CAD/CAM software for a beginner

Charlie Mike

Charlie Mike

Sober since 1-7-14 (still a Paranoid Nutjob)
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
Joined
Nov 1, 2000
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It seems I've been going about making knives the wrong way for the last 5 years. I don't think Anthony Marfione designed the Halo 3 by drawing on steel/aluminum with a sharpie marker and a straightedge.

I'm looking for a software that can turn my drawing into code for Flashcut or other CNC driver.
 
I use coreldraw for all my designs, its 2D. I also know how to use solidworks, but for knives, I find coreldraw to be the perfect tool.


Pablo
 
CM,

I would recommend applying for your post 9/11 GI Bill and taking Coputer Aided Manufacturing classes at Fresno City College.

Community college is easy to work into your schedule if you are hungry for knowledge.
 
I'm not eligible to use that because of my disability rating.
 
There really isn't any "beginner" software in the CAD space. It all has a learning curve.

I haven't found a good free CAD program yet that is very useful for intricate 2D profiles. Sketch up drives me bonkers. Inkscape is an exception (well, it's not a CAD program), and there may be a path from SVG to the CNC output you need, that might be worth a Google search.

AutoCAD is a sure bet, but will cost and you'll need some training. If you're adept at computers a book and a week will probably get you drawing things but thoroughly confused about polylines, nurbs, etc.

I'm extremely competent at AutoCAD. I draw my knives with pen and paper. When my CNC mill is up and running that may change, but unless it's going to cut bevels for me (a huge project in itself) I will keep at the hand drawing.
 
Fresno city college, still teaches CAM though. $46/ unit is still pretty cheap even though its gone way up.
 
Wanna easy cad software?

Siemens Solid Edge 2d Drafting ST7 - and it's FREE!
 
I spent a bit of time after the service in three different community college programs. I went to one for electricity, one for HVAC, and another for welding. It was time well spent and took only three or four years total.

$46/unit, a $150-250 book per class, a lab and tool fee, a parking pass around $100 a semester, a minor medical fee, and a minor application fee per semester would cover it all.

I think its worth it, and if the class sucks you can always leave.
 
Inkscape is a good program, but with a BIG learning curve. It will also export SVG which is easy to convert to gcode for CNC mills. While AutoCAD will save as a dxf which can also be converted to gcode, it doesn't convert as well. DraftSight is a GREAT free 2D drafting program - almost a clone of AutoCAD. For 3D modeling of knifes that go to a CNC mill, AutoCAD Fusion 360 seems like it might be the trick, but again, a steep learning curve (I'm still working on it).

Good luck,

Ken H>
 
Charlie, I'm a CAD addict (I'm currently trying to squeeze 36 configurations of a folder into a single CAD model... talk about being a nut job) but *assuming* your modelling will be limited to preparation for cutting blanks (2D), I'd go with PEU's suggestion of COREL Draw (strictly speaking it's not a CAD program, but will give you easiest and most flexible way of drawing your knives and still be able to transfer it to a format that can be used for cutting out the blanks). Another CAD program for 2D modelling would be something like DraftSight (a Dassault Systemes program which is basically a free version of old AutoCAD)- it does require some 'getting into' and is less flexible and powerful than modern CAD programs; but they are expensive, vastly more complex and in terms of your needs definitely not worth the hassle.
 
AutoCAD. Students can download a copy for free direct from AutoDesk.

The tools/features needed to design knives are easy to pick up with a bit of effort. Check YouTube for tutorial videos.
 
Fusion 360 from autodesk, looks interesting and cheap/ free. That helps with the design and cad side, cam is a whole other thing.
 
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Osmium, Corel exports to both DWG and DXF* (AutoCAD native formats). Most my CNC programing expirience was in DP Esprit (and manual programing in G Code) which handles those files quite well- there have been occasions where I had to produce programs without a 3D model, just from three view drawings in AutoCAD.

* I just did a quick check by drawing splines, and opened the exported file in DraftSight with no problems whatsoever
 
AutoCad is the de-facto standard for 2D drawing/design. If you want to get into 3D modeling (recommended) then SolidWorks is probably the best choice for mechanical designs because it is more intuitive and less costly than ProEngineer.

There are many other software available for 2D and 3D design. Choose what you can get your hands on.
 
When you take a course through community college or adult ed., and take SolidWorks, you can lease the student license cheap---like $150 last I checked.
The advantage of Solidworks is it's comparatively simple to use and powerful 3D CAD system that is very commonly used professionally. (You will want to go to 3D, mate and model parts in context if you're doing folders.)
Problem with a lot of the "off-brand" CAD is that it handles differently than industry-standard stuff, though people have been copying Solidworks interface for many years, so the standard interfaces look more and more like SW.
Still, I'm not interested in learning a bunch of different CAD platforms. I just want to design my stuff . So I'll pay more for the software I know is solid and has a huge ... huge user community with lots of support and training opportunity. This way, my precious time spent learning Software is well invested, and I can avoid having to relearn how to do basic stuff on a new platform once I find out whatever I'd been using isn't cutting it.
 
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