ALPHACAM release history

ALPHACAM 2025.1: Enhanced Capabilities and Streamlined Workflows

This latest release brings significant advancements focused on improving the user experience, enhancing clarity, and expanding manufacturing possibilities.

Key highlights and new capabilities:

GUI - Improved Solid Model Rendering

• Solid models are now loaded with better tolerance by default. They appear smoother with more defined edges.
  
  Benefits:

• Less need to constantly Refresh (CTRL + R) to regenerate the model at higher tolerances.
• Provides a better workflow and user experience when working with solids.

GUI – Improved Display Options

• Includes a new Saw Display Option that provides a visual representation of the saw to scale. It indicates details like direction, depth of cut, saw extents, and cut extents.
• Ghost Tools are now colored the same as their associated Geometry.
  
  Benefits:

• Offers clearer verification of saw toolpaths.
• Provides improved clarity of cut and geometry directions.
• Leads to a better overall understanding of the drawing.

Advanced 5-Axis – Updated to Latest Version and Libraries

• Updated to the latest machining library, including new features, improvements, and bug fixes.
• New tooling options are available, such as user-defined shaft profiles and enhanced barrel mill parameters.
• Provides improved control over multi-axis roughing, swarf, and surface machining cycles.
• Includes More Advanced Tooling types.
  
  Benefits:

• Offers greater flexibility with advanced tool definitions and motion strategies.
• Ensures more consistent and accurate simulation and toolpath generation.

Aspire for ALPHACAM – Updated to Latest Version, V12

• Integrated with Aspire V12, offering a fully modernized and streamlined user interface.
• Includes enhanced 3D CAD tools like sketch carving, cross-sectioning, and vector creation directly in the 3D view.
• Features improved workspace layout and responsiveness with better DPI scaling and panel management.
  
  Benefits:

• Results in a more refined interface and clearer visuals.
• Reduces mouse travel and improves layout efficiency.
• New tools increase design control and flexibility.

Reports - Filled Color Images for Parts and Nested Sheets

• Colored parts and Nested Sheets can now be visually represented directly in Reports.
  
  Benefits:

• Parts are easier to identify on sheets from the Parts List.
• Makes it simpler to spot errors or inconsistencies in the nesting layout.
• Reports are more visually engaging and easier to interpret.

Automation Manager – Workflow Improvements

• New "Show Missing Machining Styles" Button highlights Layer Mapping Setups with missing machining styles, improving error visibility.
• "Highlight Unused Setups" Feature identifies and marks Layer Mapping Setups that are not actively used or set as default.
• Minimum 3D Bounding Box Alignment option added for irregular-shaped solid parts, aligning the longest edge to the X or Y-axis.
• Multi-Select Job File Processing allows selecting multiple Job Files or CDM Doors using CTRL + click to process in one action.
  
  Benefits:

• Instantly identifies missing machining styles and unused setups, reducing setup errors and investigation time.
• Enables batch/partial job processing.
• Allows quick recognition of redundant configurations, streamlining workflows.
• Provides more optimal rotation and placement of irregular parts, improving material usage and nesting quality.
• Makes data easier to organize and the manager easier to use.

ALPHACAM 2025.1 delivers powerful updates designed to enhance productivity and precision for manufacturers.

ALPHACAM 2024.1 brings a wide range of enhancements and new functionality that allows users to more quickly generate NC output and safely machine high quality parts.

UI Enhancements

• Updated UI Themes
  A streamlined list of both light and dark themes improves the user experience and makes the software more accessible and user-friendly.

• New Auto Styles User Interface
  A more functional, usable, and reliable allows customers to take full advantage of ALPHACAM’s Auto Styles functionality.

Simulation Updates

• All-new Solid Simulator
  The new technology includes dedicated tools that have been integrated into the simulator for advanced and varied machining simulation requirements. It allows customers to achieve faster and more accurate simulations for added confidence when running jobs on their CNC machinery.

Nesting Enhancements

• New Rolling Nest extension in Automation Manager
  The addition of the Rolling Nest extension allows customers to reduce scrap by joining and merging parts from one job to the next in nesting calculations. It also adds the ability for full automation in conjunction with Automation Manager’s Folder Watcher functionality.

• New Export Nest List command
  Users can now back up their nest list when nesting parts directly from a drawing with the new Export Nest List command which makes it simple to load the nest list in the future when rerunning or editing the Nest job.

Machining Improvements

• New Chamfer Machining command
  Version 2024.1 adds a new Chamfer Machining command that allows for the easy creation of Chamfer toolpaths on Geometry, Auto Z Geometry, Solid Edges, and Solid Faces. Quickly enter depths and chamfer dimensions, transfer dimensions from design specifications, or automatically shorten toolpaths to avoid collisions, all from a user friendly interface.

• Upgraded CAD Fillet and Chamfer Commands
  Adding fillets and chamfers is now instantaneous with ALPHACAM’s improved commands. An alternate T-Bone fillet to the Bubble variant offers hidden-profiling while the preview function displays potential results before committing.

• New Tool Data Sync Utility
  This new utility syncs Tool Data from the Tool Library to Operations. Users can edit toolpath data across multiple operations, swiftly modify calculated feeds based on selected materials, and verify tool data seamlessly.

More customisabilty, more toolpath control, and real-time labels

The latest release of ALPHACAM features a wide range of updates and enhancements to shorten the time it takes to process and machine parts. From CAD tools and automation routines for processing assemblies and multi-body parts, to toolpath creation, nesting and machining, ALPHACAM 2023.1 increases customisation, improves usability, reduces clicks, and offers greater control over toolpaths and geometries for any manufacturing company looking to speed up their production process.  

Toolpath Creation and Machining 

With an improved Tool Library, preview within machine dialogs, updates to the Rapids Manager and Support Tags, and improvements to open pocketing, roughing, and finishing, the latest release offers users the best toolpath and machining capabilities on the market.

+Label app

We’ve integrated CABINET VISION’s on demand and real-time +Label app into ALPHACAM giving machine operators visual prompts as to which part in the nest to place the label. With touch screen ease of use and fully customisable label designs, this addition will save time and reduce errors.

Rapids Management

The improved Rapids Manager now supports the creation of Cylindrical and Spherical rapids planes. Combined with a new command for inserting Managed Rapids operation for control rapids in specific parts of the machining sequence users can now have multiple different rapids management strategies within the same drawing.

Work Plane Management

Version 2023.1 adds a new one click command called Simplify Work Planes that optimises all Work Planes in the currently opened drawing. It merges and removes all unnecessary Work Planes in addition to finding all that are on the same local Z plane and placing their contents on a single plane while deleting the rest.

Nesting

The latest version improves on ALPHACAM’s industry leading nesting capabilities with the addition of the +Label app, the ability to specify an Inactivity Timeout, a new Join Saw Cuts command, and enhancements to loading Nest Lists and applying Support Tags.

...And much more

Version 2023.1 includes even more enhancements that help customers streamline their CAM programming, including CAD improvements, new automation tools, enhancement to User Layers and much more.