Alibre/Geomagic News
- Thread starter fitzbond
- Start date
Here's why not supplying update news is a bad thing. I may have a chance to upgrade to Solidworks. Its doubtful that it will happen due to the cost involved, maybe a 20% chance, but what if it does? Without supplying occasional news, folks like me won't know if they shouldn't make the switch to another brand. Alibre/Geomagic might be about to release something great, but wouldn't know and I'd go the Solidworks route instead on the basis of what I know I'll get with them.
Whatever, its a different company, obviously, since the move to Geomagic, and not necessarily in a good way.
Bob
Whatever, its a different company, obviously, since the move to Geomagic, and not necessarily in a good way.
Bob
Dcrouch9
Member
I just came back to Alibre/Geomagic due to the subscription offer I just got. I've been away for a while but what I'm reading does not give me a warm fuzzy. If I understand right, Max and others do not participate in the forum any more? I always looked forward to his comments and updates.
RocketNut
Alibre Super User
Dcrouch9 said:
We all miss them. Just the insight of what was going is what I miss. I hate being kept in the dark about whats going on behind the scenes. I also feel there interaction with this forum helped the programers in the back room because they know what problems we are having.
If I understand it right there not allowed to interact because has something to do with 3D is listed on the NewYork Stock Exchange (go figure).
Dcrouch9
Member
Yep, at least it seemed like we had a "voice" on the forum.
Now that it's a big, don't care about the users company, the little Alibre peons just have to live with the crumbs. Face it folks we're just small potatoes. They just wanted the software, not the user base. I don't regret paying for my subscription again because I like and use the software but this may be the last time.
Now that it's a big, don't care about the users company, the little Alibre peons just have to live with the crumbs. Face it folks we're just small potatoes. They just wanted the software, not the user base. I don't regret paying for my subscription again because I like and use the software but this may be the last time.
I talked with Sales regarding my maintenance subscription and about the next release. They told me nothing about the next release. I decided then not renew and they did not seem to care a bit. Isn't that their on-going source of income?
As soon as I find a person (e.g. an intern) to convert (re-model) all of my files I will go to Solid Works. Don't know when this will happen, but it looks inevitable as I have a business that I expect will outlive "Geomagic".
Scott E.
As soon as I find a person (e.g. an intern) to convert (re-model) all of my files I will go to Solid Works. Don't know when this will happen, but it looks inevitable as I have a business that I expect will outlive "Geomagic".
Scott E.
fitzbond said:
Yes, it is true. I explained that the content of the next release would determine if I renewed, as I had been disappointed in the last 2 releases. I was told "That's your choice". Not even a little "we'll miss you", or "we will always be here if you change your mind". 3DS must have different intentions for Alibre. Word of advice to those of you who depend on this software for your business: Start a new 3d software contingency plan...today.
Scott E.
scotte said:
Thanks for the follow up. It must be me this is the second time this has happened to me I find a great great low cost 3D modeler, great support, improvement based on feedback and a larger company takes over and the old company disappears it happened to Ironcad but luckily for them the employees took back the company in a few years but by that time a lot of us were gone because the price went up and the R&D disappeared during that time. Maybe someone else will pick up where these companies left off or I will just have to save up the money and align myself with one of the bigger companies that seem for the moment stable, at least at the moment they seem stable.
This is sad I really enjoyed working with the old company.
Lew_Merrick
Guest
Guys,
Having been orphaned several times during my career I do know exactly your fears. While the chaos of the 3DS takeover of Alibre is not yet cleared, I do have some contacts within the 3DS organization that lead me to hope that we will not only get through this, but come out the other end with even a more powerful, consistent, and simple/fast toolset.
Yes, prices will increase. Have you looked at McDonald's buck menu recently? It is now a two-buck menu. The writing for that is all over the wall!
My contacts suggest to me that a management change in our favor is in the process of occurring. More to the point, there is a dot-level update that has been in the works for a while now that is (supposedly) imminent. The fact that they are willing to hold off updates to do more thorough testing rather than hold slavishly to a schedule is, from my side of the street, a good thing!
One thing in particular that gives me hope is the way in which feature input forms have started moving to a more consistent format. This fix is by no means complete, but it has been getting better over the last few releases. This implies to me that, at some point in the past, the code documentation was allowed to "slide" to the point where it was easier/faster to write a new form rather than to find and use the (what should be) the [/i]product standard form[/i]. Fixing such things after the fact are an RPITA of major proportions. (This is the voice of experience speaking here!) Yes, it is a serious PITA for us users to wait out such an effort, but it would not be being made if 3DS did not have long term plans for the product we use!
To be clear, I am not a spokesman or in any way a member of the 3DS/Geomagic team. Some information has been provided to me in confidence and must stay that way. Most of what I have "disclosed" here is inference from communications I have had with real live 3DS/Geomagic team members. My inferences could well be wrong. However, I am satisfied that 3DS/Geomagic team members are working hard to make Geomagic products truly great.
I do wish that the 3DS management style were more amenable to open forum discussion with their user base.
Having been orphaned several times during my career I do know exactly your fears. While the chaos of the 3DS takeover of Alibre is not yet cleared, I do have some contacts within the 3DS organization that lead me to hope that we will not only get through this, but come out the other end with even a more powerful, consistent, and simple/fast toolset.
Yes, prices will increase. Have you looked at McDonald's buck menu recently? It is now a two-buck menu. The writing for that is all over the wall!
My contacts suggest to me that a management change in our favor is in the process of occurring. More to the point, there is a dot-level update that has been in the works for a while now that is (supposedly) imminent. The fact that they are willing to hold off updates to do more thorough testing rather than hold slavishly to a schedule is, from my side of the street, a good thing!
One thing in particular that gives me hope is the way in which feature input forms have started moving to a more consistent format. This fix is by no means complete, but it has been getting better over the last few releases. This implies to me that, at some point in the past, the code documentation was allowed to "slide" to the point where it was easier/faster to write a new form rather than to find and use the (what should be) the [/i]product standard form[/i]. Fixing such things after the fact are an RPITA of major proportions. (This is the voice of experience speaking here!) Yes, it is a serious PITA for us users to wait out such an effort, but it would not be being made if 3DS did not have long term plans for the product we use!
To be clear, I am not a spokesman or in any way a member of the 3DS/Geomagic team. Some information has been provided to me in confidence and must stay that way. Most of what I have "disclosed" here is inference from communications I have had with real live 3DS/Geomagic team members. My inferences could well be wrong. However, I am satisfied that 3DS/Geomagic team members are working hard to make Geomagic products truly great.
I do wish that the 3DS management style were more amenable to open forum discussion with their user base.
NateLiquidGravity
Alibre Super User
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=17214Pace said:
Let it lapse if you want. I did - for various reasons - three of which are listed there.
Lew_Merrick
Guest
Please re-read my final line. I suspect that 3DS management policy is the bottleneck here.GaretDH said:
Lew_Merrick said:
Oh, I agree completely! It's not that 3DS can't talk about things due to being a public company... we all know this line is nonsense, and it's kind of insulting that they keep trotting it out. Rather, it's that they won't allow people who used to be higher up on the food chain to speak in a way that might be seen as speaking on the conglomerate's behalf. Talking above their "station", as it were. And the people who do have the paygrade to speak publicly are too lofty to communicate directly with the likes of us.
That's the truth of it, I think. It's sad, but it happens all the time with buyouts. The small-company personal touch that used to be here is lost in the corporatocracy.
I don't know if 3DS is messing with me because of this post but I received a email from a sales person yesterday because it is my month for renewal. The email read as follows: Hello James, GEOMAGIC DESIGN (Alibre 2014) IS HERE!!!!! I attached a PDF with all the great features. It is the same email from a year ago with the attachment from a year ago. I replied 2014 was released last year. :shock:
H-L-Smith
Senior Member
Lew_Merrick said:
I hope you're right, Lew, and I think you are. Just a few weeks ago, I renewed. At the time I telephoned to renew, I inquired about Max and his continued involvement with GMD. The fact that he is still involved, and in fact in charge of the product although not the day-to-day product manager, was a factor in my renewing.
From my perspective, the core product has improved significantly since I started even though my Expert package has changed in ways I've not always welcomed. There are real and exciting possibilities with the merger into 3DS and I remain hopeful GMD will incorporate some 3DS technologies in future and also become more interoperable with other products in the 3DS family. Naturally, if that occurs, I hope their will be opportunities for we existing GMD customers to expand our current packages at a discounted price.
I do think 3DS has taken the secrecy thing too seriously and hope they will share their plans with us at the very earliest opportunity.
Cheers,
Lonnie
bengal
Member
This figures! I've been beating my head against the wall trying to decide between Sworks/Sedge/Inventor and then I find something cheaper but close feature-wise only to see it's possibly dying a slow death. Or that's the vibes I'm getting from this post anyways. If it does survive and mgt. gets a reboot, maybe they'll ought to conduct a forum poll on renaming the product, the current one has got to go!
