RE: Maestro alternatives

From: Deak, Steve (SDeak@hasbro.com)
Date: Wed Apr 08 1998 - 15:03:10 EEST


We use both Vista (3D Systems Maestro) and Bridgeworks (Solid Concepts) for
support generation. Bridgeworks seems to recognize and adequately support
edge features and knife edges Vista seems to miss. Bridgeworks supports
also show up better in the View program so you can see what you're getting.
Vista supports need to be viewed in the Vista Program to adequately render
supports on the screen. We also use SupportSlice (Solid Concepts) to slice
our bridgeworks supports while we use Maestro to slice Vista supports.

Vista has a lot of graphical user interface and flexibility if you want to
mess around with each individual support. Using Bridgeworks, we typically
run the program from a UNIX command line, quickly View, slice and run as we
are very confident in the support structures we generate.

Solid Concepts can be reached at 805-257-9300. I have not priced the
software for a few years, but I seem to believe the price was $6500 for
Bridgeworks and another $1000 for Support Slice. Like most software, you
can get a 30 day trial to check it out.

It all comes down to recognition of geometry and what software will work
better.

____________________________________________________
Steve Deak e-mail: sdeak@hasbro.com
Manager-Rapid Prototyping voice: (+1) 513-579-3270
Hasbro, Incorporated fax: (+1) 513-579-3250
615 Elsinore Place
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202 USA "Our Business is FUN!"

> ----------
> From: Monica & Glenn Whiteside[SMTP:SiderWhite@worldnet.att.net]
> Reply To: SiderWhite@worldnet.att.net
> Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 1998 9:49 PM
> To: rp-ml@ltk.hut.fi
> Subject: Maestro alternatives
> Importance: High
>
> Dear RP-ML:
>
> Has anybody out there found a more efficient and user-friendly substitute
> for Maestro?
>
> We are running 60-70 hour builds (platform is full of parts) and having
> trouble with some of the taller supports floating away - we try to review
> and modify any questionable supports but in large builds this can chew up
> a
> lot of time given the relatively poor graphical interface of Vista and
> View
> (we found we have to use the "Custom Draw Supports" option often to get a
> true idea of the support cross sections).
>
> In reading information on Materialise's Magics RP, they say they can
> generate supports and slice to the desired format. I assume this means
> you
> obtain a .bff file you can run on a SLA? What's the price of Magics RP?
>
> Any other recommended part positioning/support generating/slicing RP
> software out there for stereolithography and what is the price per seat?
>
> Any help would be appreciated.
>
> Glenn Whiteside
> Cessna Aircraft
> e-mail: siderwhite@worldnet.att.net
> or gwhiteside@cessna.textron.com
>
>
>
>
> For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/
>

For more information about the rp-ml, see http://ltk.hut.fi/rp-ml/



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