sp2 has been released

GhostScript and FreeDist..

Anybody besides me think that 25 minutes to install a service pack is a little too much??!! SP1 and SP2 both took forever to install, not download and install, just install. Hell, the initial installation only took about 10 minutes! Only ten more computers to go.

Considering that SP2.0 has been pulled by SolidWorks perhaps you should WAIT to install on those ten other computers. I doubt whether just making "Print to PDF" inoperable would make them pull the SP. Must be something more serious.

But if you DO go ahead and have the same trouble on the other computers DO post back and tell us that . . .

'Sporky'

hhuds>

I might disagree Mark. Since pdf is fast becoming a "standard", it's a free add-in, and is likely being used by many users on a daily basis - I'd venture a guess that this is why it was pulled. Of course, I usually give SolidWorks the benefit of the doubt ;o)

Richard

SP2 fixed the SP1 Spaceball CTD issue for me. However, WI hung during the update at the point of "removing old applications" and I had to shutdown to clear it. Seems to be working ok though.

It's interesting (and of concern) that the "Save as PDF" funtion is not working for some users.

I installed SP2 just yesterday and have NO trouble with the PDF output, although let's face it - I've only had time to use it a few times.

What concerns me is the inconsistency! This begs the question: Why isn't the function handicapped on ALL systems? (I'm running Windows

The time required for Windows Installer to update with a SolidWorks service pack is amazingly long and I have to wonder how many opportunities there are for hiccups to occur during the process? The Installer routine does NOT prompt the user to turn off anti-virus protection. I forgot to do so, but perhaps it didn't backfire.

No review the Installer's log file was done after the update, so I can't say if there were any telling entries for my system. Perhaps a particular user's PDF output problem could be related to something in the log file that flags trouble during the updating of one module and or another?

Now I understand why SolidWorks does not send email notification to users about Service Pack releases until long after the Beta dust settles...

Per O. Hoel __________________________________________________________

Richard,

Sporky must be right...

After I installed SP2.0 (under Windows 2000 Pro, SP4) saving files as PDF worked (and continues to work) flawlessly.

There has to be something else, unless the PDF problem is O/S specific to Windows XP, for example.

Richard,

I would guess that SVG will over shadow PDF sooner or later.

..

Richard Doyle wrote:

Maybe, but for now plenty of folks are using pdf. Some of our vendors even send me "check prints" in JPG (ugh). And then there is eDrawings, something I use even more than pdf. We could go on and on about all of the options available, and I doubt I'll ever see a "true standard" in my lifetime. The save to pdf option was embraced by lots of folks I've talked to, and not having the ability to do what they've fast become accustomed to was worthy of pulling the SP.

Now, if AutoDesk has their way, we'll all be "dwf'ing"

This is hilarious -

Richard

hmm, I have the same OS and sp and Bluebeam does not work.

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"Per O. Hoel" wrote:

Just a quick question or two that comes to mind:

Did the people who had the early release of the service pack find problems, if so did these get fixed?

Did they get an updated pre-release service pack to check the results of Solidworks fixes, or is SP2 the unchecked results of the early release SP 2, without it being tested?

Richad Morgan

Well, the bluebeam option has very little control so if the users are using it they are not particularly interested in control of the output/orientation of their PDF. I would guess the contract with Bluebeam is limited?? The users would be better off with either the free PDF writers or the ones which are less then $30usd. Personally, if the user is serious about pdf, they would get the full professional version of acrobat. Although, I have to admit, bluebeam's quality is pretty good but you can get high quality with acrobat as well.

SVG is quality is fantastic and scalable and small and is the future. So, pdf will be the past, imho.

Wow, that DWFreking-it video is lame. I wonder how much $ was put into that?? And, if they had to pay The Cars any royalties?

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Richard Doyle wrote:

Paul,

While I understand your lawsuit idea and would be in awe to open up Msn.com and see the news I have to say that I wouldn't be part of it. Not because I don't feel there is a valid breach and would be scared of corporate lawyers, but because I have simply thrown in the towel. Call me a wimp, but I'm done. Tired of complaining. Tired of the whole testing/bug report personal time wasting process. I really have spent a lot of time troubleshooting, documenting, sending off thousands of files at a time, etc. etc. and feel I'm better off spending that time either with my family and friends, riding my bikes, my motorcycle, going snowboarding, improving my house or something else that I actually get a benefit from. I simply have a bunch of SPRs. Some resolved, some not. A few lousy $10 "top beta tester" shirts and a feeling that I wasted countless hours of my youth for some corporations benefit. I can understand those that want to test the software, maybe as a hobby, maybe just to see the next release before the public, maybe to make a difference, or however you can justfy some sort of benefit. I'd rather volunteer my time elsewhere. Software corporations know that they can get this testing free, for now, and they take full advantage of it and somehow, through marketing propaganda, make people think that it's a privilege.

I got my "Top Beta Tester for SW 2004" shirt, which I feel a good amount, if not all, of the people here deserve, got my SPR's and the software still frustrates me on a daily basis and often makes me look like an ass, which I now take personal. If I had a shitty hammer and the framing job I did was crappy because of the hammer, I'd simply look for a better hammer. If I was going to spend a lot of time figuring out how to make their hammer better, I may as well go into the hammer making business myself or become a paid product consultant. Yesterday, I simply window selected 4 lines, pressed Equal in the Add Relations window and all the sudden my hard drive was flipping out and 30 seconds later I got an unhandled error. Opened it back up, added the equal relations just as before and tada: no problem. So do I make of that? Well I won't bother calling my VAR up on something obviously nonrepeatable, so I just live with it and move on. I think I'm getting to a point where I'm pretending it didn't happen. At least that way I won't get upset about it. LOL. Sad, but true.

Bottom line: Because of the recent lack of quality I am simply more open to looking at competitive modelers now instead of being loyal. That's the bottom line. I had major problems, I didn't get solutions. I doubt SolidWorks is really worried about me, a 4 seat company, dropping them, so I really have no leverage to get my major issues resolved. Screw me once: shame on you. Screw me twice: shame on me.

There is only one early visibilty SP for each. So in worse case, someone could report a problem, they fix it, that breaks something else, no one knows it, SP gets released, doh.

"Paul Salvador" wrote

Probably not the Cars, maybe Devo, though. By the way, lame is putting it mildly.

Man, it's totally embarrassing, imo. It's like they're trying way to hard. ... Look here all you cad users (waving hands overhead), we're trying hard to get your attention using a catchy song and psychedelic video to burn in your brain and remember our product!!? (what a waste of storage/memory space or, a bad memory/dream)

..

Deb Dowd>

Unfortunately, it is one of those songs that will play in your head over and over and over. The good news is I have kids and can fire up a good Barney or Disney cartoon movie. Works every time.

For you single folks stuck with the Devo tune, try this....

Richard