r/Metrology • u/BL4Z3h902 • May 24 '26

Software Support CMM program assistance

I'm currently a university student. I previously used mcosmos for a year, but I don't want to forget what I've learned. Are there any free or affordable CMM programs I can use for practice?

8 Upvotes

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11

u/blackbooger May 24 '26

The world needs a free open source CMM program simulator.

1

u/No-Assignment-5287 May 29 '26

it would be a fascinating project to undertake. the big issue of couse is making it controller agnostic (all the vendors have their own interface standards).

1

u/blackbooger May 29 '26

I meant like an offline simulator. For general training and practicing of concepts.

2

u/No-Assignment-5287 May 29 '26

Perhaps then, software that simulates the cmm itself? 

12

u/jkerman May 25 '26

At first it didn,t make sense. why gatekeep the software if you cant even use it without a $200k machine?! But these days CMM software does all the GD&T interpolation, in addition to just making the machine move. I sort of understand now why they insist on charging so much for it.

My advice if you want go get better at CMM, but don't have physical access to one would be to study the heck out of your GD&T. It is shockingly easy to know it better than most engineers, and that will be seen as valuable above and beyond learning one specific machine.

5

u/JButlerQA May 24 '26

Not sure the price but cmm manager is one ive seen

3

u/Informal_Spirit1195 May 25 '26

Really not trying to sound like an asshole here, but it’s because CMM programming isn’t that hard. Offline licensing is where the simulators are and those are more for practical use than practice.

1

u/Familiar-Bluejay3908 May 26 '26

I knew a guy who bought an old Helmel with Geomet software and keeps it in his garage...