Re: Are you one of the 7,000,000? - Page 2

Anonymous · ‎07-08-2005

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

~nods~ yep... have at least 20 installs here in my facility

I believe that dwf has it's place... compact file sizes, neat features,
etc... it's just not practical for my particular uses...

"Jon Rizzo" wrote in message
news:4897727@discussion.autodesk.com...
I would guess at least that many, considering that:
1. It is free
2. It allows you to view and print DWG files, where Autodesk's does not.

Is anybody else tired of Autodesk pushing their DWF agenda (a technology
nobody needs) instead of a low cost DWG viewer (a tool that EVERYBODY
needs). It is time that Autodesk started providing us with the tools that
we need instead of telling us what we need.

"Joe" wrote in message
news:4897561@discussion.autodesk.com...
I wonder how many times the free Bentley viewer has been downloaded.
news:4896575@discussion.autodesk.com...
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

snip>It is time that Autodesk started providing us with the tools that we
need instead of telling us what we need.
And abandon the Benevolent Dictator role they enjoy!

I can't believe my eyes! 🙂

--
Don Reichle
"King Of Work-Arounds"
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
--------------------------------------
LDT3/CD3
IntelP4-2.4
1GB RAM
Nvidia GeForce2 MX 32MB
Western Digital Raptor 10K-rpm HD

"Jon Rizzo" wrote in message
news:4897727@discussion.autodesk.com...
I would guess at least that many, considering that:
1. It is free
2. It allows you to view and print DWG files, where Autodesk's does not.

Is anybody else tired of Autodesk pushing their DWF agenda (a technology
nobody needs) instead of a low cost DWG viewer (a tool that EVERYBODY
needs). It is time that Autodesk started providing us with the tools that
we need instead of telling us what we need.

"Joe" wrote in message
news:4897561@discussion.autodesk.com...
I wonder how many times the free Bentley viewer has been downloaded.

"R.K. McSwain" wrote in message
news:4896575@discussion.autodesk.com...
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

I thought I was convinced...then wasn't.

We've used it for one client with some success, but he was a fairly
sophisticated guy, and liked dabbling in the supposed latest and greatest.

Everyone else? PDF by a long shot.

Sorry deskers, this is one pill the industry just isn't swallowing.

--
James Wedding, P.E.
Technology Manager &
Associate
Jones & Boyd, Inc.
Dallas, TX
XP/2 on P4-3.4/1G
LDT 2006 & C3D2006/SP1

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

The DWF viewer is a pretty slick pice of technology. The problem is, the
only people willing to use it already HAVE AutoCAD. It wouldn't be so bad
if they were only pushing DWF as a replacement to PDF, but they're trying to
push it as the ONLY way to communicate with people who don't have AutoCAD.
They're forgetting about the fact that most people just want a DWG
viewer/plotter without all of the baggage of full-blown AutoCAD. Of course,
if they provided a reasonably priced viewer/plotter, people would have no
incentive to use DWF.

"James Wedding" wrote in message
news:4897746@discussion.autodesk.com...
I thought I was convinced...then wasn't.

We've used it for one client with some success, but he was a fairly
sophisticated guy, and liked dabbling in the supposed latest and greatest.

Everyone else? PDF by a long shot.

Sorry deskers, this is one pill the industry just isn't swallowing.

--
James Wedding, P.E.
Technology Manager &
Associate
Jones & Boyd, Inc.
Dallas, TX
XP/2 on P4-3.4/1G
LDT 2006 & C3D2006/SP1

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

Count me in as a DWF convert. I think PDFs are bad for CAD files.

Another reader? No big deal, especially one that is a lot less intrusive (and
demanding of system resources) on your system than Acrobat is. It's free, it's a
simple download, and requires no more permissions than anything else.

The insanity of a DWG viewer is that to correctly view a file, you STILL need
all the dependencies - Xrefs, fonts, images, CTB/STBs and so on. That gets to be
insane when you are just trying to transmit the plottable data to someone else.
Plot it to something and be done with it. Unless there's a real specific reason
to include them in our design files, I don't even want consultants sending me
DWG files anymore.

The big problem I now face is that our ancient Xerox 8830 printer does not print
images in DWF files. This is a big enough gotcha that I'm pricing out the
replacement of our three 8830s with Oce TDS400s.

Matt
mstachoni@comcast.net
mstachoni@bhhtait.com

On Fri, 8 Jul 2005 17:48:02 +0000, R.K. McSwain wrote:

>http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html Message was edited by: Discussion Admin

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

I am taking an incremental approach.

We have made our first in-road into the use of DWFs by requiring that all
record sets be stored in DWF format rather than DWGs since the size is so
much smaller. We still keep a DWG set for our 100% but interim sets are all
now being done as DWFs.

Reactions have been mixed, but they can not argue with the file storage
advantage.

This is one way to expose all of my personnel to them gradually without
having endless discussions and meetings debating the benefits etc. I hope
that by exposure they will innately see the benefits and eventually I can
expand usage internally.

I can only hope our consultants some day will catch on. I think DWFs are
superior to PDFs. However, thus far we have encountered ONE who uses them,
and our project manager refused to learn them and so he gets PDFs from them
instead.

Oh well...

"melanie stone" wrote in message
news:4897638@discussion.autodesk.com...
count me in this group... I only have it in the rare event that I receive a
dwf from a fellow user (never someone doing work for me... just friends
exchanging files for kicks)

"Santa CAD" wrote in message
news:4897553@discussion.autodesk.com...

I think many more have it than use it.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

"Jon Rizzo" wrote...

>> Is anybody else tired of Autodesk pushing their DWF agenda
>> (a technology nobody needs) instead of a low cost DWG
>> viewer (a tool that EVERYBODY needs).

Yes, maybe they are listening.
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/standalone_batc.html

Ok, not a DWG viewer, but if this is released, your cousultant with Volo View can convert your 2004DWG to something that will open in VV.

>> It is time that Autodesk started providing us with the tools
>> that we need instead of telling us what we need.

Not if it doesn't please the $tockholder$.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

I've got it for viewing purposes only - in case one of our consultants is
totally clueless and send us a DWF. I send out PDF files...

--
Jason Hickey
Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc
Birmingham, AL

"R.K. McSwain" wrote in message
news:4896575@discussion.autodesk.com...
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

Don't forget to get a price from the Kip dealer.
Always better off with two RFP's for equipment.

John Postlewait
IS Department
George butler Associates, Inc.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

Are we using the same program? The one and only DWF viewer I downloaded
and installed required administrative rights for install. That's the
biggest no-no for me. Most IT departments don't just go around giving that
permission willy-nilly.

--
Jason Hickey
Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc
Birmingham, AL

"Matt Stachoni" wrote in message
news:4897841@discussion.autodesk.com...
Count me in as a DWF convert. I think PDFs suck for CAD files.

Another reader? No big deal, especially one that is a lot less intrusive
(and
demanding of system resources) on your system than Acrobat is. It's free,
it's a
simple download, and requires no more permissions than anything else.

The insanity of a DWG viewer is that to correctly view a file, you STILL
need
all the dependencies - Xrefs, fonts, images, CTB/STBs and so on. That gets
to be
insane when you are just trying to transmit the plottable data to someone
else.
Plot it to something and be done with it. Unless there's a real specific
reason
to include them in our design files, I don't even want consultants sending
me
DWG files anymore.

The big problem I now face is that our ancient Xerox 8830 printer does not
print
images in DWF files. This is a big enough gotcha that I'm pricing out the
replacement of our three 8830s with Oce TDS400s.

Matt
mstachoni@comcast.net
mstachoni@bhhtait.com

On Fri, 8 Jul 2005 17:48:02 +0000, R.K. McSwain wrote:

>http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html

old-cadaver · ‎07-11-2005

ummm... then have your IT guy install it... maybe? ... just a thought.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

I one of the IT guys...and it's not a great idea to have a program just
for viewing that requires IT intervention. Among the thousands of other
issues we're dealing with, this headache comes along. Adobe Acrobat Reader
installs just fine without management intervention, which is the main reason
we use it.

--
Jason Hickey
Goodwyn, Mills, and Cawood, Inc
Birmingham, AL

wrote in message news:4898328@discussion.autodesk.com...
ummm... then have your IT guy install it... maybe? ... just a thought.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

I hate comments like this. Sure it's been downloaded 7 Million times, but
that's no indication of how many actually use it.

Maybe it's more like "Over 7 Million DWF Viewer Downloads, but 6.5 Million
demand a refund for their time wasted".

"R.K. McSwain" wrote in message
news:4896575@discussion.autodesk.com...
http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2005/07/over_7_million_.html

wookie · ‎07-11-2005

To my mind, any need for a dwg viewer is seperate to the dwf/pdf debate. Sharing dwg files (outside the company) is somthing we try to avoid if at all possible. This is what dwf/pdf is for.
OTOH our document management system has a built in dwg viewer which we all use many times per day.

old-cadaver · ‎07-11-2005

Why is that a headache? Our IT dept. installs ALL software, it's no headache here, why should it be one there?

Or is your place one where the engineering staff are at odds with IT all the time?

old-cadaver · ‎07-11-2005

Why would it be a waste of time, we use it regularly for transmitting files to our field offices. Considerably more flexible that PDF.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

All this just goes to show the differing needs of those expressing their
opinions.

One more way to show both the positive and negative results of flexibility,
IMHO.

--
Don Reichle
"King Of Work-Arounds"
"The only thing worse
than training your staff,
and having them leave is -
not training your staff,
and having them stay."
Courtesy Graphics Solution Providers
--------------------------------------
LDT3/CD3
IntelP4-2.4
1GB RAM
Nvidia GeForce2 MX 32MB
Western Digital Raptor 10K-rpm HD

wrote in message news:4898466@discussion.autodesk.com...
Why would it be a waste of time, we use it regularly for transmitting files
to our field offices. Considerably more flexible that PDF.

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 19:31:05 +0000, Jason Hickey
wrote:

>Are we using the same program? The one and only DWF viewer I downloaded
>and installed required administrative rights for install. That's the
>biggest no-no for me. Most IT departments don't just go around giving that
>permission willy-nilly.

Maybe it does, but so what? So did AutoCAD, Photoshop,
Office, VIZ, and a whole host of other mission critical
apps. The deeo interactions with Windows and its Registry
means that not too many complex apps can get away with being
able to be installed and maintained by The Great Unwashed,
er, I mean, Users.

And that's a Good Thing.

Most headstrong IT departments who don't trust their users
will not want just anyone installing software on their PCs.
In my case, I gave local Admin rights to all users long ago,
with almost no repercussions. But in a tightly controlled IT
scenario, the requirement of Amdin rights to install it is
GREAT.

And any IT department worth its weight in spam understands
how to deploy things like the Express Viewer through
automated control such as Active Directory and Group Policy.

The first rule of IT may be "Don't Trust Your Users," but
the second rule of IT is "Be Lazy." In other words, "Don't
ever make yourself have to visit a user's workstation to do
anything to it." and that includes installing software.

Matt
mstachoni@comcast.net
mstachoni@bhhtait.com

Anonymous · ‎07-11-2005

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 19:20:58 +0000, jpostlewait <> wrote:

>Don't forget to get a price from the Kip dealer.
>Always better off with two RFP's for equipment.

Yeah, but I heard Kip machines blow 🙂

Matt
mstachoni@comcast.net
mstachoni@bhhtait.com

Anonymous · ‎07-12-2005

That must be an upgrade from the models that we bought. 🙂
We set up an in-house demo for a month with a Kip 6000 and an Oce TDS600. Ran them side by side and the end users picked the Kip's.

John P.

Are you one of the 7,000,000?

Are you one of the 7,000,000?

Forums Links

Post to forums