Product Design Suite 2015

[jdits7]

Here are some of the details about Product Design Suite 2015.

http://inventortopix.blogspot.com/2014/03/product-design-suite-2015.html

[jeanchile]

I seriously just used Showcase for the first time in a real-time presentation for clients last week. I finally learn to use it (which was easy by the way), do a bunch of renders and animations the last few weeks, put it in play real-time once, the clients thought I was amazing, and I come back to the office and find out it's gone. It's like I just got my new bike, show it to my friends once and Mom takes it away so she can ride it.

I'm on 2013 and skipping 2014 because of its major problems so I'm getting robbed of a year of Showcase and Sketchbook Designer. Autodesk, give me my programs back please.

I use Inventor, Showcase, Sketchbook, and Navisworks. I have a book to learn 3DS Max but it's 3 inches thick and I haven't the time right now. And for those who asked above, I use Navisworks to coordinate with other people in the construction chain and a lot of the construction project managers use Navisworks to compile everybody's 3D models and check interferences, design conflicts, etc.

I barely know how to use it, and I HATE the measurement tools, but I DO use it.

Janna, my company paid for a three year subscription, and I am begging you to give me what I paid for so I can justify not looking elsewhere for our software tools. Please.

Thank you for your time and your involvement in this thread.

[jeanchile]

Oh, and for the record you can keep Mudbox as far as I concerned. I never knew what I was supposed to do with that other than let my son paint a pretty clay dinosaur a couple of times.

Maybe that's why it was in the suite? Or perhaps someone here can explain to me what I was supposed to be doing with it?

[JamesLovell]

No idea either! 😄 why would you ever need that in product design? toys?

My son loved that creature application on the ipad!

[Ray_Feiler]

Wow, Charles Bliss, haven't herd from you in a long long time. Good to see your name here again!

[brian]

I agree!
Great to see Charles is still hanging about!

[LT.Rusty]

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@jeanchile wrote:
Oh, and for the record you can keep Mudbox as far as I concerned. I never knew what I was supposed to do with that other than let my son paint a pretty clay dinosaur a couple of times.

Maybe that's why it was in the suite? Or perhaps someone here can explain to me what I was supposed to be doing with it?

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It's a lot easier to design a plastic finish for a part like this using Mudbox than Inventor or AutoCAD.

[jletcher]

So are you putting back the option for classic interface back in too?

 There are few asking for Showcase I have 100s asking for Classic option back..

 You are losing lots of new Inventor users because of this ribbon interface.... Autocad users don't like it and want Classic..

[rdyson]

>No idea either! why would you ever need that in product design? toys?
I design toys (among many other things) and I couldn't figure out a use for it.

[MikahB]

Charles, according to the Autodesk website and all other information I've seen, even with Ultimate I lose Showcase, Alias Design, and Sketchbook.

The reality is that Inventor makes 75% of my money, but Showcase helps, I'm using Sketchbook more for proposals (quicker to sketch than model a complex idea), and I've got a couple clients asking for Class A Autotmotive Surfaces whcih I do with Alias.  So, Inventor and Showcase brought me to PDS Ultimate, I got introduced to and incorporated Alias and Sketchbook, and now I lose everything and am sent back to just Inventor.

The best part is I've been holding off on renewing my subscription because my VAR was unable to tell me about the upcoming changes to Inventor/Showcase/Alias, but come to find out the changes are losing it all together!

[jeanchile]

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@Anonymous wrote:

 There are few asking for Showcase I have 100s asking for Classic option back..

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I just want to go on record here as one of the people who LOVE the ribbon interface and there is no doubt in my mind that it makes me faster. And, for learing the software environments there is nothing better than having the tools and panels arranged in the direction of the workflow (simulation environment comes to mind). Thank you AD for adding that into the software.

I'm not trying to start an argument here either but if there are hundreds of people asking for the classic interface back, how come you are the only one I have ever seen here asking for it? I feel like your point about this is wrong. If you take away the classic interface and replace it with the ribbon, I can still get my work done. If you take away Showcase, Alias, and Sketchbook, there are people here who cannot get their work done (without spending a whole bunch more money) because they didn't replace it with something comparable/better, they just got rid of it. Even if they replace it with some stupid cloud application I won't' be able to use it as I live and work in a place where our internet speeds suck (if they exist at all, a lot of people around me are still on satellite internet).

If there were sooooo many people screaming about their precious classic interface, and AD was losing so much money because of it, AD would put it back and charge a hefty fee for it. There are countless examples on this forum showing their decisions are motivated by money above all else.

[jeanchile]

Ahhh... I see. I always apply a texture in IV for my surfaces like that but I don't need them to be modelled that way, I just need them to "sort of look" that way. Thanks for the help!

[kstate92]

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@brendan.henderson wrote:

It's possible they made this decision based on CIP data, how many of you opt out of that?

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I think Adesk could have taken a different approach to figuring out who uses Showcase and the value of it to the suites before chopping it. Simply send out emails to their subscription customers with a vote for the products they use and want in the suite they have. They could also use it as a gauge for customers wanting to upgrade their suite. Let the numbers talk. If you go off the tone of this series of posts then they would have gotten 100% YES I USE SHOWCASE. But these figures are obviously biased as only people who use it and want it retained are commenting.

THIS X1000.  Stop listening to your sales prognosticators Adesk, and start listening the actual folks paying you!

[blair]

I for one, wouldn't shed a tear if the Ribbon Menu was dropped. I've been using Inventor since release 4. The first thing I do on a fresh install of Inventor is to ungroup every menu item. I quite wasting my time complaining about the Ribbon Menu and no use the time for the extra clicks it takes over the Classic Menu.

[jeanchile]

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@Blair wrote:

 The first thing I do on a fresh install of Inventor is to ungroup every menu item.

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This is an excellent point. I, for one, have a 3D mouse with 10 programable buttons that change depending upon what environment I am in so I don't use the ribbon as much as someone else anyway. That probably skews my perception a bit. I guess with all the customizations that can be done to the ribbon, marking menu, etc. most people should be able to get the tools where they need them shouldn't they (I don't know because I don't customize anything other than my mouse buttons)?

[jletcher]

Like I said I just want the option I never asked for the ribbon removed just the option back..

 I have some that like the ribbon too that's why I just want option....

I know it can be customize but not as easy as it was when it was classic drag and drop to place or remove.

I too have 3D mouse with programmable buttons.

There was many that hated the ribbon when they removed the option there was many that backed me but seeing Autodesk could care less they gave up I will not ribbon is 10 times slower tested...

Many have different work flows and speed they work some can take a day to design a part some have to get out 60 parts a day to the shop it all depends on what you do..

I do not use the making menu it too is slow and extra clicks not enough options if they change that to my classic it would be sweeet....

Now with what you said that taking showcase stops your work. No it don't they offered you to pay for it so it is there.

The ribbon cost slow down and money for the companies not sure not sure if you own the company or get a paycheck that too makes a difference..

If you was paying workers and you found out that the ribbon interface is costing you lets say an extra day as a business owner you would not be very happy would you?

[mrattray]

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@Anonymous wrote:

I do not use the making menu it too is slow and extra clicks not enough options if they change that to my classic it would be sweeet....

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It's one click. Right click, drag in appropriate direction, release button. Considering it doesn't require finding an icon as it can be activated anywhere on the screen one could argue that it's faster than clicking an icon on a toolbar.

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@Anonymous wrote:

If you was paying workers and you found out that the ribbon interface is costing you lets say an extra day as a business owner you would not be very happy would you?

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I would expect my employees to adapt.  That's what I did when I had the ribbon shoved in my face. It was hard at first, but then I adapted. Now I feel that I'm noticeably faster than I ever was with the classic menus.

[mrattray]

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@Blair wrote:

... ungroup every menu item.

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Just curious, but what commands do you ungroup? I've found that the only grouped commands that I don't like having grouped is the "assembly bonus tools" group.

I do always move a bunch of commands to the default tab so I don't have to switch tabs very often. For example: I use the "Replace Model Reference" tool often, so I moved it to the "Drawing Views" tab.

[jeanchile]

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@Anonymous wrote:

No it don't they offered you to pay for it so it is there.

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I did pay for it. THREE YEARS of it. Now I'm being told I don't get what I rightfully paid for. I am also being told that my subscription costs have been decreased becuase of the removed software. Yippeee, except that I don't get a refund or credit for the three years of higher subscription costs I paid. What seemed like a decent decision at the time has ended up costing me more money than them changing the interface. So lets recap... I paid for three sofware tools I am not getting, then they reduced the price of a product I prepaid for and I don't get a credit or refund, then they tell us that they are not going to fix 2014 and I can't upgrade to it, so I'm losing out again. I just lost a lot of money three times and you think I'm going to be worried about losing 8ms on an extra mouse click.

My company (and yes, it IS mine) saw very valuable production gains during our software implementation study by adding a 3D controller with programmable buttons. Certainly enough to offset any losses due to mouse clicks. Perhaps you should buy some 3D controllers and start selling them to your clients and make a little more money. Turn this into an opportunity man.

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@Anonymous wrote:

 I have some that like the ribbon too that's why I just want option....

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This is a valid point. Removing the fact that I lost money on the deal, at least I still have options (with AD software or without). You and your supposed hundreds of cohorts only have other non-AD software options available.

That being said, if you have the documentation to prove your productivity losses and you have so many people on board with it, present that material here (and get your clients to do the same) and you might see some results. At this point it seems like you are the only one complaining about it. I think you should get all of your anti-ribbon friends here and start making some noise. It appears that AD is at least trying to do the right thing on this suite issue (we'll see if they actually do) because of the complaints here and to the VAR's.

See what you can do man, I'm all for it. We'll call it Autodesk-Spring (not meant to trvialize the positive changes happening in the middle-east, just point out the similarities). POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

[jletcher]

Again just asking for option back....

All depends on what you do. Yes you could be faster now then classic but it all depends on what you do.

Marking menu changes so you have to learn all options some can some can't icons everyone can do if you are low on the screen it pops up different then if you was at the top of the screen many hate that.....

Again no one has answered the #1 question if ribbon is so great how come autocad still has option for classic?

 Maybe because there are many seats of it out there that they are scare that the old timers would complain?

I just want the option that's all. I could have lot more clients for Inventor if they did but Autocad users will not go because of the ribbon they want it to look like autocad not like solidworks or pro-e or solid edge..

Have a good day guys..

[jletcher]

This is funny:

mrattray wrote:

 I do always move a bunch of commands to the default tab so I don't have to switch tabs very often. For example: I use the "Replace Model Reference" tool often, so I moved it to the "Drawing Views" tab.

Really in classic it was already like that so tell me again why you like the ribbon if you just turn it into a classic?

What is funny is you all customize the ribbon to be CLASSIC and then tell me it is better LOL........