Maintenance Poll
- Thread starter MikeHenry
- Start date
NigelL
Member
I'm not so sure that I agree with this negative sentiment. There seems to be some recent activity on the 3DSystems website - see the "software" section https://www.3dsystems.com/node/35216. The Geomagic Design brochure looks like it has been updated a couple of weeks ago https://www.3dsystems.com/sites/default/files/2017-02/Design_4P_EN_Letter_WEB.pdf
simonb65
Alibre Super User
@NigelL, there is a difference between updating a website and branding AND actually delivering a product and regular updates. If you feel so positive, tell us when the next actual release will be. Like many other on here, we have kept our side of the bargain by investing in 3DSystems and Geomagic Design with hard earned cash and we have seen NOTHING for it for 16 months, not even a sign that the product is still being developed. So, I'm sure even you can understand the frustration and perceived negativity ! ... and that's just the users that are passionate about the product.
NigelL
Member
Hi Simon
Don't get me wrong - I have also invested in GMD over the last 6 years or so. My current 3-year subscription, which runs out in October, has clearly not been the best return on investment.
My post was really an observation that there is some new activity on the 3DSystems website - and hoping that this may be a precursor to a new release.
Don't get me wrong - I have also invested in GMD over the last 6 years or so. My current 3-year subscription, which runs out in October, has clearly not been the best return on investment.
My post was really an observation that there is some new activity on the 3DSystems website - and hoping that this may be a precursor to a new release.
Lew_Merrick
Guest
The fact is that, as somebody who has been "doing CAD" since 1971 and has used most CAD products on the market today, there are only about 2 dozen features and operands missing from Geomagic Design required to make it a "world-beating" generalist CAD system. My short list (many posted here over the years) for the Modeler is: (1) Improved and expanded Constraints; (2) Replacement of the "canned" list of File Propertied->General->Part Data by a user-definable list set (ala the alibre_unicode_custom CSV lists used elsewhere); (3) Expansion of Equation Editor functionality to include IF THEN ELSE types of decision making, character strings, and the like; (4) Improved API functionality (and support for WizoScript); better overall documentation; and the like.
My list for the Drafting module is actually much longer. My overall statement is that a CAD-generated Drawing ought to be equivalent to the best hand-drawn drawing every time! Precedence of "external edges" versus "internal edges" should be a normal default. Etc.
There are few parts of this that fall into the trivial category. And, I have been led to believe, the code documentation has been allowed to "slide" for many years -- an exceptionally non-trivial task for "recovery." The real question is, who is heading up this effort and what resources do they have to support such efforts?
My list for the Drafting module is actually much longer. My overall statement is that a CAD-generated Drawing ought to be equivalent to the best hand-drawn drawing every time! Precedence of "external edges" versus "internal edges" should be a normal default. Etc.
There are few parts of this that fall into the trivial category. And, I have been led to believe, the code documentation has been allowed to "slide" for many years -- an exceptionally non-trivial task for "recovery." The real question is, who is heading up this effort and what resources do they have to support such efforts?
Lew_Merrick said:
I could not agree with your list any more. It is obvious that changes are needed to constraints and some of the most needed improvements are relatively minor code additions. That equations need an 'if-then' function and a way to interact with constraints might be a bit harder to implement but it still would not be considered a hard requirement to specify or design. The additions to equations would simply implement the function that is common to all control languages other than this one.
ChrisGeo111
Member
We have 3 licenses currently under maintenance and none will be renewed if nothing happens in the next few months.
Our company has recently taken on two new designers to work on closed projects (they will run as a separate design department working on their own projects) and has already decided not to buy any more seats of Geomagic. They have been supplied with Inventor.
Our company has recently taken on two new designers to work on closed projects (they will run as a separate design department working on their own projects) and has already decided not to buy any more seats of Geomagic. They have been supplied with Inventor.
My maintenance runs out tomorrow, 17 March. I would probably renew if a new version is released as I really like the software and have been a user since Alibre was free at the beginning.
Sometimes good software manages to live on. My 2D package is Visual Cadd, which began as Generic Cadd years ago, running on two floppy discs. It has lived, died, migrated from DOS to Windows, has come back under various names, and still exists.
OnShape looks good, but I don't like to put everything I do into the public domain and I'm reluctant to spend $1200 a year for home hobby use.
I understand the need for maintenance charges, but need to see some return for my money.
Hopefully GeoMagic will live on as it fits my needs as a hobbyist very well.
Chuck
Sometimes good software manages to live on. My 2D package is Visual Cadd, which began as Generic Cadd years ago, running on two floppy discs. It has lived, died, migrated from DOS to Windows, has come back under various names, and still exists.
OnShape looks good, but I don't like to put everything I do into the public domain and I'm reluctant to spend $1200 a year for home hobby use.
I understand the need for maintenance charges, but need to see some return for my money.
Hopefully GeoMagic will live on as it fits my needs as a hobbyist very well.
Chuck
HaroldL
Alibre Super User
nvanlaar said:
It seems to not be free forever though. :? According to their Web Service Entitlements as an individual you are designated as a "Startup" and limited to a 1-year entitlement, or less, depending on Autodesk's mood of the moment. Notice the part where "Free" will end at the date of notification to you by Autodesk, which could be earlier than one year from date of access. I'd hate to be half way through a project and get that email. :shock:
I signed up for Alibre Expert or whatever the top level version was a few years ago. I'm a hobbyist for the most part but I will noodle out something for work at home. At work I have a seat of Solidworks so I have options. When the rep that used to post stated maintenance would stay at 299.00 for expert I upgraded. Then it become 400 + state tax. I wasn't getting that much use out of the program as my interests tend to move around and circle back. The fact that I was lied to totally soured my outlook. So for $126 a year they hoped to get, they lost 300 a year that I'd have kept paying.