I remember reading a post about AutoCAD full version vs. AutoCAD LT, but was unable to locate it through the search page. I encourage everyone to invest in the full version of AutoCAD if you are debating on the two and have the resources available. Our CAM program, Router-CIM, runs right inside of AutoCAD. It only works with AutoCAD full version, so there was really no choice for us. There are many reasons though that I think it would benefit all. I'll mention a few.

AutoCAD LT does not have 3D capabilities without an add-on package. 3D drawings have allowed us to reduce machining times on multiple repeat jobs. It has also made programming drainboards a lot easier. Just recently, we made male and female moulds for thermoforming odd-angle coved corner mouldings for a shower wall system. My programming was greatly simplified through the use of 3D drawings and machining cycles. I would be surprised if the CAM programs that you all are using don't have 3D machining cycles. I am talking about the CAM program being able to calculate the needed compensation when using a ball end mill or core box tool to rout contours. I calculated this manually before, and it is not an easy process.

LISP programming is another benefit of AutoCAD full version. You can create your own custom commands and macros, which make things easier. It has also helped me to become more productive. Example custom command: "hi10" - this changes an entity's linetype to hidden, its color to ByLayer, its Layer to 0, and its linetype scale to 10. This is just one command. The possibilities are endless. You can add these commands to your menus. I have all of my sinks cutout files saved as blocks and insert them through custom commands - no more having to go to Insert->Block->Select File each time. I also do this with commonly used notes and other objects.

VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is something so powerful, I will never use it to its full capability. Through this, you can create custom macros that use logic (if-then statements). You can also use VBA to communicate between AutoCAD and Microsoft Office applications - Excel and Access most commonly. Parametric programming is something else you can do with VBA. Maybe you have a huge window sill project that you are working on. You can create a form where you enter all of the lengths and widths, and, through VBA and AutoCAD, all of the sills are automatically drawn for representation and parts (including build-ups and MDF plates) are drawn and ready to be nested. I'm sure you could figure out how to automatically nest them too, but that is beyond me and you have to use common sense about how much time it would take to learn something and how much you would actually have to use it.

There are free demos available for both, so I would at least suggest trying out both and seeing which one meets your needs and resources the best.


Have a nice day,
Seth

Andy or Mory,

Could you please move this thread to the CNC section. I forgot to pick a section and it defaulted to this one.

Thanks,
Seth

Seth,

 

Nice post, I think I need to learn more about the LISP commands it may take a little time to set up but it sounds like it would save a lot of time.

 

Shane

Thanks Shane. The insert commands do take a little while to set up. Once you get the first one done though, it is pretty much just cut, paste, and edit. One lisp file can contain many separate commands. I'll post an example shortly.

Take care,
Seth

Here is the command that I use for the Dupont Corian 810 sink cutout. You will need to change the file path and command name depending on the location of your files and your naming preferences. The 810 I usually just type in since I use it so much, but some of my other commands have so long of names that I only select them from the custom menus I use. Just copy what is below into Notepad and save it as seth1.lsp - replace seth with whatever you want. I have all of my commands to insert sinks in one lisp file (seth1.lsp) and all of my other commands in another lisp file (seth2.lsp). I would also make a new folder somewhere on your PC called something like "AutoCAD Applications", with a subfolder called something like "Lisp Files". In AutoCAD, go to Tools->AutoLISP->Load. Then click on Contents under StartUp Suite and click on add. Browse to where you have saved seth1.lsp and select it. Click Close->Close. Now seth1.lsp will load each time that you start up AutoCAD. The type directly after the ;'s is just comments, and you can delete all of that if you want, as it is just to break apart the different parts of the command and to explain what is happening.

 

(defun c:810 ()
 ;define the function
 

;**********************************************************
 ;Start of Command Function

 (command   "-Insert" "R:/Layout/Sinks/DUPONT/810.dwg" pause "" "" pause
   "_Explode" "Last"
     
  
 )        ;End Command

 
 ;End of Command Function
 
;*********************************************************
 (princ)
 ;finish cleanly

) ;end of defun

  Have a nice evening,
  Seth

Thank you Seth,

 

First thing in the morning I am going to give it a try. I will let you know how it works out.

 

Shane

OK, I draw in AutoCAD LT probably 15-20 hours a week.

That being said, I have no clue what you are talking about Seth.  LT lets you set up custom commands such as frequently used radii, frequently used offsets, etc.  I have no idea what LISP is, but what you are doing doesn't sound complicated.  I have a shop drawing template (still not fully modified for my use), but I have all labels, sink cutouts, notes, etc saved on the non-printable section of the .dwt file.  I just copy and paste.

Please explain.  I am always willing to learn, but your features listed don't entice me look into the full version.

As far as your male / female mold thingys........I don't know anything about 3D, but so far haven't had to.  Our CAM program allows for projections to be done in a third dimension for drainboards and such and that is the only thing I've ever done.

Matt

Shane,

How did things work out?

Matt,

I'll have to answer fully in another post and post a Lisp program that does more than inserting blocks, but I want to apologize if I stepped on your toes. I know Mory's drafter/programmer uses AutoCAD LT, and I have seen some of his amazing projects and am sure you do similar work. What CAM program are you using?

Tom,

Our KOMO is true 3D. It can move the X, Y, and Z axes simultaneously. I thought most CNC routers could do this. I used to program/operate a Biesse point-to-point machine that was considered 2-1/2D.

  Have a nice evening,
  Seth

Seth,

 Power was off in my office most of the day for some remodeling so I could not get to it. I will try again tomorrow.

 Thanks again

Shane

 

 

This is a Lisp command that I use a lot. I nest manually, so if you have a nesting program, you might not see a use for it. A couple times I ended up offsetting an object to see where the edge of the tool would run and ended up machining the wrong object. This is the easiest way I have found around it.

(defun c:opoint3 ()
 ;define the function
 ;This command will offset the selected object .3 units, change the
;new object to Layer 0, and change the new object's color to ByLayer

;**********************************************************
 ;Start of Command Function

 (command   "Offset" ".3" pause pause ""
   "Change" "Last" "" "Properties" "layer" "0" "color" "ByLayer" ""
       
 )        ;End Command

 ;End of Command Function
 
;*********************************************************
 (princ)
 ;finish cleanly

) ;end of defun

 

 

Shane,

I hope you were able to get some remodeling work done.

 

  Have a good one,
  Seth

We are getting a lot of things done that usually get put off. Today we cleared off the top of my office and decked it out and during that process we had to change some electrical runs. Last week we had built some stairs to gain access to that area. Now I have more room to stack all my crap.   

Shane

 

Seth,

Don't worry about stepping on my toes.  I just scratch my head when someone is talking about something I feel like I should know and have no idea.

We run an AXYZ the same as Mory and Toolpath CAM program.

I have never had any formal CAD training, only the 3 days AXYZ supplies with machine training.  I will be honest, I don't program in layers, because I don't understand their uses, and I have never had a problem getting what I need done without using them.  You talk about lineweights and things, I don't know what they are.  Your grasp of the program is light years ahead of mine.

But, I guess it is a testament to AXYZ simplicity of their CAM program.  I always tell people that are impressed by what we can cut that an eight year old could figure this out, but I guess now I am proving it.  But we have been using this machine for over 3 years and I have programmed every single job. 

Haven't got fired yet.........

Matt,

 

I use the same software as Seth and I feel like you do about his knowledge. I also only had the three day crash course and the rest has been on my own. I am curious about your statement regarding drawing in layers. It is very easy to do but it is some thing that we need to do for our cam software to function properly. RouterCim has a knowledge base that utilizes layers to determine how the machine cuts that particular geometry. For example, if I had a drawing of a vanity top with a sink hole the line of the countertop would be drawn in a outside layer, the sink hole would be a inside layer. Each layer has a knowledge base that you set up with the tool size and type, feed rate, rpm, depth of cut, and so on. Basically everything the machine needs to know to do the cut. So when you do a drawing you just use the appropriate layers and the machine knows what to do with that drawing. I guess I figured it was a common way to do it, how does your machine determine how to cut a line.

 

Shane

Shane,

I'm glad to hear that you have been able to make some progress with your standby projects.

Tom,

What machine do you have? Our KOMO doesn't have an R1 or R2 axis that I know of. The only R's that I have seen in CNC programs are to set the radius of an arc. I'm at home, so I don't have access to our KOMO manual, but I think there are a couple other axes than the X, Y, and Z axes for using aggregates. Is that what the R1 and R2 are for on your machine? I read the explanation for 2-1/2D and 3D on a CNC website. It said also that many experts don't even explain the terms in the same way. One person explained 2-1/2D as a pen plotter that moves to one point, puts the pen down, keeps the pen down while it plots, then lifts the pen up, and so on. No matter the terms, all of our CNC machines all do some pretty awesome machining operations.

Thanks Matt and Shane for the compliments. I'm sure you all could teach me a few things about AutoCAD too. You guys have many bigger fish to fry than AutoCAD commands and programs, and I enjoy learning about all of those on the forums too.

Matt,

"Haven't gotten fired yet" - nice one. Like Shane said, layers are the foundation of Router-CIM and its automatic toolpath creation. I use them all the time even with breaking the tops down and nesting. One of the best features of layers is being able to turn them on and off. The XYZ sounds like a good machine, and the CAM software sounds like it is top notch too. I'll post some more about LISP and some commands/variables that have really helped me out since I started working in the countertop industry. If you don't end up feeling that upgrading to the full version of AutoCAD is worth the money, that's great you don't need to spend the extra money, and if you do, that's great too.

 

Here is a variable that I have found helpful, especially since I need polylines for machining and true ellipses just don't work. Type in pellipse. Change the value to 1. Draw an ellipse (el). Explode the ellipse. Join the lines with polyliine edit (pe). Kohler has quite a few lavatory sinks that are ellipses, so that is where I use this the most.

  Have a good one,
  Seth

I have a “C” axis otherwise known as a forth axis that accepts an aggregate tool holder, it basically rotates at the base of the spindle.

 

The “Z” axis is the standard vertical axis

 

Shane