What I see on the Cam Style Video but can't find on my version,

[Desertrunner]

I notice down the bottom that you were getting a estimate time to run each part of the program.  Were is that part turned on in the program?  Also can't find that arrows you mention the version I have is 9.8e.
Tony

[10bulls]

Hi Tony,

There is a 0.9.8F version available from the downloads page
http://www.cambam.info/downloads/
There were quite a lot of changes between E and F.

There will shortly be a 'G' update soon with some extra bug fixes - as soon as we finish running some more checks.

For the diagnostic messages, in Tool Options or the new System tab, Configuration section, you will find an option called DiagnosticLevel.  Increasing this to 2 will display a few more messages like the time estimates.  These estimates are also in the 0.9.7 release.

The time estimates aren't too accurate at the moment with a number of parameters hard coded in (which is why they are rather hidden away).  However they can be useful when comparing relative results between operations with differing parameters.
In 0.9.8 there is the beginning of machine definition libraries.  The plan is to link the properties of the machine definitions such as velocities and accelerations into the toolpath estimates to provide a hopefully more accurate result.  This has been earmarked for 0.9.9.

[Bob La Londe]

By not accurate do you mean 5 minutes over an hour or 2 hours vs 1 hour? 

Getting an idea if a job will take 5-6 hours VS 9-10 without having to run the simulated tool run in Mach (which takes a long time if running 80-100K lines of code) would be awesome. 

I didn't know that feature was there.  I would have already been using it to save time. Sometimes there are more than a couple different ways to make a cut.  Particulary when roughing.

[10bulls]

The main source of inaccuracies are:

. For rapids, a speed of 600 is hard coded in.  For metric files this isn't too bad but for drawings in inches this will no doubt be quite off the mark.

. Acceleration and deceleration is not factored into the calculation

. Cross over moves and rapids between machining operations are not factored in.

As a test, I ran the skull-big-foam sample roughing pass (~9k lines).  The diagnostic message reported 52 minutes.  Mach3 simulation reported 1:09.
I would expect the estimate to be quite a bit worse for inch drawings.

As mentioned, once we link acceleration and rapid velocities to the machine library this estimate should improve a lot.  However I would expect the estimation to take longer when using acceleration, so this would probably become a separate 'Analyse Toolpath' operation rather than tagged onto the toolpath generation.

As you say, there are many different ways to make cuts so it can be useful comparing estimates even if the absolute time estimate is off.  Apologies the option is hidden away like that.

[Bob La Londe]

I have to say the way you respond to us as users and never seem to take criticism negatively even if its stupid criticism is absolutely amazing to me. 

With software as decent as this, free upgrades, excellent support, one on one interaction with your users, and a pretty good price compared to similar packages you may one day have the number 1 CAM program on the market.   Cerrtainly I think it should be number one for HSMs.  The only thing you don't have that some of the more expensive packages have is easy 4+ axis, and tombstone type machining... and that's not "easy" anyway. 

I am going to have to study your lathe stuff one day too.  Eventually, I'll put motors on the mini lathe...  well right after I swap it for a better lathe.  LOL. 

[lloydsp]

Yeah, Bob, I have to agree.  Andy is tops, and the software is, also.

I have to bank Monday, then I'm buying the package. 

Andy, I cut my first "real" metal with CAMBAM this weekend, after "air milling" for about a week.

I still have those obtuse Bridgeport text and Z translation issues, but so far, they are pretty easy to solve with a text editor.

OTOH, I got the old R2E4 drip-feeding successfully, and was able to run a part directly from the CAMBAM (edited) output that turned out just exactly like the drawings!

THANKS!  This is the upcoming HSM package, and HSMs have a big voice among job-shop owners, too.

LLoyd