On Sat, 15 Feb 2014 04:16:10 -0800 (PST), robobass
wrote:

I just attended a Demo/hands on seminar yesterday in Germany. The thing is amazing. It is not only super user friendly, but you can do all kinds of stuff, from calculating mass, volume, and strength, to super realistic rendering. All for a price I can't afford! My last CadCam program was Bobcad 17. Things have evolved. This seems like a very serious option for people in industry, but I am a sole proprietor. I am looking at a tabletop trammel based 3 axis CNC mill to reduce the outsourcing costs I'm now paying. Can anyone recommend a software package which would have decent surfacing capability and be easy to use in the under 2k range?

For surfacing I'd consider Rhino.
http://www.rhino3d.com/

Machine design/assembly modeling.
https://www.alibre.com/products/mainpage.asp

Don't get seduced by slick demos by an expert operator working on a
task he's chosen. SW is a capable modeler, but I wouldn't call it
"super user friendly" compared to its peers. SW is the third 3d
modeler I've used because it's what my current batch of customers use.
I wouldn't be upset, except for the pain in time and money, if I had
to switch to something else.

--
Ned Simmons