PTC blunders

[dougr]

All the threads about the grievous loss of make-datum in Misfire got me thinking about some of the dumb things PTC have done. Here's some I can think of for the list:



R18 - this removed support for Pro/PDM. R19 was quickly rushed out to fix this and, needless to say, R18 sank without a trace.



PTC is no longer just an MCAD company - Steven Walske about the time SolidWorks started eating their lunch.



The removal of make-datum in Wildfoul.



What do you want to do that for ? Standard PTC helpline response.



R13. Regen algorithm redone. Wasn't there some serious litigation with John Deere on this release because R12 models wouldn't regen in R13 ??



Not sure when they happened, but the various transitions from CADD software to product lifecycle management (PLM) software solutions. So are we PLM Engineers and Designers now ??





Anyone else got some ??

 

[bhayden]

>>Anyone else got some ??



How about Product First Maybe they should stop worrying so much about everbody elses buisness model and concentrate on providing the best possible MCAD solution.



>transitions from CADD software to product lifecycle

> management (PLM)



I will say in the defense of PTC that the inclusion of Intralink (can't comment on Pro/PDM) with the foundation package is an excellent idea and the lack of a similar solution was probably the number one reason that SolidWorks failed in our environment. As far as PDM vs. PLM I think that's a stretch that's diluted effort on core development of the MCAD tools. However, the PLM solutions are the only area showing growth and increasing revenue so it can't be ignored.



Bernie Hayden

XKL LLC

 

[bhayden]

> What do you want to do that for ? Standard PTC

> helpline response.



We've had Silver Level support for a little over a year. I'd say 80-90% of the time the response has been excellent. At first of course I was lobbing softballs as I came up to speed (IMHO the user interface could use some major tweaking). After that though tech support usually had to go off and research the problem; often going as far as submitting the file to programming. They'd often come back with a work around (i.e. it's a bug) but I can't fault the expertise, diligence or attitude. I think this stereotype is a hold over from the past. BTW, it's often quoted as a selling point for SolidWorks when their tech support is basicly your local reseller and that's it!



-Bernie-

 

[Brian_Adkins]

Thought you might find this interesting:



In 2001: create a rotational cut pattern. I used 2 'make-datums' in the process. One for the sketch plane and the other for the horiz-reference (to get the angular dim).



Create a UDF of this pattern in 2001



Use this UDF in Wildfire.... It actually works. The make-datums do not show up in the model tree (the cut feature only contain the sketch section as a sub-feature)



So, if your use of make-datums are related mostly to certain geometry scenarios like rotation hole patterns (mine are not), then this may be of some use.



-Brian



View attachment 229

 

[dougr]

So we could create our holes in 2001, create a UDF and use the UDF in Misfire ?

 

[Brian_Adkins]

I was really just trying to see if it was possible. It wouldn't be a very good solution for 99.9% of us, but it does work...



If I was already going to create a UDF of a radial hole pattern for use in Wildfire, I would probably do it in 2001 using make-datums instead of creating the UDF in WF.



-Brian

 

[bhayden]

I suspect PTC didn't really change all that much about the underlying structure (kernal) of make datums. In 2001 the other day I ended up losing a hole pattern I'd created while trying to create a local group that I could then pattern. While the original pattern of holes got accidentally deleted the two make datums I'd created to locate them suddenly appeared in the model tree as features. I think the whole thing is just a matter of PTC screwing around with how the history and geometry is displayed to the user. Maybe what they could do is allow any datum to be defined/redefined as local and take on the characteristics of a make datum?



Bernie Hayden

XKL LLC