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Big Chunks of Changes for Creo

MichaelHeit
1-Newbie

Big Chunks of Changes for Creo

Skip this 1st paragraph if philosophy boars you.

In the early days of PTC, Pro/Engineer was state of the art. It almost wiped out AutoCAD with their 3D and parametric modeling. There way obviously a lot of focus and drive within PTC. They had a vision of the utopias CAD software and knew how to get there. Over time the company got bigger; slowing creative output. Companies like this slowly fizzle until their market share fades into the mist. There are thousands of tasks and features that are done in Pro/Engineer. If I put on my 1990’s glasses on, they seem efficient and easy to use. Then, I zoom into 2011 and these tasks don’t seem so state of the art anymore. I have yet to use Creo, so maybe there’s hope.

Here are a few examples of enhancements that should have been added years ago:

  • Tables: The revision block on a drawing: In the olden days, this was a simple table filled with dumb text. Today, it should be linked to the PDM system. The smart BOM has some good functions, but the interface is not up to par. Take the control panel off of your microwave oven, so there are just bare wires sticking out. Connect the wires in the correct sequence to cook your food. This is the typical Pro/E interface; it just feels like a prototype.
  • Drawing notes and text: Slightly better than Edlin (MS DOS), the text editor should be WYSIWYG, with spell check. Bulleted numbers should be auto generated. Is PTC waiting for a Microsoft patent to expire before they do this? And what’s with the special codes for formatting? Hello? Look at the year on your calendar; YES, we're well into the 21st century.
  • Engineering: Pro/Engineer is design for…um, uh.. oh ya, Engineers. So if I accidently assemble an M5 bolt into an M6 nut, does the software have the smarts to know something is wrong? Does the analysis team have to manually convert or remove these models and holes? The top 100 engineering type parts, should be recognized by the software. Fasteners, springs, bearings and other common parts need to be more than just dumb models. Dissimilar metal warnings, or smart material finishes could be added. We’re not just drawing pretty pictures all day.

I am hoping the younger generation of programmers, who grew up with Google, Apple and Microsoft, will see the potential in PTC and bring it back to modern times. It's better to have the creativity in the engineering department, than in the Marketing department.


This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.
2 REPLIES 2

At the risk of never becoming a "Diamond" user, I agree with you completely Michael. We could go on and on about all the seemingly SIMPLE things that could've (and SHOULD'VE) been added ages ago. Yet instead we get the ability to do 3D shaded drawings and a nifty ribbon interface that doesn't do anything at all to speed productivity.

I love PTC products because they help me make a very nice living. However, I can't stand the way the company squanders the goodwill of it's users. I also can't stand the way they constantly "re-invent" the interface to "reduce mouse travel" which most users couldn't care less about. Most of the features we see in the latest versions of Creo and Pro/ENGINEER don't seem like something an engineer or designer asked for. They seem like things a computer programmer thought an engineer might need. They seem like something a college kid who just spent 2 semesters working in SolidWorks thought Pro/E just HAD to have immediately!!

I've had numerous conversations with Pro/E experts across the country and they're usually in agreement... PTC doesn't listen to them. They don't really want our input. They have a vision and a marketing plan... and they're going to execute it despite what the lowly users say. I've discussed this with PTC sales reps and, although they choose their words carefully, you can read between the lines. I've spoken with some of the PTC developers themselves... but they're oblivious to the problem.

We're stuck with things the way they are. I've worked for numerous companies that had all the potential in the world. Everything those companies needed to dominate their markets was locked away inside the minds of the employees. The employees would do everything in their power to communicate this knowledge to management. But in the end, no one listened. Most of those companies are gone... that's what happenes when you waste your best resources. PTC's best resources for development are it's USERS... until they figure that out, they're doomed to follow the same path.

GrahameWard
5-Regular Member
(To:BrianMartin)

It's because we are long term users and don't add to their bottom line except for annual maintenence fees. They are looking for ways to find new customers and they apparently think this is the way to do it.

If you don't like it sign the petition:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/remove-the-ribbon/

We have grand total of 9 signatures.

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