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Vector Cad-Cam is a low cost, CNC programming system. By drawing complex shapes on the IBM-PC compatible screen, the user can produce G-code with the click of a button. It is useful for programming CNC milling machines, lathes and turning centers, 2 or 4 axis wire EDM, and other table based machines, such as lasers, routers, water jet, and arc & plasma cutters. Capabilities for all these machines are included with the program. There is a single option for Vector, that allows one to program a rotary 4th axis on a mill, or a lathe with a rotary spindle axis & driven tooling. Vector is equally comfortable using metric or inch units.
Vector has automatic Lathe roughing and finishing routines. For milling there are spiral and horizontal pocketing strategies, with automatic finish pass development with or without use of G41/42 cutter comp, also with or without islands and approaches. A related function allows one to make multiple passes in Z, including a finish pass of any 2d or 3D contoured shape.
Offset curves can be developed for tool centerpath programming. There are functions for rectangles, ellipses, approach & depart, Connect at Z. Filleting and chamfering can be done to a single or all entities selected. All drawn entities can be modified without redrawing. Spline curves can be fitted through a series of points, and arcs can be fitted to modify a spline curve. Tru-type fonts can be turned into machinable tool paths. There is a pipette function that allows the properties of one object to be injected into another.
Vector is a full time 3D system. It can be used to visualize a wireframe part from any angle. The draftsmen's productivity is greatly enhanced by features such as the Paste, which allows translation, rotation, scaling, mirroring, and multiple copies from a single dialog. It also has paste to multiple snap points, and paste with respect to a movable origin. Vector supports multiple documents, and simultaneous multiple views of the same document. There is also support for linking and embedding of external objects. This enables Vector to display external Excel tables, or Word documents as part of a Vector drawing, and also allows Vector drawings to be included in printed reports and faxes.
The origin in Vector can be positioned and oriented anywhere in 3D space. All G-code generated is relative to the then current origin position.
Vector can generate a properly compensated 3D tool path from a wireframe, with it's skin function. Shapes can be extruded through other shapes with the X or Y extrusion. Flat or contoured shapes can be wrapped around an axis to produce surfaces of rotation . Wrapped cylinders can actually have many different forms, include tapers, cylinders, Spheres, ellipse, and virtually any uniform shape around an axis. There is a planar clipping function to slice excess air cuts from 3D geometry.
The CNC code generator in Vector is very versatile, allowing the user to configure nearly any CNC machine, even those that do not understand G-code. The configurations can be set up to ask for variables during generation of G-code, also there is a scripting capability that allows for input of up to 15 variables and after calculation, results can be automatically added to the output file. Any Vector drawing can have multiple CNC programs for different machines or different operations.
Vector can import DXF files, up through Autocad 2000, and Bobcad for Dos, .dgn files. Additionally geometry can be developed externally from spreadsheets or external programs and imported either through the windows clipboard, or through file import. This enables programming of family of parts with automatic generation of Cad geometry. The latest addition to Vector is an external programmability that enables an external program to actually take control of Vector and operate it through it's DDE server.
With the selection of a cutting path, Vector will calculate the length of cut and the time required to cut. Vector also includes a flat sheet layout that lets the user specify the rows and columns to calculate the required sheet size, or given the sheet size will calculate the possible rows and columns.
Custom configuration (post processors) for industrial as well as most popular, hobby machine, controllers are available.
A V-tip engraving program called Vfontz has recently been developed. With Vfontz and Vector, the user can quickly develop the tool paths to incise any Tru-type characters into a flat surface.
The English Language version of Vector-cam is distributed in North America and throughout most of the world by IMService. For inquiries in Benelux, Germany, and Switzerland, please contact Centriforce Europe.
Contact information:
IMService
P.O. Box 142
New Hudson, MI 48165
imserv@imsrv.com
http://www.imsrv.com
Voice: 248-486-3600 or 800-386-1670
Fax: 248-486-3698
Centriforce Europe: http://www.centriforce.net/