cad cam

For better or worse I have taken the first step on the road of CNC engineering. No
I am not going to embrace this section of model engineering. I am not ready for
nailing my colours to the CAD/CAm mast. I am not a snob who decries either
'normal' or computer based model engineering. Nor do I see me ever converting a
lathe to CNC. However a long term (two or three years) aim is to have a CNC
milling machine. Perhaps the American Sherline system, I don't know.

My reasons for buying a Cad/Caam package now is that I have to start sometime to
get a grip with computer aided design. Indeed I have a need now to produce 2
dimension drawings to compliment my article on building the chess set.

I also aim next year to design, and start to build, an internal combustion engine. And
a good quallity CAD package is a must for that task.

I choose (or they choose me!) BobCad for reasons of cost. Its a comprehensive
production quality package and its 'retail' price is 'considerable'! I started by trying
to download and run other packages such as Alibre, Rhino and Solidworks but I
couldn't even get most of them to run or knew the costs were out of my range.

Most of the packages mentioned above offer a 'free' trial and then after a certain
time (or not allowing you to save your work) restrict their use. BobCad came up on
a search along with the others and after downloading I couldn't get this program to
run as well. So I uninstalled it and thought I would produce the diagrams for the
chess article by hand. When a few days later I had a call from America from a
salesman who explained that as I was using the program as a hobbyist they would
reduce the price considerably! I stated my reasons for purchase and the fact that I
didn't at this time need the CAM side and he explained I could add this module later
for a specified fee.

I 'negotiated' their training CD's to be included in the price and since it didn't bear
any relationship to the headline price, decided to buy. (contd. below)

Before I finaly agreed the salesman put me through to a gentleman who ran through a demo of
the software. As always, if you know what your doing it looks very impressive. I also am old
enough in the tooth to recognise there will be a steep learning curve, but then thats what life
should be about, isn't it?

Passed back to the salesman, we did the deal and he said the software would be delivered by
Thursday (this was a Monday). Needless to say it was the following Monday (after chasing it up)
when the parcel arrived. If I was told it would arrive on Monday I would still have been happy.
Why they say these things I don't know. Then when it arrives it is minus the training cd's! I am a
novice novice! and the training cd's were vital. They still haven't arrived at the time of writing
(Friday 21st Nov 08) and when chasing again, they have been sent out today. Funny that.....

So were not off to a good start really. I have a desktop and a laptop computer and you recieve a
'dongle' (a USB stick) which allows you to install their software on as many computers as you
like because their is only one dongle. They also recommend you don't loose it as there is no
replacement (funny its not mentioned when you buy, isn't it).

I load it onto the desktop and part way through the installation a memory error comes up. With
fingers crossed I continue on and it loads. Starting the program is fine and I have a 'play' before
installing it on my laptop. Because I lay down around 18 hours a day the laptop is in continous
use. It keeps me occupied! When installing on the laptop the same memory error crops up but
the installation continues and when starting the program it seems fine.

Well I settled down to see what I could do and when you use the software you can work in 2D
or 3D and because I don't (notice I don't say didn't) know hat I am doing I somehow turn off the
solid feature. Now starts a tortious wasted 8 hours trying to get it back on. I even uninstall it,
hoping that re-installing it it would reset back to normal. You guessed it, it didn't work.

Now in amongst this time several emails go off to the 'help' desk. Why is it IT help starts from
the premise of not reading emails and thinking every one is an expert! Eventually I get a response
saying that if I press S the sloid will come back. I was also given some other letters that did other
functions.

Well that sounded good enough for me and with great expectation I started the computer up (it
was hiding in a corner after I had been shouting at it!) and waited for ever the program finally
loaded. You may have guessed but, no it didn't work! The other functions did, but not mine.

Rather than try the 'expert' I decided to search the internet to see if others have had a similiar
problem. One of the posts I read said that you should set the properties of BobCad to run in
Windows XP. Ahh perhaps the problem lies with the software not running under Vista. No, that
can't be as the salesman would have netioned it, wouldn't he?

So I go to the desktop version and change it to XP. The desk top version of Vista is the business
one. Now over to the laptop, bear in mind this is the computer I always use.........I change it to
XP, reboot the computer, wait for it to 'start' up.........load the program up (the laptop uses Vista
basic) and.........yes you may have guessed it, it still didn't work.

If it wasn't for my stubborn streak the computer would have been going on holiday in the garden,
via the bedroom window! So I gave up. About 0400 hours (I don't sleep well) I suddenly
remembered that I had a spare laptop sitting in the garage. It has a defective in built mouse
system and was slow, very slow.......Also the memory was also much less than my current laptop
but it did have XP. I wondered if I cleared most of the programs off and cleaned the disc up,
fitied an external mouse to get over the keyboard problem, whether it would work on that? It
would have the advantage of being useable in the workshop in some future time......

With little enthuusiasm I spent the next day (!) cleaning up the disk by uninstalling most of the
programs then cleaning up the disk (another 8 hours) when installing the program I noticed there
wasn't a memory error showing up. Could be a good sign........After the installtion was
completed I put the dongle in and..................it worked! yes thats right, it worked!

So a clapped out, low spec laptop worked where the much higher spec laptop failed. I now lay
on the bed with a laptop in both hands! talk about laugh! Some 18 hours wasted! I must say I
may change my mind (I hope so) but Bobcad isn't very high up on my list of customer serviced
companies. I had to find out myself how to cure a problem that I would be amazed they didn't
know about prior to selling it too me.

Well hopefully that is now in the past. I have had about 4 hours use at the moment and have
produced the pieces shown above. If I knew more about how to use the program I may be a
little more pleased. But what I have done so far has been enjoyable and interesting. So much
good will can be easily lost over simple things. Why don't these companies learn? If I ran my
organisation like that I would be horrified. Its not sufficient to say 'well its IT' because it is a sale
of a product with advertised good support. I have yet to see ANY support! Perhaps the next
entry here will be more positive?

Of the pictures above I am pleased with the Pawn, Queen and King (minus the cross) but have
yet to master the top of the Bishop, any of the Knight and I have discovered part of the
castleations for the rook. So there is still plenty to learn but at least the training cd's I know are
on the way!