MEP is not Dead
It's just there to string us along down two seperate paths and get us to buy three times the product.
It's just seems dead since they are just having to split development between two packages. Why make one good product when you can make two mediocre products.
Oooh, and then we can make it so they don't talk to each other so the customers will have to buy 3 products! (Navis).
They also know that by making the Architects happy we will be drug along regardless of the quality of their product. Since 2005 we've screamed for sloped piping, but you've given us everything except that!
I have to chuckle everytime Autodesk tells us 'we can't say when or if a feature will make it into a product'. But you are more then happy to take our blood money in subscription, cuz boy howdy if we don't, we can be sure to pay full price when a feature does come along that we need. Is this why it took so long to get sloped piping in MEP? Were you just stringin us along? You had no trouble getting that into Revit from the start...even before you got it into MEP. So it never was a matter of ability.
You get to give us whatever you want kindof around a certain time without anykind of penalty if you're late. Heck most of us are too afraid to rollout your software right away anyway, maybe there'll be a service pack (or two (or three)).
MEP is as buggy now as it has ever been, if not more so. Currently half of our computers are on service pack 2 (or is it version 2?). We get the choice of frequent crashes, or device text that doesn't rotate properly. We'll probably get the next release before this gets fixed. And why should they even fix it? All the more reason to force us into another product. All the more reason to string us along on subscription.
So could we maybe get some more themes in the next release, maybe flowers and bunnies? You know something to make me happy as I spend my weekends struggling around the bugs, crashes and workarounds as I try to get my job done.
We don't use your product because it's the best, we use it because we have to be compatible. And it's obvious you guys realize that by guarding you closed format, your product quality can go to .... you know where.
I'm sorry you feel so compelled to penalize your customers with restricted, non-interoperable formats just because your mansions aren't big enough.
I've used Autocad now for two decades. I used to spend my nights and weekends playing with your product. I've stood up for you and promised my boss and more importantly our customers that I could make your product work. And you've failed me....miserably. And wasted yet another weekend of mine (with many more sure to come).
I'm sorry Autodesk, I used to be your biggest fan.
Jeb