ADX as a viewer etc.

[moyesboy]

ADX as a viewer etc.

Isn't is great that Alibre has alibre xpress avaiable free, so that you can send your work to anyone who can then install xpress and open or even modify your work.
Only drawback is that it is only possible when the two versions are synchronised.
When 9.1 sp1 comes out this week Xpress will be two releases behind.

So unless you are willing to put upgrade on hold until xpress is synchorised, then you can't make use of xpress in this way.

By the way if you hold off on upgrading your full verson then you won't have access to online repositories, team design etc.

I'm not at all suprised this xpress lags behind - I wondered if there was any intention from alibre to keep the two products synchronised or must be expect use of xpress as a viewer to be effectively blocked by version issues most of the time?

Of course the full version will always open the xpress files. Its just a one way street. xpress is of little use to existing alibre customers, only new alibre customers.

Some of you will have realised that if you use the current version install file with an express licence then it may well fire up as express in the latest unreleased version. However I'm not sure that is legal. I'd like clarification on that. The current version install file is not available to registered express users, only full version users on maintenance.

 

[MilesH]

I think it would be a shame if the intention is to hamper this kind of usage. We've only been given technical explanations, so far. I haven't a clue what the commercial considerations are..

 

[JordanCClark]

To toss another log on the fire, new registered users get the 9.1 install, while the rest of us are out in limbo... :cry:

If we're lucky, Alibe will allow us to upgrade straight to SP1...

Regards,

Jordan

 

[indesign]

First off I would like to say that the CD I recieved with Expert says to share with others....It does not say only share with those who do not have Xpress.

Now on to the real issue. I have already convinced one company and have another one very interested in Alibre due to the fact they can open my files in Xpress and see the work done. They want to be able to utilize this as a tool for markups, sales, product verification, etc.

If they had not been able to use the Xpress version of software then I would have been required to send detailed drawings of the part in AC format to both of these companies. We do business with them on a regular basis and that would have required a current version of AC.

Now do you think we would be using Alibre for our design if I had to keep up with this mess? The answer is a simple NO. Without Xpress to convey the design to the customer we would not have been able to get the work, would have upgraded to the latest AC, would not have upgraded to expert Alibre, convinced the other company to purchase a full version of Alibre, etc.. So the use of Xpress is vital to both our company and Alibre and they must be able to open from the full to Xpress.

It may be that this is why Alibre is going to supply the full PDF abilities with Expert though. Then many of these things become mute...however they will have less of an oppertunity for me to sale their product to others. :wink:

 

[moyesboy]

To toss another log on the fire, new registered users get the 9.1 install, while the rest of us are out in limbo...

Gosh :shock: .
so that means that users of express can't necessarily exchange files with eachother, or tell a friend about express get them to install it and share files with them :?

The only reason I could see for a staged roll out of express, and not keeping xpress synchronised with the full version is just a shortage of resource to do it.
This week when they roll out 9.1 sp1 then we'll all hit their server as soon as we fire up. If there were thousands of xpress users doing the same we wouldn't be happy customers.
I guess with each upgrade they must decide which features go into express and which don't - and decide what express will do when it encounters data that it can't edit (such as a drawing section view or a config).
While xpress is not synchronised with the full version then it doesn't really do what it claims to do.

There is an obvious commitment to carry on with xpress in Gregs recent interview with Ralph Grabowski.

 

[gregmilliken]

All,

We want everyone on the latest version for all the reasons you guys raised. Xpress is not going away and the 3D PDF stuff is not intended to replace it, but it will sure be cool in its own right.

Gordon...you hit the nail on the head. The issue is purely operational, and not so much related to resources to do it, but more about managing servers, bandwidth, the CRM that handles licenses and so on.

Our intention is to keep Xpress in sync as quickly as we can, but also to avoid any adverse impact on paying commercial customers downloading new versions and so on. There are some idiosyncracies related to some Xpress users getting a later release based on how they got their version of the product, but these will go away shortly. Everyone should be able to get the latest version by mid-November, but we will always give paid customers priority so if Xpress users have to be delayed slightly to make sure there is no impact on paid users we reserve that right.

To address that in the medium term, we are into a significant project focused on our server which handles online usage including repository publishing, team design, and so on. This is to improve both general performance and reliability, and to do so specifically with a dramatically larger number of users, including those with Xpress. We have some really exciting things planned for Xpress in the future too, so this effort anticipates those as well.

The goal is to get Xpress up to the latest release near simultaneously with the other products.

Hope that helps.

-Greg

 

[MilesH]

Thanks for the reassurance, Greg.

 

[Gaspar]

Greg,

I didn't post on this thread because what I wanted to say was sayed by others.

Using Xpress as a way to share files with clients is one of the many things that makes Alibre such a cool thing and it is so good to have you reasure that it will be in sync with the commercial version.

Thanks as always for listening 8)

 

[moyesboy]

Thanks for the clarification Greg.
One more thing, however.
If the latest install file is used with an express key, then it always seems to work.
If you have downloaded that install file as a paid up customer, is it legal to then supply that install file to an express license holder and for him to instal and use it?
ie when the new version comes out I post a CD to someone I'm working with who only has express, so we can send files back and forth again.
This redistribution may be forbidden in the small print somewhere?

 

[zzedexx]

Re:

Thanks for the clarification Greg.
One more thing, however.
If the latest install file is used with an express key, then it always seems to work.
If you have downloaded that install file as a paid up customer, is it legal to then supply that install file to an express license holder and for him to instal and use it?
ie when the new version comes out I post a CD to someone I'm working with who only has express, so we can send files back and forth again.
This redistribution may be forbidden in the small print somewhere?

i have no idea if there is any fine print involved, but like someone said somewhere else, if u get an installation cd, it is clearly marked as something you are encouraged to share, so i don't see passing the program to an Xpress user so they are on the latest version as being any great difference to that.
:?:
Zed.

 

[JordanCClark]

I just got the option to upgrade my Xpress to 9.1! Woohoo!

Of course, I still don't have all the nifty toys you guys have, but someday... :wink:

Regards,

Jordan