Updates:
11/13/09  Fixed a bug or 2, added translation on update to preserve geometry location.

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This Program serves as a bridge between Alibre Design CAD and CamBam CAM. Geometry can be easily imported into CamBam, where machining operations (MOPs) can be applied.  Any updates to the original geometry made in Alibre Design can be 'updated' in CamBam, while preserving existing MOPs. CamBam is a mature robust CAM program available at a very reasonable price.



The program is provided at no charge with a yet to be determined license. I tend to lean towards LGPL. The link is on the left for source via a Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 C# project (Express should work fine) and with precompiled binaries in a subdirectory for copying to a new CamBam plugins folder.

How it Works;
The Bridge runs as a CamBam Addon. I placed it in its own AD2CB folder in the CamBam/Plugins directory. I found that I also needed to copy/move the AlibreX.dll from the AD2CB Plugins directory up a level to the main CamBam program directory.

When you start CamBam, you should see AD2CB plugin listed in the Plugins menu.  Now would be a good time to open an Alibre Design Part file. In AD select either features or sketches. I have been selecting features for consistency. It is really not important which, as long as you select the same feature or sketch later when you update. When the geometry is imported to CB, it creates a new CAD layer with the same name as what you selected. You can import 2 ways into CB. From the plugins menu, AD2CB plugin, select Get Selected or Get Selected as Polyline.  The first choices retrieves all geometry but keeps it in its native form, lines, arcs, circles and points. If you plan on doing profile or pocket MOPs, then you probably want to choose as Polyline. Importing circles and points as Polylines causes no problems, and they remain their native types.  You can select multiple items in AD or single selection. Note in the menu is a checked item to Exclude Reference Geometry. If you want to bring reference geometry along, simply uncheck the menu item before performing the Get.

Once the geometry is in CB, go ahead and add MOPs as you normally would.

Now the cool part; we are already a step beyond what importing a DXF file would have done. First you didn't have to select lines and arcs, convert to Polylines, and then join. Ok, we already saved some time. But if you go back to AD, edit sketch, exit sketch edit, make sure the same feature or sketch you selected earlier is selected, and in CB do a AD2CB->Update Selected Geometry. Your updated geometry should appear in CB! If you regenerate the tool paths, you will see it follow the new geometry. Keep in mind that programs do not need to remain open or coupled to accomplish this. You can work independently in either program. Whenever you want to update, simply run both and select the feature or sketch you wish to update in AD, then perform the Update Selected Geometry from CB. 

In order for this to work, I make some assumptions that will affect the way you design. First and foremost, the update process assumes that if a MOP uses any old geometry, the entire list of geometries is emptied and replaced with that from the update. What this means is don't mix items from different layers in CB when you create MOPs. One CAD layer in CB is one MOP target. You can create as many MOPs from that layer as you want, but do not use items from different layers in the same MOP if you want to be able to update later.  You can add or remove items within a layer in AD. Any new items will be part of the existing MOPs. For example, a drill pattern of 10 holes in a sketch can be expanded to 16 holes, updated and tool paths will be generated for all 16 holes.

A couple of current restrictions;
As of this time the Alibre API does not give enough information to handle Mirror features. If I can make it work I will, but it does not at this time. Update All has not been coded, but should be along soon. 

The combination may or may not work with 3D, I have not tried it as 3D CNC is not a level I have reached yet, but obviously both Alibre design and CamBam have full 3D capabilities.

Let me know via email any other quirks or  suggestions you find or have.

Mike

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