question for autodesk

[sfore]

C'mon Autodesk, why do you insist putting out software so rapidly?  I've been a supporter of your products (C3D) since version 2006, but I'm starting to wonder why with so much overhead time being spent on hardware updates just to run your software and software updates just to run the program.  It seems you put out versions before they're ready.  Then you post hotfixes and updates for the world to download to install, and half the time we have to rebuild our personal cui files because of the updates replacing root folders and such.  I think there are 16 updates/hotfixes for C3D 2010.  There's already 6 hotfixes for C3D 2011 and I'm sure that will grow in time.

The most stable version I've experienced has been C3D 2008 with SP2.  Yeah, granted 2010 has neat features with intersections and you finally put wingwalls and cmp, hdpe, corrugated hdpe pipes in your catalog.  I guess I can throw out the hdpe pipe I built back in version 2007.

By the way, what's the advantage of eliminating the Map pulldown menu and giving us a task based and tool based geo-spatial workspace and putting everything on ribbons and panels for 2010 C3D?  Also, I don't really get why you put out Civil 2010 that prevents users from working with coordinately correct maps such as .sid files.  It would be nice if our Civil 2010 users could import these files coordinately correct.  Hopefully, I can justify the overhead time being spent if I'm ever questioned.

Shawn

[Joe-Bouza]

You are preaching to the choir here.

You should open a subscription support and ask for clarrification; they will stay with you until you are satisfied with the answer. Good luck.

[michael_robertson]

My guess would be that there are many large firms and DOTs starting to use/investigate C3D and there is not enough functionallity there to do large scale transportation projects. As these groups relay information back to Autodesk they are updating the product as needed. It's really still a new product that hasn't been pushed in what it can do until these groups starting looking for ways to implement C3D. In the end a much nicer product will come out of the changes but there are some growing pains that everyone will have to endure.

I've been using C3D since 2008 and have found 2011 to be much more stable and usable for large projects than any other version, been using since Beta 1 with never a single crash except the ones my own programming caused. (running 64bit on Win 7 64bit)

[Joe-Bouza]

.....with never a single crash...<snip>

Comon it us your talkin to <g>

Joe

[michael_robertson]

Truely not one crashexcept those caused by my own programming (I'm using a middle of the road HP workstation). Granted not everything is perfect but it is getting better. A interactive parametric subassembly tool would be a real great addition (instead of having to code everything) and a easier method to manage styles (where they aren't stored inside the dwg until you use them) would be nice but most of the changes if seen (beside the GUI changes) had to be made to make things work correctly. Autodesk has been very receptive to our input when we bring up any problems.

I think the features they are adding are not "wow lets had a new feature for adding a new features sake" but are being incorporated to move the product along.