Damn good article Ralph: keep up the good work.
-Dean Saadallah
http://pendean.com
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The issue with using third-party software is often that the client (which in many cases is the US government) specifies AutoCAD or Revit by name in the contract. If you're going to meet the government requirements for many projects, you have no choice but to subscribe to Autodesk software. I can't imagine what third-party developers are thinking when they have to compete against a government-issued mandate.
I recently consulted for a firm that had finished their entire project in AutoCAD, only to find out it had a BIM requirement. The contract specifically stated "Autodesk Revit version 2014 and AutoCAD Civil 3D."
Architects can't name manufacturers in their specifications, so how can the government specify a specific software vendor?
is it possible to fulfill these contracts with software other than Revit? AutoCAD and even Sketchup technically can do "BIM," but you can't work with an engineering firm who uses Revit unless you provide Revit files. I'm really hoping we will see IFC > RVT converters soon. Or something - anything!
- Dave Edwards
Dave Edwards Consulting
The editor replies: In 2017 Autodesk spent $410,000 lobbying the US federal government. Competitors like PTC, Dassault Systemes, and Bentley Systems spent essentially zero.
With the API development that the Open Design Alliance is doing, lots of translation and CAD vendors are starting to add Revit import and, eventually, Revit export. The lock Autodesk holds in certain jurisdictions may come to an end in a few years time.
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You weren’t kidding about the annual maintenance “bump”. We got hit with a 31% maintenance renewal increase this year. I asked for clarification on why such a large increase but was met with only silence.
- Jim Koerner, systems administrator
Zeppelin Systems
The editor replies: Autodesk has been very public about the reason: it is jacking up the price to force you off your valuable permanent license.
Mr Koerner responds: "We actually have an inside Autodesk sales rep due to a global agreement we have. I think he just didn't feel like answering my question on the price increase."
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Current Autodesk deferred revenue is $1.333 billion. So under the old selling method the loss would have been $0.05 billion. The graph (https://www.cadnauseam.com/2017/12/06/adsk-bubble-trouble/) really should be showing deferred revenue in the graph to get a better look at the overall financial picture.
- Christopher Fugitt (@C3DReminders via Twitter)
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Interesting post this time and very relevant to my situation. I was in the Autodesk maintenance camp until I walked away from it all 12-15-17.
I refuse to be an ATM told to spit money out until I run dry. Loyalty is a two-way street and has to be earned.
In the three years I was with Inventor Pro HSM, I can honestly say that the improvements were not worth the cost of the yearly payments; support was pretty well limited to getting you up and running. After that, it was cost-per-incident or per-year, no doubt with a cap of some sort.
The online forums were the best and really only line of support unless $$$$$. HSM is worthwhile (when it was solid with perpetual seats; Fusion360 is where silly people dwell) but to buy it for what it does, and not what they are promising someday, maybe, we hope it will do. The current version of HSM does what I want, and I am not buying new equipment for some time, so for years to come I don't need new CAM software.
If I did, it would be funded by new products and a need for new tech in my shop and absolutely will NOT be subscription-anything. Like you, if the end result is the most important thing then I can survive well with what I have for many years.
I would have been willing for Autodesk to get money from me at the same original price and perpetual seats only. The day they decided to dictate what I was going to get (and with this year's new increased price) was the day I walked. I was a customer and that implies voluntary transaction with value for both parties being determined and agreeable.
Adobe Photoshop 7 still does all I need. Anyone who uses Inventor and Solid Edge will have no trouble choosing SE so that solves CAD. Solid Edge and HSM will do all I need past 2025, when I intend to quit working full-time. I wonder how Autodesk will make money off my new company policy where I am telling them what I won't do?
- Dave Ault
The editor replies: Weird thing is how maintenance isn't even needed:
- For tech problems, we just look up the answer on the Internet; someone else will have already solved it.
- For software updates, we usually don't need them
Mr Ault responds: AMEN to that. I still can get tech support for HSM from the forums, which I could not get from Autodesk -- unless I spent money when I was a paying customer.
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Excellent article! Perfectly summarizes Autodesk’s situation and provides a great comparison with Adobe.
- Dairobi Paul
CAD Networks Pty, Australia
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Great write-up on the Autodesk subscription fiasco.
Of course, that problem that they claim to be solving is completely self-inflicted. That flawed strategy of annual releases was created by them, not by their customers. And I contend that the same is true of mechanical CAD software. If I had the theoretical feature set of Solidworks 2006, my mechanical design business would work fine. There has been very little actual improvement in mechanical software in the last 12 years, and most of that improvement has consisted of making theoretical features actually work.
Bottom line, to me, is that solid modeling software is $500-$1000 software. The fact that their business models demands $5000-$10000 to stay aloft indicates a problem with the business model, not a problem with their software, nor a problem with their customers.
- Jess Davis, president
Davis Precision Design, Inc.
The editor replies: The same goes for basic drafting techniques like dimensions and hatching. So many variables for the computer to control that the hand does naturally.
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Mark Pesce announces the death of Moore's Law, age 53. Mr Law died after branch prediction, designed to overcome the hilltopping of CPU speeds, required amputation. Mr Law is survived by GPUs and software optimization. RIP 2 January 2018.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/01/24/death_notice_for_moores_law/
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For 2018, AGACAD is working on specific intelligent workflows for parking garages, bridges, smart fabrication, packaging, logistics planning. Take a BIM model from 3D point cloud data and with a few mouse clicks depict it on a HoloLens display. http://www.aga-cad.com/
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"Elon Musk’s new Tesla compensation plan only pays if he delivers." Gosh, that's been my compensation plan all along.
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CADENAS is hosting the 19th Industry Forum Mar 7-8 in Augsburg Germany on the subject of " trends, methods of intelligent finding, process optimization in engineering, increase in sales and Industry 4.0." Register through https://www.industry-forum.biz/registration
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A. I. = artificial ignorance. I like this redefinition, as it spells out our ignorance of how the blackboxes of AI algorithms arrive at their decisions.
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Festo AG & Co launched the online version of their configuration software Festo Design Tool 3D in cooperation with CADENAS GmbH. The http://www.festo.com/FDT-3D-online configuration site is up and working. It's easy to use: click a green ball to see acceptable additions.
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I'm thinking back to when the mainstream media mocked US vp Pence for his "never alone in a room with a woman not my wife" policy. Today, the mainstream media is on the flip side of things, tsk-tsk'ing inappropriately horny men from the me-too bandwagon.
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If you're facing forced subscriptions by Autodesk, ZWSOFT reminds you of their five-pack offer: maintain full ownership and get 20% off.
- ZWCAD 2018 net $640 each
- ZWCAD Architecture 2018 net $1200 each
- ZWCAD Mechanical 2018 net $1040
https://www.zwdirect.com/downloadbuy.html
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"My problem with Google is that I just can't rely on them to support their offerings. For example, I used to find both My Tracks and Picasa simple, easy to use and useful. Google's dropped both." More great comments at https://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/
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For late-breaking CAD news, follow upFront.eZine on Twitter at @upfrontezine. |
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Re: After Ten Years, IntelliCAD Holds a Conference
In your IntelliCAD update in issue #965, you said IntelliCAD arrived at Visio from Softdesk via Autodesk and pointed out that it is a long story (that's an understatement). Quick correction, Visio acquired IntelliCAD from Boomerang Technology, which was comprised of the original developers.
- Robert Drummer
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Congrats to our client IntelliCAD.
-HBC Lawyers (via Twitter)
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"AMAZON plans to put camera, microphone in every bedroom." I remember when the same was said of 3D printers. Never did happen.
I remember when same was said in 1935 in ‘1984’ (or was it ‘Brave New World’? never can remember). Never did happen --– until now.
- Tom Foster
Tom Foster Architecture, England
The editor replies: The number of cameras in public outdoor areas and in businesses is startling. I suppose the 2-3 cameras on each cell phone could count towards the bedroom number.
Mr Foster responds: Cameras we're kinda used to, can maybe hide from. Speech collection
throughout the house is something else and is already here.
While we're at it: Foveated rendering is a seriously useful technology for following what the eyes glance at (without need for tiny mirrors on eyeballs or contact lenses in lab research). It out-classes clicks and likes by a mile for meta-data collection, not to mention surveillance of thoughts and interests.
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"Upon the next crisis, the rules will suddenly change for the benefit of the elites; not the rest of us."
During a friendly conversation with an engineering associate, he commented on the above subject as follows: "Those who make the rules, make the rules for those who make the rules."
I've been considering a Chinese program called ZW3D. Every hear of it?
- CADman
The editor replies: It used to be known as VX. It was bought by ZWSOFT and I think that the programmers are still based in Florida.
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"Numerous declarations about the 'death of drawings' have nothing to do with the reality. since the refusal of drawings is equivalent to the refusal of understanding."
- Alexander Yampolsky |
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A reply to: "I'm thinking back to when the mainstream media mocked US vp Pence for his "never alone in a room with a woman not my wife" policy. Today, the mainstream media is on the flip side of things, tsk-tsk'ing inappropriately horny men from the me-too bandwagon."
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It IS interesting to listen to the echo chamber of male public dialogue. Me-too women/media are not shaming men for being horny; they are shaming them for acting in a manner that is inappropriate, disrespectful and degrading. Whether it has anything at all to do with sex and love; or whether such incidents are rather a result of a different drive for power and control is up for debate.
Posted by: Segue Fischlin | Wednesday, January 01, 2020 at 07:08 PM