[cnczoner]

Can anyone here comment on the reliability of ViaCad v6 vs. prev versions? I'm currently evaluating v6 and find it buggy (though does everything I need), so considering that prev versions may be more bug-free, which I really want, rather than features. I just need some 3D modeling program that creates STL files.

Cheers,
-Neil.

[TOTALLYRC]

Can anyone here comment on the reliability of ViaCad v6 vs. prev versions? I'm currently evaluating v6 and find it buggy (though does everything I need), so considering that prev versions may be more bug-free, which I really want, rather than features. I just need some 3D modeling program that creates STL files.

Cheers,
-Neil.

Hi Neil,
what kind of buggy are you seeing?
I feel it works well but would like to know what I am missing.

Mike

[cnczoner]

Created a group (a stepper motor made of 3 objects, some of which were made from subtracting some solids from others), then moved it. All went okay, but Undo caused chaos, leaving the 3 objects in different locations.

Changing text color does not work.

Rotating an object failed a couple times.

BTW, can't I rotate a group? I still can't get that to work?

Also, I found that if I zoom into a corner of the workspace, then the dynamic rotate does not always work.

[TOTALLYRC]

Created a group (a stepper motor made of 3 objects, some of which were made from subtracting some solids from others), then moved it. All went okay, but Undo caused chaos, leaving the 3 objects in different locations.

Changing text color does not work.

Rotating an object failed a couple times.

BTW, can't I rotate a group? I still can't get that to work?

Also, I found that if I zoom into a corner of the workspace, then the dynamic rotate does not always work.

I can change the color of text at will on my computer.

I have yet to see the fail to rotate but I will be more aware now that you mention it.

I don't have the time right now to recreate your first problem.

I will also be on the look out for the lack of dynamic rotate when zoomed into a corner. I have yet to see it happen.

Group rotation works fine here. I was able to select a group of 3d objects and rotate them separately from the rest of the objects on the screen.

Mike

[cnczoner]

Are you on v6?

[TOTALLYRC]

Are you on v6?

Yes I am on version 6.
I was running it on Vista and then upgraded my laptop to win 7.
1.6 Ghz dual core intel with 2gb ram.

I will say that the model to sheet doesn't work with complicated 3d models but will do the basic 3d stuff. I wish it was perfect but even Autocad at ~7K per seat has problems.

Mike

[ger21]

I wish it was perfect but even Autocad at ~7K per seat has problems.

Mike

It's $4K, and has less bugs than any software I've ever used. And I use it every day.

[TOTALLYRC]

It's $4K, and has less bugs than any software I've ever used. And I use it every day.

Hi Gerry,
I guess my numbers were way off but the point is that at $4K per seat it still has bugs.

Even if it is the best cad program out there, it still has bugs.

The point I was so inelegantly trying to make is that for $99 or so per seat for Viacad I am willing to be more forgiving of bugs and glitches.

Mike

[cnczoner]

It's not just about the number of bugs, but the type of bugs. Not being able to change text color is no biggie, but a program that crashes when trying to generate G-Code is a major no-no. I've learned that cost isn't always proportional to software quality (Linux vs. Win* and Open Office vs. M$ Office are two examples that come to mind) -- there are some good low-cost apps out there, and for uses like this I don't mind forfeiting support or buying software from a not-so-established company, as it's not critical to my business.

[ger21]

Hi Gerry,
I guess my numbers were way off but the point is that at $4K per seat it still has bugs.

Even if it is the best cad program out there, it still has bugs.

The point I was so inelegantly trying to make is that for $99 or so per seat for Viacad I am willing to be more forgiving of bugs and glitches.

Mike

Sorry to steer this off topic. And for not being clear myself.

.......but even Autocad at ~7K per seat has problems.

What I really meant to say, is that in the 12+ years that I've used AutoCAD daily, I've never really came across any bugs or problems. It doesn't crash, and everything works like it's supposed to. For the same reason you can live with issues for $99, I feel AutoCAD is worth the $4K because it doesn't have any issues. Just pointing out my experiences. Of course noone wants to spend $4K for hobby use.

[TOTALLYRC]

It's not just about the number of bugs, but the type of bugs. Not being able to change text color is no biggie, but a program that crashes when trying to generate G-Code is a major no-no. I've learned that cost isn't always proportional to software quality (Linux vs. Win* and Open Office vs. M$ Office are two examples that come to mind) -- there are some good low-cost apps out there, and for uses like this I don't mind forfeiting support or buying software from a not-so-established company, as it's not critical to my business.

Some of the problems that you are having may be related to you or your computer. I can change the color of text without any problems and since Viacad does not generate g-code I can't see how you could crash while generating g-code.

I agree that not so well established companies or products can do great things for low cost.

Mike

[TOTALLYRC]

Sorry to steer this off topic. And for not being clear myself.


What I really meant to say, is that in the 12+ years that I've used AutoCAD daily, I've never really came across any bugs or problems. It doesn't crash, and everything works like it's supposed to. For the same reason you can live with issues for $99, I feel AutoCAD is worth the $4K because it doesn't have any issues. Just pointing out my experiences. Of course none wants to spend $4K for hobby use.

Hi Gerry,
That is a much clearer statement. I must say that since it doesn't crash or have bugs then it probably is worth every penny of $4k.
I want to spend $4k on my hobby but I just don't have it to spend. :violin:

The couple of times I have been exposed to Autocad and its clones I didn't care for the interface or the way it made you draw lines. Granted it has been a long time since I have actually seen Autocad in the flesh. Maybe it is time I take another look.

I have Viacad and as I have said in other posts I find it well worth the money and it works well for me.
Like any other software package out there it has a learning curve.
I found the curve to be acceptable to me and it does what I need to.
I like the fact that it has so many import and export options.

I just tried their beta for shark pro v7 which is their ultra pro version of Viadcad. It has some nice enhancements and new features that may or may not filter down into the less expensive versions of Viacad.

Mike.

[cnczoner]

Some of the problems that you are having may be related to you or your computer.

Possibly, but it's my net experience I'm concerned with. I'm on XP now, installed only about a month ago on a 1-yr old Lenovo R61, and only did so because I came across one program I needed which would not run on Linux or Win2k (which was my Win* OS of choice since it was relatively stable compared to prev offerings). As a software developer myself, I know that bugs can be due to something in the application program or the OS, but my *net* experience is that I have to look for another application. FWIW, there is no way I can see that "undo" causing a group of objects to break up and move to seemingly random locations, being caused by an OS... that has to be a ViaCAD bug.

... and since Viacad does not generate g-code I can't see how you could crash while generating g-code.

That was just as an example of what I consider a non-workaroundable bad bug, but that's what BobCad v22 did. I absolutely could not get one piece of code working with it, and it's $400 down the drain for me.... but you don't want to get me started on that again.

Cheers,
-Neil.

[cnczoner]

Either way, back to the original question -- if anyone has opinions on a previous version being more stable, I'd like to know, as I don't mind giving that a shot.

[TOTALLYRC]

I was lucky, I looked at Bobcad, saw all the bad press, demoed v23 and didn't like it. Looks like I got out cheap. I only have have used v6 and none of the prior versions. I did use v6 on my old xp laptop with similar good luck.

I hope you get the info you are looking for.

Mike

[CNC_Kid]

i dunno about v6, but my v8 trial seems a tad buggy.

[mmoe]

i dunno about v6, but my v8 trial seems a tad buggy.

As you said, you're using an all-in-one computer with a minimal built in GPU. If you were using it on my $3500 workstation, you would be experiencing a nearly bug free product. I get an occasional crash, but it's like once a week and I use it for at least a couple hours every day, sometime all day for days on end. I get just about the same amount of crashes from Lightroom, or Sony Vegas, or anything else really. The Push/pull generates more crashes than anything else in Viacad, so as I've said elsewhere I simply avoid using it unless it's absolutely necessary.

Another thing is that if you set up the autosave function, which also generates backups, the reliability actually seems to go up. For some reason, it crashes more when there aren't backups than it does when there are. I suppose that's Murphy at work, but since setting up the autosave/backup system, I've had a very glitch free experience.

FWIW, a good workstation cures most problems with just about every software package there is. A decent workstation will have components that are just more standardized and rarely come up short on power, so there is always headroom for the software to operate within. I can guarantee you that there are no developers using an all-in-one computer when they design and test the software. They are all developing on serious workstations and likely have graphics cards that cost nearly as much as my entire workstation. The software probably runs perfectly from their perspective, and the further from that kind of a workstation you get, the worse the experience is liable to become. There's more to CAD/CAM software than just investing in the software. Just like the CNC machine itself, the more capable the machine (or workstation in this case), the less frustrating the tough jobs will be. Investing in that capability costs money, there's just no way around it.

[rfenn]

I use V8 on an HP all-in-one (around $1000) but I have a dedicated 1GB Radeon card. I don't use it a lot but it is very stable. I have crash and burned it a few times but am more than happy with the stability. For the given time time period, I've crashed and burned Bobcad more often but that is usually in the CAM area which is probably not a fair comparison.

[CNC_Kid]

i believe my HP meets the vendor specs. not sure why anyone would need a $3500 PC for a $99 consumer grade CAD program, a HP all-in-one that meets min vendor spec should suffice, and w/ some employer discount i think i paid $900, then i added more RAM. i am not sure if my HP model has a open slot, but if it does i might add a better video card. is AMD Athlon II 260u CPU ok or does ViaCAD need Intel instruction sets?

[rfenn]

My specs for HP 21.5" all-in-one:
HP Model 220-1185qd
Intel Core i7-3770S CPU @3.10 GHz (quad core), 8MB shared cache
8 GB RAM
1GB AMD Radeon HD 7450A
Windows 7 Pro