8or.com/main/index.html
http://quick3d.com/
Mecsoft used to have a cam program called freemill
I did not see it there but may have missed it
http://www.mecsoft.com/Mec/
Have fun
Brian
Harnettcycles.com

[karlo@buildgm.com]

Brian can you actually make 3d sbp files using this program?

[brian_harnett]

No you have to bring the file into quick 3d and convert to dxf, I then bring it into Rams Gold to toolpath it and make the 3D sbp file.
Pretty much any cam program that has 3D toolpathing should handle it.

[paco]

Brian,
thanks for the link to this COOL 3D CAD; I'm having some very awesome fun with it!!! Just went throught the two basic tutorials and it's easy to learn...
Here the FREEMILL link; http://www.cncportal.com/

This software have it's own file and can export to 3DS... MillWizard read 'em! VERY capable of GREAT 3D designs, got a see it... As wrote by Brian; IT'S FREE... so nothing to loose and the download file is 670 KB!!! Browse the creator site while there... forum, chat, manual, tutorials...
It's pretty early for me to say this but still, I believe it's a must to get started at 3D CAD designing!

[hwd_woodworking]

Do you have to purchase quick 3d and if you do can you get away with the lowest version. We got our alpha shopbot in sept. and have been using it alot. We only have part wizard 2 and we are not too crazy about the huge price upgrade to the more advanced art cam software.

But of coarse we want our cake and be able to eat it too!!!

We have autocad 2002 but thats about it for 3d any other sugestions for getting into this arena?

I just downloaded this program and I am about to play around with it. I have been trained on other 3d softwares like solidworks and pro-e and autocad inventor so I will let you know how they compare.

Nate

[jthelen]

Nathan, do you use Solidworks now? I have 2003 and have set up some MDF door templates. Change a couple of dimensions and output the DXF sketch. Way faster then drawing each door out in CAD.

I am wondering if there are any other Solidworks users out there in ShopBot land?

[hwd_woodworking]

I do not have solid works right now but I am trying to get it. Not sure how much it cost or if I can get ahold of a copy. I have used it in the past for drawings and it is really one of the best. Autocad Inventor would make another good arguement.

Does part wizard struggle with any aspects of solid works. For instance in autocad part wizard will not recognize a spline and if you draw ellipses and put them to close together wierd things happen. Like only half of it shows up while the other half is mirrored somewhere else.

Nate

[krfitz]

Downloaded FreeMill and a quick glance suggests a clone of MillWizard. However, I can't seem to find a SB post in FreeMill. Am I missing something?

-Kevin

[Brady Watson]

Kevin,
Save the toolpath as a generic/Fanuc G-code post...then use the FC command to convert it to SBP.

-Brady

[paco]

Kevin,
look at for the post(s)... www.mecsoft.com/Mec/Downloads/posts.shtml (http://www.mecsoft.com/Mec/Downloads/posts.shtml)

... unless Brady had tested it and discovered a problem with it...?

[kfitz]

Brady; I'll give it a try.
Paco; which one have you tried, ShopBot or ShopBotGCode?

-Kevin

[kamen]

Brady,
Downloded FreeMill from www.mecsoft.com (http://www.mecsoft.com) , and again from www.cncportal.com (http://www.cncportal.com). There is no such postprocessor generic/Fanuc G-code. There is Fanuc1, Fanuc2, Fanuc3, Fanuc11m, Fanuc11mDana. I failed to use any of it with SB. Did I miss something?

[Brady Watson]

Kamen,
Did you pull down the Shopbot posts on the VM download site? There are TWO SB posts as Kevin is pointing out for FreeMill/VisualMill.

-Brady

[kamen]

Thanks Brady,
I'm from Bulgaria - Europe, and I have no experience with ShopBot at all, but i think this forum is the best part. I am an audiodesigner and work with Homag and other CNC dinosaurus and you can't imagine how hard is to get some information from them.I use AutoCAd from years and .dxf conversion works fine in 2D but have some unusual parts that requires 3D. You can see part of my works at www.everithing-but-the-box.com (http://www.everithing-but-the-box.com)
Thanks again

[gerald_d]

http://www.everything-but-the-box.com/

[bill.young]

Those are great looking speakers. Now if you teamed them up with this guy's vacuum tube amps...

http://www.electronluv.com/html/amp/75tl_amplifier.html

[aring7@verizon.net]

Brady

Not to sound stupid, but how do you download the SB post, The instructions from Mecsoft are not clear and I can't seem to download or save the file.

Thanks, Andy

[(Unregistered Guest)]

From the link that Paco gave:

To use post-processor from the list, download the post (a .spm file) and move in into the Posts folder under the VisualMill installation folder. The next time you post-process a toolpath from inside VisualMill, this newly downloaded post-processor will show up in the list of available post-processors to choose from.

[Brady Watson]

Andrew,
The FreeMill post is the same as the VisualMill ones...grab the posts off of the VM download page and use them.

Kamen,
Nice work! I bet they would really sell in NYC!!!

-Brady

[jthelen]

I just stumbled across this link to free 3D software.
http://www.bakhter.com/html/freeware/3d_software.html
Jim