RhinoCAM 2022 on Rhino 6
hopefully the image has loaded but i would like to make a new setup to help keep my programming a little more organised and i was wondering if anyone could help me out? when i right click and press ‘new set up’ it wont let me and a window pops up saying cannot edit setups in this product configuration
What version do you have? We have Professional and multiple setups are something we do all day long.
This is from the MecSoft website:
Mecsoft has bugs. First CAM program I ever advocated for. My company used it religiously from 2004-2009.
Then we switched to MasterCAM.
They both use ModuleWorks and MachineWorks technology, just like 97% of all other CAM programs.
Mecsoft is the worste CAM software I’ve ever used, but they’re all pretty bad.
Some day the world will be saved, if humanity breaks free of the cabal that obstructs everyone’s ability to make toolpaths.
Mecsoft is the worst permutation of CAM I can think of.
I would never advocate for anything less than MasterCAM, but humanity needs something more.
Maybe someday there will be a CAM plugin that will liberate humanity from it’s shackles of bugs and obstruction.
I looked at the first iteration of RhinoCAM when it came out, probably in that date range you mentioned. It crashed a lot. I remember that. But I revisited it in 2016 and discovered that it’s not what it used to be. We started using it in late 2016 and have been using it ever since.
I have 30 years experience in CAM and have been exposed to a variety of CAM software over the years. SmartCAM, WorkNC, PowerMill, Esprit, madCAM, Fusion 360, and RhinoCAM. If I decided to start my own business instead of retiring soon I would pick RhinoCAM as my CAM of choice. It’s inexpensive and very capable, and the support is outstanding.
I also had originally evaluated RhinoCam when it first came out, as my company’s main interest has been CAM plugins for Rhino since V4.
We upgraded to RhinoCam from Mecsoft’s standalone version pretty much right away. But like I said, in 2009ish I pushed my company into MasterCAM even despite MasterCAM’s shortcomings.
At the time threshold of 2009, I basically evaluated every single CAM program that existed, and the one I chose was MasterCAM.
Over the years, we upgraded RhinoCAM a couple times because sometimes ppl don’t have the ability to interpret what I have to say about the whole CAM world, and they think RhinoCAM is the answer.
To date I’ve evaluated RhinoCAM at least 27 times, and my conclusion is always the same:
It has bugs. Entry and exit control is terrible and inconsistent – hence bugs. On top of that, there’s major lack of control over toolpath parameters, verification, and post processing.
And now they charge what over 12% of the cost on annual maintenance? So, they’ve become part of the CAM cabal and their customer service is no longer what it used to be unless you pay an arm and leg every year.
In July 2022, MasterCAM had an epiphany, relatively speaking, compared to the entire history back to 2009. I wont go into detail but let’s just say MasterCAM finally reached a threshold they should have achieved over a decade ago.
I don’t plan on upgrading MasterCAM for the foreseeable future because of how outrageous the fees are, and the first major evolutionary breakthrough has already been achieved – it might be another 10 years before upgrading will matter again.
Everything before 2009 is pointless imo. ModuleWorks and MachineWorks took over at that point and dominated everything for the foreseeable future.
It doesn’t matter what CAM software you list, they’re all using ModuleWorks/MachineWorks technology. List one that doesn’t?
The funny thing is MasterCAM finally admits it now because the toothpaste is out of the tube, and obvious these days.
Unfortunately, CNC Software was acquired by Sanvik, and we all know what happens when big fat cat companies gobble up all the technology and take them over seas.
It was very sad when Vero bought out WorkNC, cause otherwise I’d probably be using it by now instead of MasterCAM.
The best way to liberate humanity, from my perspective, is to create anew CAM program that solves all the problems that every other CAM program creates for the user.
CAM is literally still in the stone ages.
To each their own I guess. All I know is that we are having great success with RhinoCAM and WorkNC. I’m not saying they are perfect, because yeah, nothing is. But your original post is clearly just your opinion, and I hope people see that for what it is. These CAM debates fill volumes of threads on sites like Practical Machinist. It’s like debating what’s the best religion. There’s never going to be a definitive consensus.
If you have WorkNC, then RhinoCAM is pointless. But I understand, cause we also have RhinoCAM, and it’s still pointless hahah.
I bet WorkNC is better than MasterCAM, but my company probably wont ever get on board with Vero, cause it’s just another universe that uses ModuleWorks and MachineWorks, so just a different private label of the same technology.
I also bet WorkNC didn’t use ModuleWorks and MachineWorks until they were bought out by Vero.
It probably was better before that time.
As is anything in this world. Which is why critical thinking is important, especially so we can share our thoughts and even change our minds.
This is slightly not true, because sites like that receive advertisement money from CAM programs – so what ends up happening is members are censored when they say something those companies don’t like.
This forum however, I highly doubt has that same conflict of interest. So, If I say something critical about MasterCAM, I highly doubt it will get censored.
But we’ll see.
Really? Since you don’t know why we use both it seems like you’re not really in a position to make this claim.
Anyway, sounds like you are having success with MasterCAM so good for you. We are having success with our process so we’re going to continue to do it our way.
I don’t know why you use both, since WorkNC is one to the best CAM programs in existance.
Hence, RhinoCAM is relatively pointless. I do know.
Makes me wonder if you even have WorkNC at all.
Don’t let me stop you. And if you struggle or have any stress going forward relative to Mecsoft’s RhinoCAM, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
A sunk cost fallacy is Mecsoft.
I recommend you focus on using WorkNC if you actually have it. Mecsoft is a waste of time – imo.
Before you start spouting nonsense like the above, maybe do some research ?
I’ve done more than you can fathom.
paradox.
re: research…
I don’t think so - if you had even looked at Dan Bayn’s posts on this forum you will see he’s been here for many many years (almost as long as I have!) and manages a very large number of people using Rhino, WorkNC and RhinoCAM in an automotive manufacturing environment. So I repeat, your comment “…if you even have WorkNC at all” is simply nonsense.
You just did it for me. Thanks. Now I know.
Can we see a thread with his WorkNC demonstration of said claims? or nah?
And how about a side by side comparison with RhinoCAM that can demonstrate it being (relatively) useful at all?
And are we talking 2.5 axis? 3 axis? 4 axis? 5 axis? or 6, 7, 8?
Time is money. I wouldn’t advocate to anyone to use Mecsoft software ever. That would be unjust.
WorkNC on the otherhand is probably a dream. It’s too bad it was bought out though.
We should see some threads on that right? Got links?
I don’t have a side-by side comparison with WorkNC but I have quite a number of clients who use RhinoCAM - and I also use it myself. My clients are mostly small fab shops (model shops) and universities. For them it works well because it’s (relatively) inexpensive and easy to learn and manage for the kind of work we/they do - architectural models, and various kinds of wood and plastic related fabrication. Certainly it has its bugs and limitations which are also frustrating for me too - but I balance that with what it can do and what I need it to do.
You maybe need to take your blinders off and look around - there are may industries and applications that do not need an ultra high end, ultra high priced CAM system, just something that is easy to use and works for what they need to do.
This used to be true, but not so much over time – imo. Now, Mecsoft is a cheap knockoff of ModuleWorks and MachineWorks – cheap meaning (bad) not affordable.
I say not affordable because nowadays Mecsoft wants about 12% a year for support.
So, they’re basically turning into the typical fatcat company that want’s more than 10% annually, rather than providing clear and concise online help documentation that users can learn everything they need to know on their own.
No, instead they’ve adopted the endless buy support model, probably due to getting more involved with MW and MW technology that every CAM program uses – at least the ones controlled by the cabal anyway.
I’ll just refer to them as MW/MW from now on. We all know who they are by now since the cat is finally out of the bag.
lol. I’ve seen everything available almost 2 decades now. Tell me, is there a single program that’s available that doesn’t rely on MW/MW technology?
Mecsoft’s business model is ‘use 5% of what MW/MW has to offer, but charge 57% of what higher end CAM’s do’ – not to mention annual fees.
I agree with this regardless of end magnitude, but definitely don’t agree with high price magnitude.
There’s no good reason why high end CAM should be $18k upfront per seat and upwards of 10% per year ‘maintenance’.
And people wonder why manufacturing has gone down hill for decades, and new generations don’t graduate with any skills.
Maybe if the software wasn’t a rip off and was actually easy to use and didn’t have bugs.
To liberate mankind from this dilemma would be a tremendous epiphany. To say the least.
I haven’t even mentioned machine/control definitions and post processors yet – oops.
I think Jon B is back.
You beat me to it… 
My thoughts exactly.
