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Gibbs CAD/CAM
« on: February 23, 2011, 11:49:23 AM »
Have recently purchased a Novakon NM-200 CNC Mill. It came with VisualMill 6.0.
I have general machining skills but no CAD/CAM.
As VisualMill is a CAM not CAD pkg. it looks like I will have to acquire one.
Anyone using Gibbs & care to evaluate?

Thanks, John

Offline thosj

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Re: Gibbs CAD/CAM
« Reply #1 on: February 23, 2011, 05:20:23 PM »
I use GibbsCAM on an educational license. Gibbs is MOSTLY a CAM package, but can suffice for CAD in some instances, especially if used on the shop floor. It isn't really designed to do CAD drawings that can be used for documentation. I do use it for napkin type CAD, but use Draftsight for real CAD and Alibre for 3D.

Gibbs is pretty pricey, too, unless you have some way to get some special pricing or work in a shop with a network, multi-seat license. On our educational license, we paid $350 initially for the entire Gibbs package including Solids and SolidSurfacer and Lathe. $150/year maintenance. My reseller told me this package was $21,000 for initial purchase and we didn't talk about annual maintenance. I don't know if that's right or not, but even if it's half that, it's pretty steep. Gibbs uses a hardware key, too, so install on 100 computers, but use ONLY on the ONE the USB key is plugged in to, and you need the key to install initially, and it won't even run in some demo mode without the key.

Gibbs is the best, IMHO, but it IS different, so might not impress initially, until you overcome the simplicity and stop trying to make it more complicated than it is. I used it for years in a big shop environment where we did all the programming on the shop floor with Gibbs, at the machines. It's THAT SIMPLE, really. But if coming from a lot of years with something else, it's gonna disappoint all but the most open minded for a while!! Those people go "What the he%#@!" a lot.
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Tom
Re: Gibbs CAD/CAM
« Reply #2 on: February 23, 2011, 05:25:39 PM »
thosj

Appreciate the insight. Will continue my quest.

John

Offline thosj

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Re: Gibbs CAD/CAM
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2011, 05:29:30 PM »
John, if your looking for CAD, to generate DXF or DWG for your included CAM package, try Draftsight. The price is right, $0US, and it's just like AutoCAD for everyday use, pretty much.
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Tom