AndiACD

Many have made suggestions of what they would like to see in VW. Well, i've just been blown away by the capabilities of what this piece of kit has to offer. http://www.solidworkspremium.com/ Does 2009 get anywhere close to this?

Jeffrey, i fully sympathize with your neutrality and fully understand what everyone else says here, as i have been unable to upgrade Mech Design from VW11.5 simply because of the unacceptable imprecisions that continued to sprout out of every adjournment of each edition of the product i tried.(try getting NNA to admit to that) It would appear that most of these hick-ups have been cured in 2009 . . . . . . . . Hallelujah! Hopefully! Also, whilst i understand that all software manufacturers feel it necessary to protect their backs against "that piece of gum brought into the office by a member of staff on the bottom of their shoe", if any product is sold with a specific purpose, read "Publicity Schpeal", then, if it doesn't do that, it's improperly sold. And no amount of "we can't be held responsible if it doesn't do what we promised" can save the time wasted by the many dedicated users who still don't want to jump ship in the hope of being rescued by another piece of software, even if less afflicted by wood rot. If we moan and complain about the product so much, it's coz we still love what it does well, enough to sell it's good points to friends and colleagues that might join the "Pro VW Camp". Adding more bells and whistles and polishing up the paint work will always make a steam engine look great, but if the rivets are coming loose in the boiler, sitting pretty is all it's ever going to do. Toughen the foundations, reinforce the walls, replace the windows and check the roof. You can give the house a lick 'o paint once you're sure it isn't going to fall down. Did i mention i don't build walls? . . . . .

Impressed me, and i don't build walls. . . . . . . .or have i already said that??

Gytis, That's good to hear. If it has now come of age, i will be impressed when i get to try it out. You should see some of the monstrosities that came out of my attempts to use it. Any adjustment of the profile location gave, lets say, unusual results.

Cal, While you wait for NNA to build a translator Plug-in, maybe you should dig up an old Power Mac . . . . a 9600 or similar, a G3 maybe, that still runs OS 7.5- 9 and throw Claris and MiniCAD into it . . . . . . Just while you're waiting . . . . .

i think you will find most Proffesional packages look after their customers investment. i too have 1,000s of old MiniCAD files i'd like to be able to open with more recent versions of VW. No such luck. If nothing else NNA, you should take the trouble to create a "Working" Plug-in for this instance. Downlaodable and constantly updated/retro aware to reward users for their trust and confidence in sticking with a product. 300,000??? That's a lot of patience, Cal.

Hi Pat, i'm afraid i have to agree with Michael and Bill here, and in the VW i use, "Extrude along a Path" is a real nightmare and rarely follows the path as expected, no matter how you try to edit it. And last i saw, hadn't improved much in recent editions.

Mr. Gog, i've been trying to get that shortcut to work since my 1st upgrade to VW on my Mac. It stilll doesn't want to know though.

Or the pan tool(quick and easy) . . But you really have got a point here. Every other App i use with the scroll button on my mouse responds according to the pressure i apply. Including this web site(so it's not beyond the PTB). VW skits off into the next galaxy regardless of how much i try to slow it down in the prefs.

Got my vote too! A quick, functional "Kill Process" would be very nice. Bill, not wishing to go against my usual "Negative" Grumpy Old Man status, but there has been a render status bar up in the right hand corner of the screen for as long as i can remember. Exit Symbol/Done button turns into the rendering progress status bar every time i hit "Shift/Option/G" in the case of OpenGL or any other click/key combo to render. Maybe that's been considered superfluous in 2009, but i think 08 had it. Just adding to the "Cat/Flying Rat" syndrome.

Chris, i think you'll find that a competent artist still makes a very good living and eats pot noodles as a choice rather than an obligation as a result of no earnings(but i can't see why anyone would choose to) and if NNA have ever displayed any interest whatsoever in any art related direction, i must have missed that episode in the VW soap . . . . . Maybe you recorded that episode and could send me the tape.

jbrhwy, i was referring to the relationship offered by NNA to Mech Design users. i'm not suggesting that the package you use is not supported, or that you shouldn't ask for your needs to be met. Rumour has it that there's little to be expected for Machine Design users in next years VW2010 release and as such Engineers with Mechanical based needs go with other software packages as NNA doesn't seem to be aiming at maintaining or increasing interest from those that would use Machine Design. At least, not for now. i'd like to be proven wrong, but only time will tell . . . . .

jbrhwy, The reason few Engineers use VW is they chose other software options that support their Engineering customers more furvantly.

Now that's what i call an explanation! i even understood some of it. Thanx Ian

i've just visited the 2009 release pages and as usual was INCREDIBLY dissappointed . . . . Again. i use(still) Mech Design, and, when i click on the Machine Design option, i expect to see Machine Design movies using Machine Design relative tools that give Machine Design relative results for Machine Design Using Customers. Instead i get about 30% Machine Design related movies and the other 70% is all architectural whymsicles. i do not wish to see how well VW Arch moves a window around a bay or circular wall. i do not wish to see how easy it is to slide a door up and down a wall be it in plan or elevation. i don't care how good or bad VW Arch is at creating a roof structure or adding a fillet to a garden pergola. What i WOULD like to see is how these potential elements are used by a Mechanical Engineer to model the vanes of an Impellar Pump. Also how well our esteemed Engineer redesigns the Con Rods for a Formula 1 Racing engine, light enough to provide and maintain the BHP needed, but also to last more than 2 races and then passes it to the machine shop were the techy puts the file into the CAM machine and shows with remarkable speed how easily it understands the VW file and spits out the finished Con Rod gleaming and polished ready to be fitted to the race winning engine. Prop shafts, Drive shafts, UJ's, CVJ's, Turbo Chargers, Super Chargers, A Arms, King Pins, Hubs, to name but a few! i can go on . . . . . But i wont. When i look into the possibility of upgrading VW, i want to see movie demos related to the product i want to purchase, NOTHING ELSE(not shouting, just drawing attention)! Not Arch, Not Fundamentals, Not Spotlight, or any of the other variations, and i am sure that those who wish to upgrade to some of the previously mentioned packages aren't bothered about seeing what i wish to view, Machine Design. If they are, then there is the choice of selecting it from the list if required. Please Show me what Vectorworks Machine Design 2009 can do. Did i say i'm not building walls?

Yes, i've got to admit i've had very little comeback from Mr. H over the recent past. i get the impression that the work load has gone from the trickle of 3-4 years ago when i even got the "Face to Face" personal touch, to the Avalanche of present day. "Mr. Christian, i think,"(quote from a book somewhere) you may responsible for this increase. You've got too many people thinking too much . . . . . i believe that NNA have a job spot on site. i think Christiaan it's time you applied for the job as a leason technician and show the boys at NNA what is needed on the UK patch. For Architects, anyway! Now if we could just find a Mechanical Engineer for that section of the "Product Direction Team" we might start to get "all packages" being "All Things" to "ALL Users"

i'm no architect, i still use VW 11.5.1 Mechanical Design and have wanted to upgrade with every release since 12 but i have never been impressed enough to do so, people like Pat Stanford and Mike(m oz) have given me the incentive to try again, but now the upgrade to 2009 will be over ?600(more than i paid for the original package) and for a few bob more i could buy Vellum which is CAD/CAM capable out of the box. Mech Design comes loaded with all the basic baggage to build a house or a bridge, select wall type, wall constraints most of which you see very little of in a steering hub(put your regional translation here) on an off road truck. We are all paying for bits and pieces we don't want or need. . . . . . . . NNA needs to streamline it's packages--Architect for ??? Architects? Spotlight for Stage Technicians, Machine Design for Engineers, etc. etc. and offer trial software for each specific package so we get an exact idea of what's on offer . . . The Good, the Bad and . . . . the Ugly( not the "one does for all instances" generic bundle that's made available) and whilst they are there, explain to any of the distributors that don't listen to the subscribers that it's they/us/we who provide their business as purchasers of VW. i've had a pretty good relationship with CU in the UK in the past, Mr. Horne & Mr. Allen were(and i hope still are) great contacts, very helpful and always ready to listen. Speak and you WILL be heard(in the UK anyway) P.S. for Christiaan, it's the ? that's dropped now . . . . . . .

Regulated . . . . . Please!

Mike . . . .But surely, that's what this forum is here for. i've lived in various parts of Europe before returning home to the UK, and one thing is certain, when you speak localisition to the distributors they say "Talk to the manufacturer" . . . Where ever they might be . . . . . . .

That's the probable hickup in the suggestion . . .

Now, THAT, is a step in the right direction. Good news.

Yep!! Anything that helps calculate and design specific mech objects. VW offers, Metric/Imperial Nuts, Bolts, Bearings, Gears, Springs etc in 2D and some even in 3D,(Wow!!!!!) but it would be nice if we could start seeing some Engineering Specific elements included in those editions that need them, like Thom says. Architects are offered a substantial amount of specific tools of the trade, Engineers and Designers should start seeing more tools for their trades. isn't that why we pay for one VW option instead of another NNA, you can leave out the Steam Powered Traction engines for now . . . . . . . but a calculator and system specific choice for steering geometry would be a step in the right direction. Suspension elements, that'd be nice too . . . .

Mike, Yeah, so i understand . . . Looking forward to trying it out. . . . .

Jaberwokey, i can send you a file of two of the same symbols(Low file size) placed as they are in a drawing.(if you're OK with that) if you check the symbol, it seems perfectly accurate. Put another beside it, and close inspection shows that despite the fact tat every aspect of the symbol has been created at 0, 0, 0, coordinates, misalignment of important elements result. Having said that, i checked yesterday, i'm going back now to look at something else i have thought of. Don't want to shoot myself in the foot!! . . . Peter, i haven't upgraded since 11.5 as the demos i tried did not appear to have solved most of my Gripes . . . . . Guess it's time to bite the bullet and hope for the best. . . . . . waiting for the 2009 trial to be released here.

Peter, When MiniCAD mutated into Vectorworks i used layers incessantly, but precision was so lax i found it difficult to continue working with layers as VW intended. i still use them for various options but any fine precision work, it just can't cut it. i can cut and paste into another layer once i'm satisfied i have what i want, but i still feel that refinements are needed . . . A millimeter variation in a wall may not matter but 0.01mm could make or brake a drawing in Mech/Eng circles and VW often lacks this ability across layers. Maybe this has improved in recent releases, but until i am persuaded of this i'll reserve judgement. Thanx regardless for all of your potential solutions, i still intend to delve deeper into their possibilities. . . . . i'll let you know . . . . . .