Hi everyone,I am at the point where I have got Carbide Create nearly mastered and feel I need to push myself to the next step of limited 3D carving etc.I am doing some acrylic etching but Create is suitable there for me.Any suggestions on which way I should proceed.
The next step up from Carbide Create for 3D is Pro:
If that doesn’t suit, please let us know what sort of work you wish to do, and how you envision approaching it.
Belike the other option would be a full-fledged 3D CAD/CAM setup such as:
Without the chains of being on the Carbide payroll to worry about, I would add more to the alternative software list;
- Vectrics VCarve - 2D and some limited 3D for CNC work
- Autodesk Fusion 360 - 2D and full 3D for CNC, Turning and 3D-Printing
- Carveco - 2D and some limited 3D for CNC work
There are others, but a bit niche-y to my taste. If I am going to spend the time learning a system, I want that learning to pay me back. I have Vectrics (very pleased) and Fusion 360 (more pleased). My machine is a ShapeOKO 3XL with HDZ.
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Thanks Andy,I am on Apple so that cuts me out of vectris,you are right,it’s going to be another learning curve so need to get it right,probably going to move into 3D carving and acrylic etching,carbide create does well for me in the etching area.
Fusion 360 is very robust. Although you can use for wood carving it is designed for professional manufacturing and it has a significant learning curve. A lot of users here on the forum use it. You can get a free version but it is limited. F360 has a subscription model and is cloud based. You can still save your files locally but the application is designed to run in the cloud.
If you are on a Mac you are right Vetric does not support Mac. The Vetric product is designed from the ground up for carving wood. It is a great product but it has a price as well. The good thing about Vetric is you can start with the lesser products and as you upgrade you only pay the difference from the previous product. So that is a good deal. Mac used to have the parallels and that might be an option to run Windows if it is still supported.
I have no experience with Carveco but again it is subscription based and was designed from the ground up for wood carving.
C3D sister is the MeshCam. You might want to check that out.
There are also a bunch of open source CAD/CAM applications. Many of them are quite robust and are free.
The bottom line is the price of fun just keeps going up. For me the Carbide Create suits me and is frankly more than I need for the things I like to do. So the real question is what would be the Return on Investment you would get from paid commercial software. What specifically is limiting you in CC?
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@Graham Graham, I use Vectric on my iMAC, with the assistance of VMware Fusion (there is also Parallels) - provided you are on Intel Mac not ‘M’. Knowing this issue with VMs was coming, I bought the highest spec, fastest iMAC ‘last of the Intel’ to carry me over the period whilst software companies work out how to publish their applications equally well on Win/Mac.
Thanks Guy,Carbide Create is great for me,I really want to move into 3D carving and that’s what I really got my SO3 for.Been side tracked down the acrylic etching ,signs and dolls furniture for all the relatives,so time to get going on 3D.
I have not used too many other softwares. If you are familiar with CC, maybe the pro is the way to go.
I use Fusion 360 Personal (The free version). I have yet to find anything it can’t do in 2D or 3D for a CNC. The only limitation I find for me that I wish it included is being able to create drawings or export DFX. Other than that, its way more than I ever will need. And there are tons of tutorials on YT or Google etc. The CON of fusion is, it has a pretty steep learning curve at first. I tried to manage without the tutorials. Once I watched them, the learning curve came way down and now I quite enjoy it.
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Parallels now works with the M processor Macs.
FYI
You can go to microsoft.com and download latest patched win 10/11 iso or make flash drive image free. You are supposed to buy license but it installs. During install you tell the installer no network. Get it installed and then setup network. This bypasses the ms logon during install. Then you can have local login instead of pesky pin or ms login. Most windows pc machines store license in bios. With vm or parallels there is no bios.
Thanks everyone,some real options to mull over tonight
@Tarheel66 Windows does now run under Parallels and VM Fusion, but it is not Intel Windows. You have to get and run ARM Windows. Windows then runs your Intel compiled Software (Office, Vectric or whatever) and live translates between processor architectures - supposedly it is fast, but I have no experience.
I don’t know if there are any compatibility issues, low level system issues etc, but Microsoft do not in any meaningful way advertise ARM-Win… I think it came about because of one of their tablets being ARM processor based as Intel’s chipsets don’t seem adequate in that arena these days.
I have not purchased Parallels and Windows but I have been looking forward to a future date where I might outgrow Carbide Create and Carbide Create Pro. Since I don’t own or use a Windows computer today, it makes no difference to me if I install ARM Windows 11 or the Home or Pro version of Windows 11 as long as it works with the Windows software I need to run. Looking at the Parallels website, it appears the installation of ARM Windows 11 is simple.
As to compatibility of ARM Windows running in Parallels with Vectric software products there is a recent (2023) thread on the Vectic forum about running Aspire on a M chip Apple Mac using Parallels. My takeaway from the thread is the Aspire software functions adequately on the M chip Mac but not as fast as on a relatively new and capable Windows computer. Threads dated earlier indicated there were some file management issues with respect to saving and retrieving project files for which solutions had been found by users for Vectric software running in emulation on a Mac.
As a long time Mac user, new Shapeoko Pro owner, and woodworker new to the CNC world I understand why a software vendor (Vectric) would not spend the resources to make Mac versions of its software. The potential market size probably doesn’t justify the expense and dilution of manpower resources. In fact I wonder how much the need to support both Windows and Mac versions slows the addition of capabilities and features to Carbide Create and Carbide Create Pro.
My only experience with PC emulation on a Mac is with Crossover for a single old land platting software package developed for Windows XP and never updated. It works, but not very seamlessly from a file management perspective. I understand Crossover does not work with the Vectric software products and if I were to move to Vcarve I would look at Parallels or VM Fusion. Obviously the other option is to buy a Windows laptop and dedicate it to Vcarve.
For now, I certainly have months ahead of me climbing the learning curve with Carbide Create and my new Shapeoko. A year from now, who knows? Carbide Create and Carbide Create Pro may evolve faster than I do, eliminating the need to switch software as my skills develop. In addition, emulation software may significantly advance or Vectric may decide to bring out a Mac version.
Another vote for Fusion 360. I also use the free version, which is available to hobbyists. There IS a significant learning curve, but there are also a ton of tutorials out there and a responsive community forum. Even with the free-version limitations, it is the most powerful CAD/CAM software I’ve used.
For the price, are you saying Autodesk Fusion 360 is that much better than Create Pro? Could you elaborate on why?
I hadn’t heard of VMware Fusion… According to Wiki, “VMware Fusion allows Macs with Intel or the Apple M series of chips to run virtual machines with guest operating systems, such as Microsoft Windows. . .”
Is there something else then not allowing use of Vectric on an M chipped Mac?
@bpedit Byrne, the issue is that the Vectric software is compiled using an Intel Instruction Set compiler, so has to run on an Intel hardware platform. VM Fusion and Parallels can run on either Intel or M Apple hardware, but neither M version of them can run Intel Windows and as a consequence cannot run Vectrics.
This is where using ARM Windows (compiled for the ARM instruction set) comes in - it does have a processor ‘translator’ within it, so (I understand) Intel based Vectric software will run at a reasonable speed on ARM Windows, and that will run in VM Fusion or Parallels running on Apple M hardware.
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I’m thinking of going the Alibre / MeshCAM route because my volume of designing is relatively small, so recurring charges don’t pay off. I’m surprised that people keep referring to the Fusion 360 Hobbyist version because I used to be on that path, but they keep squeezing the features down to force Hobbyists into the higher levels, so I abandoned that. Alibre is not subscription unless you need updates.
My projects are generally design once and cut a lot. Not design a lot and cut a few.
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I want to add for others that I used Carbide Create Pro for two years and really enjoy it, but the yearly subscription is just too high for my design volume. It has evolved nicely into a powerful tool. There must just be too much money on the table for volume designers, so the subscription rates are up there. If I designed a lot, but wasn’t an all out design professional, I would definitely consider Carbide Create Pro. It could support just about all the 2.5D designs that I needed.
This is one of the designs that I created with it. The aluminum piece is cut and carved on both sides. SailZing TackSlide MC-Scow Tack Slug - SailZing
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I would recommend Fusion360, I had zero 3d modeling experience when i started using it, and its been a very intuitive learning experience so far, and ive done what i consider some pretty advanced stuff so far with just youtube learning.
as a hobbyist i believe you can get a free subscription for a year or so, after that the price isnt crazy expensive.