AlibreCAM back also
- Thread starter ynnek
- Start date
This is an interesting dilemma for Alibre and it will reveal their direction and business objective.
F360 is the competition and they include an HSMworks CAM version with their package.
It would be wonderful if Alibre offered a serious CAM module such as HSMworks in their expert package.
Of course a post processor for your specific machine would be critical, but that would be a follow up.
I would pay up for it
F360 is the competition and they include an HSMworks CAM version with their package.
It would be wonderful if Alibre offered a serious CAM module such as HSMworks in their expert package.
Of course a post processor for your specific machine would be critical, but that would be a follow up.
I would pay up for it
Alibre CAM was a Mecsoft VisualCAD/CAM derivative. It went to "VisualCAM for Geomagic Design" when Alibre was taken over by 3D Systems. Then there was a falling out (?) between Mecsoft and 3DS. I was offered Mecsoft Visual CAD/CAM Mill as a replacement for my maintenance fee for GMS CAM. Essentially the same CAM with Visual CAD. You now have to export GMD files to .stp and import them to VisualCAD/CAM. I miss the integration, and also hope Mecsoft and the New Alebre can again work together.
Ken
Ken
I did the same Ken. Everything is fine with it, I just really liked the integrated version, & not having to deal with exporting models & such. I have really begun to like Fusion360 with its embedded CAM also. For all of my 2.5D CAM work I use TurboCAD with the plug-in, for over a decade now. They are all just tools in the tool box.
clexpert
Member
I use Geomagic Design from Alibre Design Expert. A lot of years ago, I bought the license Alibre Design Expert edition for Alibre CAM feature. Of course. When software was transfered to 3D Systems, I was using older version of Alibre Design Expert because it contains Alibre CAM. Several years later, I upgraded to Geomagic Design, and paid maintenances. Because I wanted STL import. So, I lost Alibre CAM feature. And, STL import is poor. It is working for only very very very simple models. Every free CAD has working STL import - Design Spark Mechanical included.
Finally - I pay maintenance every year. I have an active maintenance. I have an old Geomagic Design (latest version is from year 2015). I have no Alibre CAM. And, I have unusable STL import.
Finally - I pay maintenance every year. I have an active maintenance. I have an old Geomagic Design (latest version is from year 2015). I have no Alibre CAM. And, I have unusable STL import.
Hello, I am a French user of Alibre
I like Alibre Cam, it was very useful to associate the 3d model to the cam file.
It was more efficient than creating a 2D drawing and export to Dxf and transform it with a cam software...
Especially if you had to modify just one dimension on the original 3D model, you had to restart all the process !!
Unfortunately, I had to uninstall from my computer Alibre Cam and Mecsoft never wanted to give me a licence key again after this new installation.
Mecsoft said that they had stopped to follow the maintenance of this add-on. Alibre users are lucky that our licence is better managed.
All the parts I have drawn with Alibre are going to be milling in our workshop with our CNC and I hope Alibre will restart the partnership with this excellent add-on ;-)
Jeremy
I like Alibre Cam, it was very useful to associate the 3d model to the cam file.
It was more efficient than creating a 2D drawing and export to Dxf and transform it with a cam software...
Especially if you had to modify just one dimension on the original 3D model, you had to restart all the process !!
Unfortunately, I had to uninstall from my computer Alibre Cam and Mecsoft never wanted to give me a licence key again after this new installation.
Mecsoft said that they had stopped to follow the maintenance of this add-on. Alibre users are lucky that our licence is better managed.
All the parts I have drawn with Alibre are going to be milling in our workshop with our CNC and I hope Alibre will restart the partnership with this excellent add-on ;-)
Jeremy
This is Joe from MecSoft - the makers of Alibre CAM. As Max mentioned we are working on getting our latest (2017) version of our CAM software working inside Alibre Design 2017. We are just a few weeks away from the release of AlibreCAM 2017. We will make an announcement here as well is other channels when the product is ready for download. So please stay tuned.
P.S: Alibre CAM 2015 will continue to work inside the new Alibre Design. If you have a dongle with a 2015 license it will continue working, even though we have not officially certified it.
P.S: Alibre CAM 2015 will continue to work inside the new Alibre Design. If you have a dongle with a 2015 license it will continue working, even though we have not officially certified it.
Also note that the old AlibreCAM included with (some licences) of Expert, was only a taster product - it was heavily cut down, essentially equivalent to MecSoft's FREEMill which they give away (though the integration with Alibre was useful). Fully functional AlibreCAM has always been an additional purchase.
mandalarose
Member
SprutCam is a fantastic CAM package as well, and offers TONS of advanced features in their base package. It is reasonable, and works great, and has auto-detect features when a solid model changes to change your various CAM steps.
In all fairness (and no offense to Visual CAM), I was very disappointed with the version of AlibreCAM that I had purchased, and was never able to use it as features I was told it had at the time, actually did not exist.
In all fairness (and no offense to Visual CAM), I was very disappointed with the version of AlibreCAM that I had purchased, and was never able to use it as features I was told it had at the time, actually did not exist.
