Changes to Autodesk ArtCAM

[dillon.moulder]

We regret to inform you that on July 7, 2018, ArtCAM will be discontinued with no planned future releases or updates. This change will have the following implications for subscribers and customers with active maintenance plans:

• As of February 7, 2018, customers will no longer be able to purchase a new ArtCAM subscription.
• Maintenance Plan and Subscription renewals for ArtCAM will continue to be available until July 7, 2018.
• Customers who have purchased a perpetual license of ArtCAM will continue to own and have full usage rights for that license.
• You can continue to get ArtCAM support from Autodesk until November 1, 2018, by logging in to your Autodesk Account, selecting ArtCAM from the Support section, and submitting a ticket via email.  Please note this support is only available in English.
• Although support from Autodesk will expire on November 1, 2018, you can continue to access self-service support via the Autodesk Knowledge Network (AKN) and peer-to-peer support via the Autodesk Community’s ArtCAM Forum.

For more information, please read the FAQ.

[Anonymous]

Hmm, fusion, sounds pricey (and generic). Thanks for the info and good luck.

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:

3rd request - so am I to understand correctly that the most recent artcam build is the last one, and that there is no reason whatsoever to pay for anything additional towards my license, see attached screen shots. I guess I better get the most recent version of 3design before the blob swallows it up as well.

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Autodesk ArtCAM 2018 (Version: 2018.2.1 Build: 2018-01-24-1433-35b6f7e11) is the latest version and build available to customers with an active subscription or maintenance plan. You can confirm what version and build you’re working in now by selecting the Help > About Autodesk ArtCAM menu option in your ArtCAM software.

The FAQ includes information regarding future software updates.

Kind regards, 

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:

Rumor is they sacked the ArtCAM development team in November so they could end the product, but as they still sent out updates to the product I thought it was a rumor made by competitors. This has confirmed it. They have obviously sacked the development team to save money and kept selling it until the end of the financial year.

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While I cannot discuss specific Autodesk employees or development teams, the FAQ confirms today (7th February 2018) as the end-of-development for Autodesk ArtCAM.

The most recent update for the Autodesk ArtCAM 2018 product range was released on 30th January 2018, as documented here.

Kind regards,

[Anonymous]

@Anonymous Fusion cant do anything ArtCAM can, that will be the kicker, but I bet they will try to sell it to us, they have already knocked our doors a few times.

Dillon, what happens after November with support, if a customer has paid for support they should get support or a refund.

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:

Fusion cant do anything ArtCAM can, that will be the kicker, but I bet they will try to sell it to us, they have already knocked our doors a few times.

what happens after November with support, if a customer has paid for support they should get support or a refund.

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I’m sure the Fusion team will try to answer any questions you might have regarding Fusion 360 on their forums; there are customers already using ArtCAM alongside Fusion 360.

Autodesk’s support offerings are documented here. The FAQ confirms the support offerings prior to and after 1st November 2018. If you have any further questions regarding support entitlements with an active maintenance plan or subscription, I can only suggest that you ask them in an email to artcam.support@autodesk.com.

Thanks again for your time and cooperation.

Kindest regards,

[tajs]

The planet will most likely be better off without Artcam around anyway.....glad it finally happened, we all knew it was coming, although some knew a long time before others.  Nothing like taking money for maintenance and new subscriptions knowing full well that the program was going to be killed....can't quite wrap my head around that.  Time to move on...

[Anonymous]

I'm a little confused about the dates. I bought a month of artcam to try it out and really like it, but I'm a hobbyist for now and can't afford $45 a month just for making 3d reliefs. Is it possible to let my subscription run out and then renew it later when i have a project that requires artcams features, or would I have to keep it going month to month until artcam subscriptions are cancelled on July 7th?

Just so i understand completely: from July 7th 2018 until Feb 1st 2021, if I have an active subscription on July 7th there will be no more subscription fees until artcam is just unavailable? Will I still be able to use the software offline or will it just not open the program? Thanks,

[scottmoyse]

What an idiotic decision. Clearly some exec or accountant figured Fusion/HSM can do what ArtCAM can do... not even close to true. I'm sorry for the ArtCAM team & their customers.

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

Welcome to the Autodesk Community and the ArtCAM Forum.

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@Anonymous wrote:

I'm a little confused about the dates. I bought a month of artcam to try it out and really like it, but I'm a hobbyist for now and can't afford $45 a month just for making 3d reliefs. Is it possible to let my subscription run out and then renew it later when i have a project that requires artcams features, or would I have to keep it going month to month until artcam subscriptions are cancelled on July 7th?

Just so i understand completely: from July 7th 2018 until Feb 1st 2021, if I have an active subscription on July 7th there will be no more subscription fees until artcam is just unavailable? Will I still be able to use the software offline or will it just not open the program? Thanks,

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While you have an active subscription for an Autodesk ArtCAM product, you can use the software. If you let your subscription lapse between now and 7th July 2018, you will not have the option to renew your subscription again or purchase a new subscription. The Key Dates information in the FAQ suggests that if you continue to renew your subscription each month between now and 7th July 2018, you’ll be given access to the software up until 1st February 2021.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks for your time and cooperation.

Kind regards,

[Anonymous]

Not sure if I am clear on one point Dillon,,,,,,,,Am I correct that if you do not have a subscription in place now, you cannot get one?

Re Dillons point above,,,,,,,for those thinking that you can get some sort of free lunch going forward (if you do not have a stand alone license that is) keep in mind that you could spend the next 3 or so years developing work in AC and then lose it all at the end of the 3 year period. I would think that a wiser course of action would be to find a program that is being developed and supported so that you can continue using it and growing with it, for the foreseeable future. 

That being said, if you have a vested interest in AC (been using it for years for example and have a business that is dependent on it but do not have a standalone license) the 3 year period would be a good thing to take advantage of while you developed skills with a new program and hopefully were able to export your AC library of files in a format that could be imported to the new program.

Just a thought.

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:

Not sure if I am clear on one point,,,,,,,,Am I correct that if you do not have a subscription in place now, you cannot get one?

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That’s correct. New subscriptions for Autodesk ArtCAM products were withdrawn from sale yesterday (7th February 2018). This is confirmed when visiting an online Autodesk Store.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask. Thanks in advance for your time and cooperation.

Kind regards,

[Anonymous]

Thats what I thought, thanks for confirming this.

[Anonymous]

it's sad

Piotr

[Anonymous]

They killd ArtCAM when they buy it, they like to make money, like big American mcdonalds.

Subscription mean if you not pay they turn it off, if they get bored they turn it off. and leave customer no software   

[Anonymous]

Dillan thanks for your responses on this, unlike the other forums you pointed me to who haven't responded.

As you can see I'm not the only one frustrated on this issue. Why weren't we given notice and a chance to buy new licenses?

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:

Dillan thanks for your responses on this, unlike the other forums you pointed me to who haven't responded.

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I've always tried to answer questions from members of the Autodesk Community as quickly as possible; I will continue to do so. I expect that you will eventually receive a reply to the posts you've made elsewhere on the Autodesk Community; please consider that the Autodesk employees who do monitor the Autodesk Community forums are often based in different time zones.

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@Anonymous wrote:

As you can see I'm not the only one frustrated on this issue. Why weren't we given notice and a chance to buy new licenses?

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I'm not involved in the decision-making process regarding the sale of Autodesk products, so I cannot provide any information regarding the timing of yesterday's announcement, or the offerings included in that announcement. On this particular matter, all I can do is suggest that you send your questions by email to artcam.support@autodesk.com. I realise that this is not the explanation you are seeking, but it is the best advice I can give to you at this moment in time. 

Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Kind regards, 

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:
keep in mind that you could spend the next 3 or so years developing work in AC and then lose it all at the end of the 3 year period.

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If it's any assistance at all, to those customers with a licence for ArtCAM 2015 R2 supplied by Delcam, ArtCAM Model files (*.art), ArtCAM Project files (*.3dp) and ArtCAM Relief files (*.rlf) originating from Autodesk ArtCAM 2017 and Autodesk ArtCAM 2018 products should be compatible. This is because there have not been any changes to the structure of those file formats. 

Kind regards,

[Anonymous]

Will there be offline use available to artcam after 2021 or will the program just not boot up after that? 

[dillon.moulder]

Hi @Anonymous,

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@Anonymous wrote:

Will there be offline use available to artcam after 2021 or will the program just not boot up after that? 

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My understanding from reading the key dates information is that if you have an active subscription for Autodesk ArtCAM Standard or Autodesk ArtCAM Premium on 7th July 2018, you can continue to access the software until 1st February 2021. I do not expect that you'll be able to use the software beyond 1st February 2021, as there will be no access beyond that date.

I expect that you have a subscription with single-user access. If so, this article from the Autodesk Knowledge Network confirms that you need to connect to the internet every 30 days.

You might want to post in the Installation & Licensing Forum if you have any specific questions regarding how Autodesk subscription licensing works.

Thanks in advance for your time and understanding.

Kind regards,

[tajs]

My maintenance ends on May 26, 2018.  What happens if I do not renew?