finally loaded M030... The stuff I noticed in a really quick look: They pretty'd up the install screens, got the splash screen to stop coming up twice, Added an UNDO!!!! AND they added another button click to get into the sketcher!!?? I guess this could be quicker if you already had a sketch??? I used to have a map key to get into the sketcher... wonder if I can still do that.
From my standpoint they have made NO progress in the Mechanica install department. I think the install should make it EASY to get this working. I installed Mechanica first, but I must have skipped the step where I tell it where that's installed. (why can't it just find it?) The Pro/E install did notice where WF1 was installed.. but I wanted to be able to run either, so I created a new directory. It'd be nice if it would find all the config files and copy them over too. Time to write some enhancement requests...
Try right-clicking in the model window and selecting "Define Internal Sketch" to get into Sketcher instead of going through the Dashboard... PTC's logic is that you should model like Solidworks now. Make a Sketch, then select it and create an Extrude from it. That is what the new Sketch feature is all about, as Sketched Datum Curve is gone. There is a new model tree filter (used sketch) that then auto-hides the sketch from the tree and establishes a link to it from within the feature. If you want real fun, try the new Direction and Axis patterns............no internal datums required. Regards,
Yeah its about the same, we are runnin build 050 and it has less bugs in it. some of my config.pro worked and some didn't, most of the my mapped keys worked ok.
We've been putting off upgrading from 2001 but trying it at home it seems quite an easy transition. Our top guy is insisting on a business plan for the upgrade including Intralink 3.4 (67 Seats), He wants to know what benifits WF2 will have over 2001. He's thinking about the cost of training, installation, how long does it take to get up to speed with WF2, ilink etc
These are my own opinions and may or may not be shared by others here (n fact most of this is probably heresy). Read at your own risk.
If you use Sheet metal, then WF (particularly WF2) has high level of functionality, such as hole patterns, filling an area full of predefined holes (round, hex etc), skipping holes etc. Also the preview on sheetmetal walls is nifty in WF2, makes up for a lot of visualizing and failing in previous versions.
If you do not use sheetmetal, then I think there is not much to be offered. I think it takes a lot more clicks, you always get a redundant dialog box asking you to select what used to be obvious before, there is a new extrude button that does both protrusions and cuts--I dont know how often you change your mind from a protrusion to a cut--seems like a programmers/mathematician's exercise in cuteness. Interface is prettier--more and more like solid works--but still not much more windows compatibility (they are creeping in this regard).
Drawing has not functionally improved for a long time, except you now have the annoying properties for everything--a good way to slow you down. In fact drawing is one module that Proe has not touched in terms of power for almost ten years if not longer. (If you want to dimension a feature at an angle , such as a distance between an arc and another arc at an angle, you have to settle for vertical or horizontal dimension--just like 15 years ago!). You have to work around all these limitations.
Parametric are you listening? Most people use drawings still to communicate to the outside world. No amount of modeling enhancements,
3D drawings etc is going to change this reality. I for one would be very happy if Proe stopped all the model enhancements except bugs (such as extrude upto surface bug) and significantly improved the functionality of the drawing package.
Intralink continues to improve and there are good reasons to upgrade, but of course you have to have the right version of Intralink for the right version of Proe.
Patterning in WF2 is really getting quite good. You get this preview showing you where stuff is going.
More clicks!?? In WF?? I disagree... There definitely is a learning curve in WF (I'd say at least a week or two) but once you are there I think it is much faster. I'd put in your business case that power users trained prior to WF MUST go to some sort of training. Otherwise (since they are experienced and think they don't need training) they just try to guess how this works... and it's not obvious in a lot of cases. I was having trouble selecting stuff and I had a PTC guy say, no offense but you need to practice more... I was a bit offended and actually he was only partially right. I needed someone to show me how WF works, then I needed practice. WF2 is starting to make it a little more obvious what to do next.
I didn't detail much in Pro/E before WF. I swear I've been able to do a dimension at an angle in Wildfire. Ah..since you are not paying maintenance you can't call the hotline. PTC does have a paper on the reasons for staying current.
I'm pretty sure they are NOT... they'll listen to enhancement requests, but as has been noted. You'll have to pay maintenance for the ability to submit them.
I've heard that sending users and system admin to Intralink training is a good idea. I once worked where it was set up well, and as a user I needed NO training. I miss it now.
I have to disagree. Wildfire 2.0 is head and shoulders above 2001 in functionality and ease-of-use. Besides sheet metal enhancements:
1) Patterns - new direction and axis patterns eliminate the need for internal datums. No more fighting to get a radial pattern.
2) Undo-Redo in all three modules. Delete a feature? Undo the deletion instead of dumping the part and reloading the last as-saved version
3) Reusable sketch features.
4) Copy/paste of existing features.
5) Automatic ordinate dimensioning.
6) Dragging of packaged components (like Mechanisms package without motors)
You're obviously already paying maintenance; to not upgrade makes no sense whatsoever. The cost of a two-day update class is minor compared to your per-seat costs in a year and - face it - you are going to have to do it eventually, so you might as well grab it by the horns.
We recently made the same transition, some of our older engineers had a really tuff time, they whined and complained, called it "wild flower" I am young fresh out of school and made the transition in a couple weeks. At first I hated wild fire becuase they moved everything around. Using the menu mapper in the help, helped alot. I have found that wild fire is far superior. Datums on the fly, renaming are ten time faster, wild fire eliminated a lot of the repetitive menu clicking. As for added functionality, wildfire is awesome the rounds and variable rounds are far superior, chamfers, draft and advance modeling is a lot easier to do and to learn. We also us the mold maker and the nc moduals. When using mold a lot of 2001 menu reapear. As for the nc wild fire is a lot better! these are just my opions take them or leave them.
Oh - I wasn't commenting on YOU specifically... that was just a general comment, about PTC's inability to listen to non-paying folks. Really left over from some other discussion here.
Actually, as I'm writing this, it does occur to me that if I were writing software, and someone not willing to stay current, gave me input on an old version I'd be less than excited about their input.
Please... write away on the enhancement requests! In fact I think I'll go write one now.
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