heeks cad and cam

[jonny quest]

anyone see this heeks cad and cam? Free opensource software.

I think it supports 5 axis... maybe even 6?

Just google heekscnc or heekscad or http://code.google.com/p/heekscnc/

What do you guys think?

[Tweakie.CNC]

Thanks for posting the link - This needs investigating further.

Tweakie.

[RICH]

Most users have trouble using a dedicated program that has been tested, is complete, functional  and documented to make what they want. So sounds like a high learning curve and time investment, which in the end, a user may find unsatisfactory. Free comes at a high price sometimes.

Just a general comment and certainly not knocking a lot of work that those folks have probably put into it.
Surely someone with  programming background would have different take on it.

RICH

 

[Overloaded]

Hi Tweakie,
  Please keep us informed of your findings with this.
I will look into it as well.
It does look interesting.
Russ

ps: moved to proper board

[jam1962]

What program might come as close to Aspire as can without spending 2K  or any where near it.   Free cad programs ma do the work but theres more clicking buttons thern my mouse can take.  I dont want to spend 10 years learning Blender.  Theres gotta be something out there to work with .stl files that wont break the budget.

[Tweakie.CNC]

Well – I have now spent some time with Heeks CNC and Heeks CAD and beautifully presented programs they are. Although they are capable of doing many things that I require, the error trapping routines leave much to be desired. One wrong move or incorrect entry (and I always make plenty of these) caused the programs to abort and this happened so many times that I lost patience and decided to give up altogether.

Has anyone else got any more comments or information on these programs ?.

Tweakie.