Welcome to the Onshape forum! Ask questions and join in the discussions about everything Onshape.

First time visiting? Here are some places to start:
  1. Looking for a certain topic? Check out the categories filter or use Search (upper right).
  2. Need support? Ask a question to our Community Support category.
  3. Please submit support tickets for bugs but you can request improvements in the Product Feedback category.
  4. Be respectful, on topic and if you see a problem, Flag it.

If you would like to contact our Community Manager personally, feel free to send a private message or an email.

A good app for routing parts for sign cabinets?

My company currently uses EnRoute (https://www.thinksai.com/products/enroute) for nesting parts and creating router programs. 90% of our work is simple 2D flat cut profiles with drilled/routed holes. Occasionally we will work with thicker material, up to 2" that might require pockets or shoulder cuts, and very rarely complex surfacing.  Are any of the partnered apps able to check all those boxes?

Best Answers

Answers

  • owen_sparksowen_sparks Member, Developers Posts: 2,660 PRO
    VisualCAMc?
    Owen S.
    Business Systems and Configuration Controller
    HWM-Water Ltd
  • Cris_BowersCris_Bowers Member Posts: 281 PRO
    VisualCAMc?
    Owen S.
    I can't tell from their website if it provides any nesting capabilities. I need to have that in there for it to be a contender.
  • Cris_BowersCris_Bowers Member Posts: 281 PRO
    According to this page on the MecSoft web site, 2 of their products support the Nest feature:

    https://mecsoft.com/compare-products/


    That appears to be a "no" then. Didn't mean to mark your answer as accepted, now I probably won't get anyone else responding.
  • Cris_BowersCris_Bowers Member Posts: 281 PRO
    @joe_dunne I'll give that a try and see if I can make it work.
  • MecSoft_SupportMecSoft_Support Member Posts: 10 PRO
    VisualCAMc?
    Owen S.
    I can't tell from their website if it provides any nesting capabilities. I need to have that in there for it to be a contender.
    According to this page on the MecSoft web site, 2 of their products support the Nest feature:

    https://mecsoft.com/compare-products/

    Yes our desktop products support Rectangular and True-shape Nesting.  We however, do not have this functionality implemented  in our Onshape App VisualCAMc.  You will have to use the solution that Joe Dunne is proposing for the nesting and VisualCAMc will be able to generate toolpaths for the nested parts.  



  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 824 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Is there a way for the Auto Layout scipt to nest the flat pattern for sheet metal parts?
    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • ilya_baranilya_baran Onshape Employees, Developers, HDM Posts: 1,210
    @bryan_lagrange

    No time for a full response right now, but think "in context" :smile:
    Ilya Baran \ VP, Architecture and FeatureScript \ Onshape Inc
  • bryan_lagrangebryan_lagrange Member, User Group Leader Posts: 824 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This would be a game changer for us I I could nest our sheet metal modules and then send that to CAM. If this also interacts with VisualCAMc I would need to see if it could post to our Trumpf lasers, Flow Water Jet, and Messer Plasma.

    Bryan Lagrange
    Twitter: @BryanLAGdesign

  • Jake_RosenfeldJake_Rosenfeld Moderator, Onshape Employees, Developers Posts: 1,646
    @bryan_lagrange

    I think what Ilya is getting at is that you could insert all of your flat pattens into an assembly, then start a new in-context part studio of that assembly, copy-in-place all of the flat patterns, and then use the layout feature on those.
    Jake Rosenfeld - Modeling Team
  • Cris_BowersCris_Bowers Member Posts: 281 PRO
    The problems I see is it's using a rectangular bounding box for all parts. That will end up leading to a lot of wasted material. I need true shape nesting and ability to nest smaller parts inside the cutouts of larger parts.
  • joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198
    Auto Layout is not a nesting approach.  So that is the factor you have to weigh. We have partners like SigmaNEST. They do some of the most sophisticated nesting out there.   that is a rather high end solution.

    I do anticipate other partners to offer more traditional nesting solution as Integrated Cloud Apps. I have talked to a few companies that have their own nesting code to do this.  There is nothing technical standing in their way.  They are all just weighing the cost/benefit of building their nesting app into Onshape.  So the more oportunity they see the faster they will build an Onshape app.

    I am happy to make introductions to anybody that wants to talk to a company, not yet a partner, but "thinking about it"

    Joe
    Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.
  • Cris_BowersCris_Bowers Member Posts: 281 PRO
    I used SigmaNEST at a previous employer and really like their product. They are probably the reason I don't like the current product we are using. My employer hasn't actually expressed interest in anything different than what we are using, but I wouldn't be using Onshape if I hadn't brought it up as an alternative to SW.
  • christopher_dziubachristopher_dziuba Member Posts: 55 ✭✭
    @joe_dunne I'm loving your presence across the forums in terms of Nesting solutions.

    My company in Australia is currently looking for an alternative to our woodwork CAD/CAM calamity and we're getting a demonstration from SigmaNEST on Wednesday. If I'm going to be honest, the main reason I got in touch with them is to find out if anything I export from onshape can be used in their software. I'm hopefull about the solidworks export. I've trialed and intensely studied many alternative CAD. Nothing quiet compares to onshape

    1. Is there any particular method you could recommend to make onshape "talk" to SigmNEST? Or any particular "meta Data" that could potentially be tied to solid models via script upon export?

    2. Also should I mention our interest and investment in onshape? perhaps drop a name or two to stir their interest in the platform?
Sign In or Register to comment.