Rhinoceros

Wir nutzen RhinoCam in unserem Werkzeugbau für das Erzeugen der NC-Daten. Mit dem Ergebnis sind wir sehr zufrieden. Das Programm zeichnet sich durch seine einfache Handhabung, leichte Erlernbarkeit und vom sehr guten Preis/Leistungsverhältnis aus. Ich kann dieses Produkt nur weiter empfehlen.

I do complex machining carving wooden faces and full scale human form in architectural pieces. VM allows me many alternative cut routines as well as many parameters within eack type of cut routine. My other cut program cost 4 times the price and sits on the shelf. They still have some growing pains,and are very Video card sesitive, but are very quick to jump on any problem a cure it. They also use a hardware lock that will make you crazy if you want to take homework home. They still get my vote and my dollar. :-)

I'm still often surprised when CADCAM dealers call to try to sell me their wares, and they say they haven't heard of Rhino or VisualMill! Is it because their relatively lower prices make people not take them seriously? VisualMill lets you machine the complex shapes you design in Rhino accurately and completely. If you just need approximate shapes, the much cheaper stl programs are good, but if you need to follow curves (and straight lines), and make your cutter go efficiently the way you want it to in specific areas, you need a program like VM. Very easy to learn, quite reliable, great support. Lots of machining strategies available.

User: Gioielleria Massoni Location: via Condotti, Roma - Italy Production area: Jewelry (since 1790) We have been using VisualMill since a few years now and I can say that it's way of integrating with Rhino is just perfect. There is an impressive amount of cutting strategies and the ability of importing curves from Rhino so to machine a limited area will save you twice the time: once because you will only machine a specific area, twice because you don't need to generate again the area boundary manually. I also like how small details have been taken care of. As an example you can interact (rotate) the model in VisualMill just like you would do in Rhino with the right mouse botton...or pan it in the same way. It's a productive tool and we are happy with it.

This review is related to RhinoCAM, not the seperate Visual-Mill package. RhinoCAM puts the Visual Mill engine inside Rhino-3D and was first released in December, 2004. I was probably one of the first users to purchase RhinoCAM 1.0 in December 2004, and actually use it in a production environment to produce die molds. The feature-set is impressive and you get a lot for your money, but stability is lacking in the 1.0 initial release. I expect this to improve over time as the product matures. But the product is not quite ready yet for prime-time usage. The basic problem is that the RhinoCAM 1.0 plug-in routinely crashes the Rhino-3D application. I found the only way to make progress on a project is to routinely save my work, and back up the file to a safe location after the save was successful. That's because one of the most common crashes occurs DURING THE SAVE OPERATION, leaving your file corrupt. I lost my work several times as a result of this. Also, you cannot make many types of changes to curves that are used by the RhinoCAM plug-in for tool-path control. If you simply move a curve, then RhinoCAM can keep track of it. If you perform a fillet on a curve, RhinoCAM loses track of the curve and eventually RhinoCAM crashes the Rhino-3D application if you regenerate the toolpath without re-assigning the curve. Most types of changes to curves have similar problems. Mecsoft is a good company and Visual Mill is a good CAM application, and I expect these problems in RhinoCAM to improve as service releases are made available. The initial release 1.0 RhinoCAM (before any service releases) was really unacceptable and should not have been released until further testing was done. RhinoCAM's 1st service release (which is now available) improves things considereably, but you still need to be careful.

Key points: MecSoft tech support is super! Someone actually calls you back if they can't take the call. RhinoCam is so intuitive. I usually program in g-code directly but when I need to cut nurbs every few months or so, I turn on RhinoCam and I don't have to remember how to work it. This is even more so with version 2. Being inside Rhino makes it easy to create mold parting lines, regions etc. I have never had one of those $15,000 packages, but I can't imagine what they can do that RhinoCam can't. It is fast, accurate, trustworthy. I haven't needed it for a while, but this week I had to make a tiny complex mold with lots of nurb surfaces. I ordered the upgrade on monday afternoon, tech support took control of my pc remotely and installed the software for me and checked everything out. I reviewed the 'getting started' guide monday evening and started machining the mold halves on tuesday. Finished wednesday. I was using end mills that were .8 mm in diameter and 10 mm long. I did a test cut in foam out of caution, but next time I won't. The simulation shows exactly what is going to happen. I am a happy camper.

I have to let everyone know... Mecsoft (Visual Mill) and Rhino are the absolute best, We are so pleased with the results in our prototyping now from these Two wonderful Companies! We are wondering how in the world Larger more expensive software packages are going to even keep up? Tech support is extremely important too, no problem there either, This combination is the best...

tengo aproximadamente tres aos de utilizar rhino cam y no deja de sorprenderme lo fcil y poderoso que es la herramienta, sin tener todo el software completo hemos sacado mucho provecho con este plug-in uno de nuestros servicios es el maquinado de moldes para termoformado y sin este programa no hubiramos podido dar un salto. en mi pagina hay ejemplos de los trabajos realizados.

Le lavorazioni sono ben organizzate ed ognuna ha i giusti parametri x gestirla. Purtroppo nelle lavorazioni a tre assi sono scarse, almeno x il mio settore. Il secondo problema è che Rhino risente molto del RhinoCam nei file molto grandi. Infatti quando ci sono molte entità (curve o superfici) l'apertura o la modifica dei files risulta molto lenta. E' cmq un suftware valido considerando che siamo solamente alla release 1.0

Insgesamt ist das Programm sehr gut gelungen.

por desgracia no he podido evaluarlo ya que no aparece en el programa y no me da un parametro de medida de su efectividad si pudieran informarme de que manera se le puede hacer para que se operativo en mi sistema. ese mismo problema se presento con mad cam que siendo demos desaparecen del sistema a los tres dias de haberse bajado

VisualMill is a terrific CAM program value! I first bought VisualMill 3 years ago when it was priced at $4,200.00. During 2003 new customers were given a golden opportunity to save some real money when the RhinoCAM -Visualmill package became available. Since Version 4.0, MecSoft has kept up with McNeel and added so much to VisualMill it is incredible. The introductory cost savings have been wonderful for new users and even after that introductory program ceases, the price for Visualmill will still remain below the initial price I paid 3 years ago! Has your competitive CAM software lowered their prices while adding more features? VisualMill 5.0 has a streamlined XP interface, V Carving, better toolpath algorithms, complete accuracy, DNC built into the full 5.0 product and much, much more. Rhino and VisualMill combine to make an 'Adult Portion' CAD/CAM/Modeling solution. ** VisualMill 5.0 will also include 5 Axis machining at the same price of the Full Package. For solid toolpath programming you can't go wrong with Rhino for a modeler and VisualMill for outputting the g code. I have been in CNC programming since the mid 70's, VisualMill is STILL the best CAM solution for the money I have ever seen! Michael Gailey

The software is very easy to learn and use. The support from Mecsoft is great! The price of the software is very affordable yet just as powerful as software that is 7X the price. I love the tabs feature.

I have been a Rhino user for many years and just introduce myself to CAM. RhinoCAM did just what I expected form it and much more. I can go from creation to machining in just few minutes. Working with STL from laser scan is easy! Complicated surface are no problem. Nothing to complain about and works perfectly inside Rhino. I must say service release does'nt work as well as original 1.0 version.

Ever since CNC MASTERS teamed up with MecSoft, we have sold numerous licenses to users who are completely new to the world of CNC machinery. Mecsoft is an invaluable partner to CNC MASTERS in this competitive market where users look for 'ease of use' and reliable tech support as needed. CNC MASTERS proudly combines the power of this reliable CAM software with its brand of CNC mills and CNC lathes creating a powerful tool for the user who needs improved production time, and most importantly, accurate parts according to the CAD drawings. In selling CNC machines, it can be frustrating at times dealing with users who rely on 'other' CAM softwares to produce their tool paths which is interpreted incorrectly on our CNC machines, only to discover that either the post processor is incorrect, outdated, and tech support provides the run-around or ignores the customer's request for support. With RhioCAM, the end result is a user who gets their money's worth out of the CAM and has peace of mind knowing that MecSoft is there for support and parts are being machined according to specs everytime!

This review is by a High School Technology Teacher that has been teaching Rhino to students for 7 years and RhinoCAM for 3 years. RhinoCAM 2.0 is outstanding! Running as a plug-in within Rhino, my students can make changes to their models and seamlessly update their Machining Operations in RhinoCAM. Mecsoft recently released their 2nd version of RhinoCAM and there have been some major improvements. The browser, icons, and windows have all been redesigned and are a pleasure to work with. After just two introductory classes, my students are capable of creating GCode for custom V-Carving signs and logos. When I was learning to use RhinoCAM, I frequently called and emailed customer service with questions. Their support is thorough, polite, and timely. We have a ShopSabre 4896 CNC router and I highly recommend RhinoCAM 2.0 for 2.5, 3, and 4 axis milling. Here is a link to our class website showcasing student work: http://www.kpcsd.k12.ny.us/KPHSTech/index.html

AS THE OWNER OF VELOCITY PRECISION MOLDS AND PROTOTYPES, WE ARE CUSTOM PLASTIC INJECTION MOLDMAKERS, WE BUILD TOOLS THAT MAKE FROM A COUPLE OF PARTS, TO A FEW MILLION. WHETHER IT BE HARDENED AND HEAT TREATED TOOL STEEL, OR EXOTIC ALUMINUM ALLOYS. OUR MAIN FORTE IS IMMEDIATE TURNAROUND OF TOOLING THAT WOULD OTHERWISE TAKE MONTHS TO BUILD USING TRADITIONAL METHODS AND FILE TRANSFERS. SINCE 90% OF OUR BUSINESS INVOLVES REVERSE ENGINEERING OUR MAIN FILES THAT WE USE ARE .STL & .IGS/IGES AN .STL FILE, NO MATTER WHAT PROGRAM YOU HAVE TO VIEW ONE, THE FILE IS IDENTICAL IN IN EVERY ASPECT, FROM ONE PROGRAM TO ANOTHER, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE MODEL COLOR DISPLAY. ONE STEP FURTHER, MACHINING AN .STL FILE. ONCE YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO THESE KINDS OF FILES FOR A BIT YOU CAN SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO 'MANIPULATE' THE FILE FOR YOUR SPECIFIC USE. VISUAL MILL ALLOWS THE USER TO MACHINE ANY .STL FILE AND IT DOES NOT NEED TO BE WATERTIGHT. YOU CAN ISOLATE PLANES OR SURFACES JUST LIKE AN .IGES/.IGS FILE. NATIVE RHINO .3DM FILES ARE ALSO FULLY COMPATIBLE IN VISUAL MILL WITH NO TRANSLATION NEEDED. VISUAL MILL OFFERS EVEN THE NOVICE USER TO CREATE TOOLPATH IN A VERY SHORT TIME, AND WITH USE DIFFICULT JOBS BECOME MUCH EASIER. WITH AN EXTENSIVE ARRAY OF MACHINING OPERATIONS TO CHOOSE FROM, 3D MACHINING IN VISUAL MILL IS RELATIVLEY QUITE SIMPLE YET EXTREMELY POWERFUL. IT IS LAID OUT WITH INTELLIGENCE IN MIND, NOT BOGGING THE USER DOWN WITH USELESS ITEMS ON THE SCREEN. GREAT JOB AT MECSOFT

Mecsoft's Visual Mill was one of the first truly Windows instead of DOS based CAM programs out there, made from scratch. It was rather (display issues) buggy in the old days about 5-6 years ago. Recently I tried a copy of RhinoCam (Visual Mill within Rhino) and it's amazing that they can fit a fully functional (on up to 4 and 5 axes) CAM into such a tiny vertical tool bar. The learning curve would be steep if I hadn't played with Visual Mill before, but after you get the hang of it, it's utterly fast both in the interface use and in (crucially) toolpath generation. The only program I found that made toolpaths in reasonable time, and didn't have a Nerdville interface (like the industry standard old horse Mastercam) was Surfcam. But even it's 2008 product still has a DOS-like look and feel a mere one level below the tacked on 'Windows' menu interface...and it's the only program I've ever run on Vista that said it had to 'reduce the color depth of my monitor' to run! I first used Surfcam in '99, and ITS THE SAME THING TODAY! If you don't have a 4th axis, RhinoCAM Pro even has a 4th axis indexing function, so you use 3 axes and a manual rotary table, meaning 90 degree V blocks with collet blocks so you can machine all 4 sides of a part to make things like guitar handles or gun stocks, or in my case, wild masters for crazy jewelry designs. Having the CAM *within* Rhino is an utterly new experience, like the Future has *finally* arrived. All the functionality of Rhino is still intact as you use the CAM plug-in, and it has a post-processor builder whereas traditional CAM programs (like Surfcam at $12K with $1600/yr 'maintenance fees' for updates that are not in fact UPDATED) require weeks for them to write you a 'custom' post-processor (the little module of software that converts G-Code to a format that your machine uses). The demo version of RhinoCAM sort of sucks though, since it really limits what you can do. There are two versions, RhinoCAM and RhinoCAM Pro, the later not just having exotic 4th and 5th axis commands, but three times as many 2-3 axes commands. There are some quirks that require workarounds, like simple outline/contour cutting of flat parts requires using the 'Engraving' command, and it cuts right through the stock unless you set the Entry/Exit parameters to approach at 90 degrees from the sky instead of drag across the floor of your CNC machine, thus gouging away as it rapid feeds for the cut. The only thing it lacks is a constant scallop feature, so I just cut a 3D part with two operations, simple horizontal finishing in the X direction, back and forth like an inkjet printer, but this leaves steep areas orthogonal to that axis in the shape of mini stair-steps, so I run a second horizontal finishing in the Y direction. Yet the Pro version also has radial cutting, as well as a dual thing which does steep surfaces in small Z steps then does flatter areas in X/Y steps. I like to avoid weird toolmarks through, so I'll probably stick to my 0.005'' X then Y horizontal finishing steps. Surfcam and Mastercam can die now. Neither will start from scratch to write a real Windows program with an interface that HELPS instead of hinders you. RhinoCAM (a bit more so than their stand-alone product Visual Mill), is a bit cryptic merely due to the fact that they have fit the ENTIRE program into a single task bar with lots of tabs, but it's modular or whatever you call it (ah, 'parametric'), meaning you can adjust tiny parameters of an operation and quickly re-generate the new toolpath instead of having to start from scratch to tweak an operation. Even the icons within the parameters windows change to graphically show what an option you change really changes in terms of cutting direction or type of motion. It's verify (the common part of CAM programs that graphically simulates how smooth the cut part will look like...or look like a car wreck) is ever so slightly quirky and generates pictures within Rhino that are not Rhino objects, though you can still operate Rhino commands on the part the 3D image is co-existent with. Yet most CAM software out there uses *weird* third-party startup programs/modes to do verify at all. They also seem to update the program regularly (it's up to 1.27 from 1.0 as of 11/07). This program is a work of genius. It's the iPhone of CAM software.

Just got my copy of RhinoCAM Pro. I have been a VisualMill and Rhino user over 2 years now and nothing like having CAM running inside Rhino. It looks like the initial instability problems with the RhinoCAM basic product have been take care of and I can run complex cutter paths such as pencil tracing directly on the Rhino model. It also seems faster than VisualMill. The time saved in translating data back and forth and having two different files is huge! Keep up the good work MecSoft!

Hace un meses que trabajo con Rhinocam y empezamos a trabajar el siguiente dia de hacer el curso. Me sentí cómodo desde el primer día, y nunca imaginé la calidad de los resultados. Os felito! Buen trabajo!

RhinoCAM is very well integrated in Rhino and it has the best features from both programs - VisualMill and Rhinoceros. It´s very fast and you can model and manipulate with objects much better than in VisualMill. I am very interested to see new version of RhinoCAM.