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Welcome to CAM Studio EVP

joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198 image
edited October 2023 in CAM Studio
Welcome to the Onshape CAM Studio Early Visibility Program!  Please review the welcome email you received, I know it is very detailed, but it will outline your early access to CAM Studio.  Once you get started you will want to ask questions and this is a great place to ask questions, post images, and share details about your experiences. This area of the forum is limited to only those with access to CAM Studio EVP so make sure this is the only place you are asking CAM Studio questions in the forum.   

We  will be sharing some sample documents upon request so please DM me here or reply to your welcome email to request access.  In the meantime if you are looking for more detailed instructions, there is a tutorial in the Learning Center that can get you started.  We are recommending to start slowly, build some simple toolpaths and test them on your equipment.  

Feedback is the purpose of this EVP so please ask questions here, raise tickets using the ? menu -> Report a bug/Contact support tools and have fun!

Sincerely
Joe
Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.

Comments

  • wout_theelen541wout_theelen541 Member, csevp Posts: 198 PRO
    I am a bit confused as to what is meant to be posted where. Is this post only meant to answer some basic questions on how to use CAM studio. Should all feedback only go through support tickets and not be posted here? I would prefer sharing feedback directly here on the forum in order to share my experience with the product and see what other OnShape users think.
  • joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198 image
    I would encourage you to post here on just about anything related to CAM Studio.. As you say this is way all can share in the knowledge and conversation. With one caveat.  This is not a substitute for support mechanism. If we need access to the document, or we find a bug.  We need to get it submitted using our support mechanisms. that way it gets logged and in our system properly.   There is no harm in sharing examples and document here. But occasionally, depending the issue, we may also request to have you file a support ticket...

    does that make sense?
    Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.
  • wout_theelen541wout_theelen541 Member, csevp Posts: 198 PRO
    That makes sense I just didn't want to post anything that would violate the NDA. I'm guessing there are still plans to do a major overhaul of the UI? I didn't really dive that deep into CAM studio as I didn't intuitive as the rest of OnShape, I also need the ability to create stock directly in CAM and create my own machine as Onefinity was not one of the machine options.
  • joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198 image
    Wout

    for now use the Inventables machine.  I believe Onefinity is a grbl based controller? If so inventables should work well

    machine simulation will not match. But for desktop routers, machine simulation might not really be required. 

    I think we would like to better understand what you mean by creating stock in CAM Studio.  In the job definition you can control the size and shape of stock. Alternatively you can model anything in a partstudio and use that for stock in CAM Studio
    Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.
  • wout_theelen541wout_theelen541 Member, csevp Posts: 198 PRO
    edited October 2023
    Okay, I think I got it. It still lacks some features I am used to having from fusion 360. I would like some planes and be able to translate my component into position before I set up my job, maybe it's there but it isn't easy to find. I can also show/hide my stock but whenever I select something else the stock becomes hidden again. The component is loaded in no longer has the same appearance as I created it with. The coordinates system is odd. I have no idea why there are two coordinate systems on the screen and the view options on the side should be changed to the same coordinate cube as in the rest of Onshape. I would also like the measurement tools that are available in the right hand corner of assembly and part studios. Lastly versioning within a document needs to be eliminated and collaboration needs to be enabled so that I can open up multiple tabs of CAM studio.
  • bill_schnoebelenbill_schnoebelen OS Professional, Developers, User Group Leader, csevp Posts: 130 PRO
    I made it to my first simulation! 

    I have 357 questions. Since there isn't any training yet, I think you need to open up colaboration so we can learn from one another. Monkey see, monkey do!


  • adam_gearyadam_geary Member, csevp Posts: 43 PRO
    Thanks Joe! What are your thoughts on posting videos for feedback here? And how should those be hosted? Would youtube private videos be secure enough?
  • spiritriderspiritrider Member, csevp Posts: 32 PRO
    Found my first major hiccup.  Pressed Reset in the Simulation, and the program locked up CAM STUDIO. I can only hope this is the forum for issues.
  • kevin_whitekevin_white Member, csevp Posts: 13 EDU
    I am really excited to be able to dive in headfirst with CAM using Onshape. I am really still a novice with CNC as an EDU Middle School user with mostly 3D printing experience. We are extremely excited about the up and coming project: The X-Caster Electric Guitar Guild. Taylor Guitars (yes, the do some electric guitars) is in our community, and they donated a ton of blanks for our Gateway to Tech Class. We also got Toshiba and INCOSE grants to purchase DIY electric guitar kits and parts, so we will be dreaming up guitars next month and customizing like crazy on our new Shapeoko 4 XL. I will definitely be asking you all for support!
  • joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198 image
    We are aware of an issue with simulation/verification "hanging".     We believe we have identified the issue, and hope to push a fix very soon. 

    Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.
  • joe_dunnejoe_dunne Onshape Employees, Developers, csevp Posts: 198 image
    @kevin_white
    Hey Kevin, glad to see you have signed up for CAM Studio.  I have cut a few guitar bodies already.  This is just a test cut out of MDF....
    Joe Dunne / Onshape, Inc.
  • spiritriderspiritrider Member, csevp Posts: 32 PRO
    I am finding I can not move tool or operations to a different position on the tree.  I wanted move a created tool & operation before a drilling operation, and can not move the created tool & operation above the drilling tool & operation. It is one of the higher questions on my ongoing list. 
  • John_P_DesiletsJohn_P_Desilets Onshape Employees, csevp Posts: 260 image
    @spiritrider Today, you need to long click and drag to reorder operations. Hope this helps!
  • spiritriderspiritrider Member, csevp Posts: 32 PRO
    Not truly digesting the machining terminology, I am sure I am missing something. However, I have been using a Constant Z movement to do a profile countersink feature. I would like to have a Helical Z move and use a Cusp height setting for of each step in the Z direction. If it is there in a machining setting, I can not find it.  Also, I would like to have the ability to have a containment sketch to be able to machine a specific features. It might be my approach, but it seems to give me All or Nothing.  My Test model is a square block with chamfered edges, a Hole in the center, and a counter sink feature at the hole center. To do this has taken me numerous machining settings before I get it right. I realized there is no manual or video to reference the commands, so I understand our learning curve. And I am not trying to compare this to our current CAM software (EdgeCAM), that has evolved over years, not months.  In another point, a total machining timer would be nice. 
  • John_P_DesiletsJohn_P_Desilets Onshape Employees, csevp Posts: 260 image
    @spiritrider Can you post an image of the feature you are trying to machine? I am sure we can come up with a few different approaches. Thanks! 
  • spiritriderspiritrider Member, csevp Posts: 32 PRO

  • spiritriderspiritrider Member, csevp Posts: 32 PRO
    John, Here is the view and print of a very basic part. I do have a post for this but not pleased with the ability to do what I stated above. I can share the doc with you if you like.
  • John_P_DesiletsJohn_P_Desilets Onshape Employees, csevp Posts: 260 image
    edited February 2024
    @spiritrider  I made a few examples. We can review together on a call if you would like. 

    For containments. Today, users need to create a composite curve of your sketch and insert the curve into cam studio. You can also use the edge of the part as containment as well. 





    I made a few toolpaths using a ball endmill. 

    Roughing.

    Bodies, rough, sub-pattern offset. (when using a ball endmill for roughing, you need to disable "remove corner pegs" in the misc tab under smoothing)




    This is a constant z with a step down of 10%. I need to check if constant cusp step over is supported or not. I think today we can only do distance, tool diameter % or number of steps for constant Z.




    The last is parallel to curves / edges. This allowed me to set a constant cusp step over amount. Similar to constant Z with more options. Additionally, in the misc section, there is an option for "extend/trim" that allows you to extend or trim the drive surface. I added 10% tool diameter to the start and end of the drive surface to clean up the edges. 







    This is the const cusp toolpath. The sorting has been changed from standard to "From start to end". The step over is set to 1mm cusp height.






     Please let us know if this is what you are looking to do. I can share the document with you directly if you want to take a closer look. Thanks!
  • david_schafer837david_schafer837 Member Posts: 9 ✭

    Just checking to see if this is still the place for CAM studio questions. We are just now making an effort to get this to work and I am compiling a few questions, but the latest post I see is almost a year old…

  • spiritriderspiritrider Member, csevp Posts: 32 PRO

    Thank you for starting the Post David.

    To be totally honest, I have kicked CAM Studio to the curb. And I have renewed my subscription to my current CAM software, mainly due to it's ease of use and a Whole lot less questions to get from Point A to Point B. CAM Studio is not as user friendly as I would like to see, and from what I have done in the past was not even close to the needs I expect from a CAM package. I hate to be brutally honest, but it reminds me of BOBCAD 10 years ago. I realize my current CAM software is high end, and when I make a change in ONSHAPE, and send a Parasolid to the CAM software, It automatically updates to the CAM. I would love to see CAM Studio succeed, but it's not there yet.

  • david_schafer837david_schafer837 Member Posts: 9 ✭

    @spiritrider - Thanks, Sounds like you are exactly where I am. I would like to use OnShape since it would be integrated with the CAD, but I am not seeing that it is ready, yet! I have been using CAM in some form or another since it was first developed and I am having trouble picking this up…

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