Best CAM software

[sanddrag]

If you're willing to switch to Inventor, you can get Inventor HSM Professional for free if you're a school, student, or educator. Long story short, it does just about everything. Also, since Autodesk owns HSM now, you'll probably get updates sooner in Inventor than you will in SolidWorks.

HSMWorks, HSM Express, Fusion 360, etc all use the same CAM kernel and roughly the same user interface. It's a harmony we call Autodesk CAM.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

If you're willing to switch to Inventor, you can get Inventor HSM Professional for free if you're a school, student, or educator. Long story short, it does just about everything. Also, since Autodesk owns HSM now, you'll probably get updates sooner in Inventor than you will in SolidWorks.

HSMWorks, HSM Express, Fusion 360, etc all use the same CAM kernel and roughly the same user interface. It's a harmony we call Autodesk CAM.

He can get HSMWorks for Solidworks for free too. But it definitely has fewer features.

[cbale2000]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

If you're willing to switch to Inventor, you can get Inventor HSM Professional for free if you're a school, student, or educator. Long story short, it does just about everything. Also, since Autodesk owns HSM now, you'll probably get updates sooner in Inventor than you will in SolidWorks.

HSMWorks, HSM Express, Fusion 360, etc all use the same CAM kernel and roughly the same user interface. It's a harmony we call Autodesk CAM.

I'll second Inventor HSM, we used it for a variety of parts this year on our new X-Carve CNC Router. Fairly easy to pick up if you're already familiar with inventor, and no issues with it so far (though it takes a little trial and error to get used to how some of the settings work).

[Aboudy Dairi]

I second HSMWorks if you're integrating into solidworks. This year the team used creo for CAD, and whenever we needed to route a part I imported it into fusion 360. No need to convert file types either, it works with a plethora of file types. Autodesk's CAM package is excellent and easy to learn. I would have a posted file within minutes and be off to the machine. The CAM can be as simple as inputing tool data, clicking contours, and setting heights. The toolpaths it generates can be focused around keeping a constant width of cut on a tool, or it can be just conventional slotting. Autodesk's support is amazing as well, and they'll gladly edit any post to your liking. Fusion's CAM is just a standalone extension of HSMWorks with a revamped UI. After getting a student license for Solid Works and a free copy of HSMWorks, I've been warming up to the integrated experience.

As for integrating CAM into the build process, whenever a part needed to be made the CAD file was handed off to someone who could use the software. They'd create the toolpaths then make the part, while whoever is designing continues working.

[thinker&planner]

I've been using Fusion 360 to generate gcode for our Shapeoko. I like it, but I also haven't used anything else.

I'm not sure if this is unique or not, but it also has a wonderful simulation for the toolpaths that includes showing you exactly what material is being removed (it starts with a solid block).

It also has CAM for waterjet, plasma, and turning.
Of course, its free for education use.

[scott.smith]

We use HSMpro with inventor, and we could not be able to go without it. It is intuitive, but still has a lot of details, and is also very easy to master. Honestly just playing around with it for a day with a few tutorials can give you a good understanding of the software. At least that was my experience.