i searched and didnt find any 1 mega thread that had lots of Q&A for the TM cad software, is there one? ive used autocad (auto desk software) for about 15yrs and microstation (Bentley Systems software) for 5-6yrs off and on...... so far all i have found my tm cad good for is putting me to sleep confused. ...... i know its going to take some getting used to and have plenty of questions..... if there is an better place to ask them please point me in the right direction. im sure its like anything w/ changing software platforms, once the growing pains of new things are gone it will take off...... or so i hope.

:bert:

Have you read through the Torchmate CAD User's guide? I would say 90% of the information you need in order to draw or scan parts can be found there, anything else feel free to ask away.

There isn't one "master" CAD question thread as of yet.

ive read it a few times, it makes for a good reason to not watch any of the "real house wives of......." bs shows my wife seems to be overly into as of late....... so far my biggest dislike is the lack of command line use... tool bars are so 1973......... haha.... any hoot... its just an learning curve that ill get used to.... as of now i am not so sure i should have bought the TM cad...... once i get the macehan up and running i am sure some light will shine as to why i needed to spend the money on it.

With your knowledge of Autocad, I am guessing that you will be more comfortable doing all of your drawing in that. The primary benefit in the Torchmate CAD for you will be in sequencing the cuts, toolpathing for kerf compensation, adding lead-in's/out's and nesting. Have you been to this page on our website:

http://torchmate.com/technical_support/torchmate_cad_version_7_and_8/

It has some walk throughs as to how to use the above features. Also, don't be afraid to call in and have these guys takeover your screen at home and show you what it can do to help your processes. Right now there are four of them logged in downstairs waiting for a phone call.

Bill

I have a similar AutoCAD background to you and found straight away that the Torchmate CAD is perfect for sequencing your cuts and adding tool compensation and lead-ins.
Other than that there isn't much point trying to learn all of it's features if you are already proficient in AutoCAD.

I do ALL of my drawing in AutoCAD, and basically just use the Torchmate CAD as a pre-post-processor for creating the G-Code. It is PERFECT for that.

I already own bobcad v23 will it work as well as torchmate cad ?

I already own bobcad v23 will it work as well as torchmate cad ?

BobCAD does work, we have a 2d Plasma cutting post script for it, as well as a 3d routing post script for it. BobCAD gives you the toolpathing ability as the Torchmate CAD does. I don't know for sure if it will sequence all of the inside cuts before the outside cuts though.

Some of us (I may be a minority in this) have zero CAD experience. The learning curve for TM-CAD light has been pretty steep at times.
I went through a great deal of struggling to locate the bolt holes for a set beadlocks and someone on here saved me (after I had done it by hand) and let me know about the array feature and how to use it. Pretty easy to do it that way.

A thread with tips, hints and how to's would benefit people like me to no end.

I have been thinking about this a good bit today. A thread that has a weekly posting in it about a feature of TM-Cad in it would be pretty cool.

An example;

A how-to with a walk through on how to use the different weld features. Add a dxf that could be downloaded and whoever wants to can walk through the same steps as the how-to.



I know there are a bunch of features in TM-CAD that I would use if I knew what they are and how they worked a little better.

I would say 90% of the information you need in order to draw or scan parts can be found there, anything else feel free to ask away.



I have found this to be true for the most part. While the manual will not necessarily show you exactly how to draw your particular part, it will at the very least show you the tools that you need to get there.

I'm like Soundman, I had very little to no cad experience when I bought my machine a little over a year ago. I had a real hard time stumbling through the ins and outs of TMcad. Then as I became more comfortable with its features and figured out a few work arounds, the parts that were taking me a long time to draw at the beginning are now taking me just a few minutes.

My main complaint with it lately is while in normal mode, when I zoom in, the drawing will recenter and zoom at the same time. While in node edit, it will only zoom in on the screen as it is currently centered. This gets annoying when trying to zoom in on a small cluster of nodes that aren't in the center of the screen.

My main complaint with it lately is while in normal mode, when I zoom in, the drawing will recenter and zoom at the same time. While in node edit, it will only zoom in on the screen as it is currently centered. This gets annoying when trying to zoom in on a small cluster of nodes that aren't in the center of the screen.

i noticed the same thing, i was thinking maybe i had something setup screwy.... its not the end of the world but a tad annoying

Yeah, it almost seems that the zoom and recenter feature would be more useful in the node edit mode than in the normal view mode.

I know there are a bunch of features in TM-CAD that I would use if I knew what they are and how they worked a little better.

One of the best features that has routinely saved me from starting over on a drawing is the undo and redo navigators. You don't realize how many commands you give the cad program until you need to go back about 15 or so commands due to missing one key step in the drawing that needed to be done before moving forward.

I've also used the undo command repeatedly as a way to learn what different functions do. Just select something and give it a command, if you don't like what it did then ctrl-z and try again. This is very helpful when welding complex shapes when you aren't sure how it will actually weld them together.

One of the best features that has routinely saved me from starting over on a drawing is the undo and redo navigators. You don't realize how many commands you give the cad program until you need to go back about 15 or so commands due to missing one key step in the drawing that needed to be done before moving forward.

I've also used the undo command repeatedly as a way to learn what different functions do. Just select something and give it a command, if you don't like what it did then ctrl-z and try again. This is very helpful when welding complex shapes when you aren't sure how it will actually weld them together.

It's very reassuring to know that if you try something and it doesn't work, a short key stroke or menu command will fix everything!

are there any demo or short lesson videos hidden on the web somewhere showing the masters of TM Cad at work that us new guys could check out? i searched and didnt come up w/ anything useful.

thanks

While in node edit, it will only zoom in on the screen as it is currently centered. This gets annoying when trying to zoom in on a small cluster of nodes that aren't in the center of the screen.

If you want to zoom in on a small cluster an easy way to do that is to hit F5 and draw a selection box around the nodes you want to zoom in on and F6 will zoom out in steps.

If you want to zoom in on a small cluster an easy way to do that is to hit F5 and draw a selection box around the nodes you want to zoom in on and F6 will zoom out in steps.

Nice.. I'm gonna have to mess around with that.

With your knowledge of Autocad, I am guessing that you will be more comfortable doing all of your drawing in that. The primary benefit in the Torchmate CAD for you will be in sequencing the cuts, toolpathing for kerf compensation, adding lead-in's/out's and nesting. Have you been to this page on our website:

http://torchmate.com/technical_support/torchmate_cad_version_7_and_8/

It has some walk throughs as to how to use the above features. Also, don't be afraid to call in and have these guys takeover your screen at home and show you what it can do to help your processes. Right now there are four of them logged in downstairs waiting for a phone call.

Bill


Added to favorites, thank you.

I'd like to wake this thread up.

I'm sure that I'm not the only guy that finds himself looking at the older posts trying to find something useful

Here is one for someone that has the time to answer

Node editing.
After you use your shape tool and make for example a square, then take said square, weld it to a rectangle.....
now when I double click on it to get into the node editing....I'm missing three functions in the node tools (if they are called that).
The convert to sharp node
Convert to Round Node
and Convert to tangent node to be specific

I have read the CAD users giude....several times.

anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks

I think you can either do a convert to curves or convert to polyarc, can't remember which one off hand, and it will create sharp nodes at all of the "points" in the drawing. This has left me perplexed before as well but I did find a work around for it, just can't remember which "convert" function it is.

Since Soundman brought this back up I have another one I've been stumped on several times and have yet to figure it out.

Sometimes on more complex drawings, when I create a toolpath, some of the lead-ins need to just have the angle adjusted and some need to be completely relocated. If I make a bunch of angle adjustments and then relocate any one lead-in, the entire drawing reverts back to the original toolpath. You can magine the frustration with going through a drawing and then having every little detail you just adjusted suddenly disappear.

I think the toolpath logic is a bit off at times. I was cutting a part with the letter M in it. I set the lead in to .12 and angle at 90. It created the start point way up inside the sharp angle of the letter. It did not "connect" the tool paths but it was so close when it cut the M fell out before the cut was complete the torch dipped below the plate level and got hung up. If I was one second later on the space bar and I would have broken yet another torch.

Is there a setting to adjust how close it creates lead in's to other cut lines, because its a PITA to go thru and adjust start points and if you miss one like I did yesterday you get a paper weight.

Sometimes on more complex drawings, when I create a toolpath, some of the lead-ins need to just have the angle adjusted and some need to be completely relocated. If I make a bunch of angle adjustments and then relocate any one lead-in, the entire drawing reverts back to the original toolpath.

Is there a setting to adjust how close it creates lead in's to other cut lines,

There is an option when creating the tool path on the Lean In Tab you can check Adjust Start Point and below that you can check Place Lead in on longest segment, so it does not place a lead in on a corner.
After lead-ins are created if you change the location of a lead in it will revert all your lead-ins to the defined angle when the tool path was first created. So before changing an angle of a lead in first change any locations that need to be moved then change any angles and click Apply.

I think you can either do a convert to curves or convert to polyarc, can't remember which one off hand, and it will create sharp nodes at all of the "points" in the drawing. This has left me perplexed before as well but I did find a work around for it, just can't remember which "convert" function it is.

See,
I'm pretty sure that I did it once, but it would have been on accident and can't for the life of me figure out how to get those last three node func
tions back in there.....again

If your object is a polyarc than you wont get the option to change to a sharp, radius or tangent node. To switch back and forth between polyarc and polygon click on Arrange then Conver To.

that was it!

thank you

I know that I did it once, but it was by accident....now I know

here's my current torchmate cad problem. i cant load it onto my new dedicated shop laptop due to the new laptop not having a CD drive. anyone have an tip for how i can load torchmate cad via download or flash stick?

here's my current torchmate cad problem. i cant load it onto my new dedicated shop laptop due to the new laptop not having a CD drive. anyone have an tip for how i can load torchmate cad via download or flash stick?

Copy the cd files onto a jump drive. I have to do that on our dell mini.

I got a text question.
Is there a way to get the tm cad to space letters so that you don't have to convert the text and move the letters individually. Ive had a few things i made that looked nice on the screen but once i cut then the letters were way to close together and left paper thin metal between the letters.

I got a text question.
Is there a way to get the tm cad to space letters so that you don't have to convert the text and move the letters individually. Ive had a few things i made that looked nice on the screen but once i cut then the letters were way to close together and left paper thin metal between the letters.

You can have the software display the tool path width. That will show you how thin the metal between letters will be as long as you put the kerf width in when you apply it.

OK, here is another one

after you send your part to be cut, and decide you want to modify it, how do you send it back to CAD?

(please tell me you can sent it back to CAD)

OK, here is another one

after you send your part to be cut, and decide you want to modify it, how do you send it back to CAD?

(please tell me you can sent it back to CAD)

You export the tool path to be cut. Save the .cdl file in TMCad Without the tool path so you can modify or reload it in the future. You should end up with a library full of .cdl files. You can import the .dxf file that you cut back into TMCad again, but it will be the tool path with lead-in's, lead-out's and kerf compensation.

as soon as I figure all of this out, I'm going to build a space shuttle with this effer

Copy the cd files onto a jump drive. I have to do that on our dell mini.

i have no idea how i would do this. i cant even get my laptops to talk to each other over the network. they see the web and thats about it. is it as simple as copying the cd onto a flash stick?

thanks

How do most people transfer files to their shop computer?

How do most people transfer files to their shop computer?

so far i have been using a flash drive. i hope to get my computers to talk to each other so i can have a public folder or something they all can read files from over the network. its hard becoming my own IT guy and learning the torchmate cad at the same time :eek:

How do most people transfer files to their shop computer?

I just use a cheapo laptop for all of the stuff I am doing with my TM table. I just take the computer with all the files on it to the shop. :smokin:

How do most people transfer files to their shop computer?
I leave all my work on the shop computer. If you have your shop computer on a network you can just use (Remote Desktop) a built in windows program.
You can just leave the Dongle in the shop computer all the time and do you design work from anywhere on the network. It works great and keeps all my files in one place.

i have no idea how i would do this. i cant even get my laptops to talk to each other over the network. they see the web and thats about it. is it as simple as copying the cd onto a flash stick?

thanks

I sent you a PM, I hope it helps.

does anyone know what version of an DXF file from auto cad works best with torchmate cad? i have 2011 auto cad and have 7 different versions of DXF files i can "saveas" into DXF format. if i had too guess id say one is probably more compatible with torchmate cad than another but im unable to figure out what one is best so far due to my lack of understanding of torchmate cad.

Since Soundman brought this back up I have another one I've been stumped on several times and have yet to figure it out.

Sometimes on more complex drawings, when I create a toolpath, some of the lead-ins need to just have the angle adjusted and some need to be completely relocated. If I make a bunch of angle adjustments and then relocate any one lead-in, the entire drawing reverts back to the original toolpath. You can magine the frustration with going through a drawing and then having every little detail you just adjusted suddenly disappear.


I've ran into this same problem when adjusting the lead ins. It seems like my setup likes to place lead ins in the worse place possible? If I try to adjust the lead in to let's say "middle of longes segment" then it tends to screw up everything and place weird lines all over the drawing???

The guys at TM did give me a useful tip in setting up the lead ins. Once you delete the drawing and your only left with the cut file you can double click on the cut file to bring up a node edit. There will be a tool bar pop up along the top and if you look in the upper right of tool bar you will see what looks like a small drill bit. If you "hover" on the drill bit you will see it says "lead in edit" or something like that. Click on it and it allows you to place lead ins anywhere you want with a simple click. And I've never had any of them switch back on me. I just zoom back a bit and go crazy placing lead ins in a more appropriate place. Sometimes this is still a pain in the ass because it takes a little time...especially when you have lots of lead ins. Makes me wish the software would place them in a better spot to beging with!

The above information is also helpful when you go into node edit of a "cut file" because you can shift the nodes around a little to gain more space if there is a tight area in your cut! Or if you have some stand alone pierce points that aren't needed you can draw a box around nodes to select them all and then delete them.

I got a text question.
Is there a way to get the tm cad to space letters so that you don't have to convert the text and move the letters individually.

Yes there is, while you are in text edit mode you want to highlight the text you want to change and them modify the Kern percent value, it will be the icon right above the superscript and subscript settings.

How do most people transfer files to their shop computer?

I just put my computers on the same Microsoft Network, and then shared a CNC folder on my main PC. I connect wirelessly to my network, and created a shortcut to the network shared folder.

I read where someone about destroyed their cadlite dongle (USB Thumb drive) after hitting it into a door. That is when I decided to place mine in the back of the main PC (where kids don't touch it), and then just share out my folder on the network.

Works well.

i got fed up with the bob cad software and decided to put it and 3d modeling on the back burner for now. i bought the TMcad full version and an extra security dongel so i can have full mobility with the program.

when the software came via fedex it came with two disks and one secrity dongel

first disk just says torchmate 8.0 and the serial # of my origonal dongel
the second disk says torchmate 8.0 and the serial # matches the one on the new dongel

am i correct in assuming that the security sticks will only work with the program installed by the coresponding disk?

You can have the software display the tool path width. That will show you how thin the metal between letters will be as long as you put the kerf width in when you apply it.


This sounds like it would save me quite a bit of headache. To determine my Kirf width, would I just make a cut a measure the width and then input that as noted above?

am i correct in assuming that the security sticks will only work with the program installed by the coresponding disk?

No, you can install both computers using the same disk, but the license files on the dongle determine what computer it will work with. The license files are copied from the dongle and placed in the torchmate cad directory during the install.

Is there a shortcut key I can use that will turn an imported pict on and off so I can see what I have traced with my tablet?

why cant i use the space bar in the customize shortcuts menu?


i want to assign the space bar to pan the drawing.

not sure if this is an Torchmate cad or a Torchmate 3 (the driver software not the CNC table) problem but its driving me nuts and all the reading i can feed my eyes isnt helping me find an solution.

i draw a square in auto cad (2011) save it as an DXF file, open TM cad and import the DXF file and proceed to setup the tool path. all seems well and during preview things look ok. now here is where my issues pops up........ i open the Torchmate 3 software, import the DXF file and........ my square is not goofy, the lead-in some how adjusted one of my squares sides the exact amount of the lead-in off square. say i do an .25" lead-in, one line will be up at one end .25" off from its corner spot leading me to have a goofy shape part that is no longer a true square. and to boot........ the tool path will go down that same .25" it was off track back toward the correct corner.

i have retried making the same part a few ways,.........

starting in autocad with an squre created w/ a command listing out the size of the sides so the object was created 100% closed and pure.

starting in autocad with an poly-line working on a grid to make a perfect square thats a closed line by using the "close" command to finish the last side.

starting in autocad with an poly-line working on a grid making a perfect square that is closed by physically drawing the last side of the square then ending the command leaving a closed line.

starting in autocad with lines that are drawing one at a time making a square then joining them to create a closed poly line.

im sure i spaced out a few other ways but thats not the point............

all of these have rendered me the same end result. a square that looks perfect in TM cad but after making the tool path and such dosnt come in a a perfect square in the TM3 software.

obviously i can make a sqare in the TM cad..... im dumbing down what im really wanting to cut, just to test the waters with all these different software packages and swapping files between them.

i have had luck with round shapes, but anything with any kind of shape that remotely looks like a square i get this problem.

i have read the help file for the TM3 software and nothing seems to help that i have tried.

i have also read thru the TM cad book and help file with no magic setting that i have screwed up.

i am flabbergasted what is causing this problem. if i dont use a lead-in, i dont have the problem. but........ well sad as it is, i need a lead-in to get a fair quality piece.

i thought id get lucky and it was simply something as easy as unclicking something like the "optimize toolpath" option or something. but so far i haven't found the magic to beat this issue.

i hope this is something so basic to the point im made fun of for years over not being able to see the bright text saying how to fix this some where that i missed. cuz....... the shame will be worth having parts that cut properly.

:confused:


here is a screen shot of an file i was trying to get cut today but cant get to cut properly.

the green shows the area where the line is pulled off square.

the blue shows the amount the pulled off square line has been raised to the end point of my "lead-in". if i set zero lead-in, this does not happen. i have made about 10 different files some perfectly square, some with curves and some with other shapes mid way on the parts all with the same problem if i use an lead-in.

http://jessdawg.com/web/photos/TM/tm%20pic.jpg


here is the part in TM cad after i imported it and just before i make the tool path.

http://jessdawg.com/web/photos/TM/tm-2.jpg