NextEngine

Just got an email from SolidWorks regarding the NextEngine 3d Scanner,
disappointed that to get full functionality out of it you need SolidWorks
Office Premium.

A few years ago the only options were SolidWorks or SolidWorks Office (it's
now called Office Professional). SolidWorks have added Office Premium the
mix which adds CosmosWorks designer, something I'd like but can't really
justify the extra cost. I can't see why the new "Scan to 3d"
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/solutions/ScanTo3D.html should be
only integrated into Office Premium. The only explanation is SolidWorks
needs another revenue stream.

So I can see in about 3 years we will have

SolidWorks
SolidWorks Office Professional
SolidWorks Office Premium
SolidWorks Office Ultra (With advanced Surfacing)
SolidWorks Office !#$%%%#% (Optimized to work properly)

I really think this stinks, when I originally upgraded to Office I expected
any new additions / upgrades to the software to be included in my yearly
subscription. I find the whole thing rather underhand.

John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz

 

Quite an impressive demo if you watched it.
I don't know John - coupled with the low cost scanner it seems like pretty
good value - I don't know that you could expect that included in the Office
Pro version for free necessarily.
Surface pull around looked interesting - hope someone from beta reports
their general impressions on its usefulness here ;o)
Seems like these tools will not only make higher functionality available for
less cost but also force some consolidation for people doing it solo or as
partnerships into small companies. Nice to have stuff but you can't really
justify these just on your own eh?

 

Haven't heard about Office Ultra - where I can find out more info?
Eric

 

Ultra is not available yet Eric. John has let the cat out of the bag
there -hope he doesn't get into trouble for that.Has just about everything
you always wanted for surfacing and got tired of asking for I am told.
I did hear some talk of it being available for early evaluation for those
that can't wait for the regular SW update cycle about the beginning of April
next year. Should give Alias Studio - (Autodesk) the old hurry up eh?
Nothing like competition to drive enhancements along. All this time SW have
been working away on some great new surfacing tools and just keeping quiet
about it...business as usual,- half arsed implementations, crippled
bits,bugs etc limited this and that, and not a word said to users....

 

Thanks Neil, sounds interesting, let's wait and see...
Eric

 

ha! I am sorry Eric, it's a joke... I was just making fun )
John was just sounding off about his purchase of Office Pro and having to
pay extra now for new features when he invented 'Ultra' and ####%^!! -
things like good surfacing tools and a low number of bugs - he was being
sarcastic.
I am sorry to pull your leg - I was in a 1st of April frame of mind. Only
managed to snare one with my beta07 cancelled post...beware the ides of
April...
later
;o)

 

Oh #$%#% I was sure that the U--- specification wasn't in the Non-disclosure
agreement.

John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz

 

Hi John,

2 things really bug me about the scanner/surfacing tools being bundled
with premium.

1: At sww both during the demo and on the 1 page flyer that nextengine
passed out (the one with the discount sticker on the back) the word
'premium' was never mentioned. If you reread the flyer it says
multiple times "....with sw2007 you will be able to....." . This gave
a very clear impression that the scanner plugin would simply be part of
solidworks, not premium or any other bundle.

2: The premium bundle just doesn't make sense. I don't need FEA but I
want the scanner plugin / surfacing tools so if I go there I have to
pay 500$ US per year extra support for premium FOREVER....... (plus the
3500$ upgrade). This chokes me up because I'll be paying for support
for software (FEA) that I don't use.

Even with the deceitful (wheter intentional or not) marketing of the
scanner tools for solidworks I would still be happy to pay for them -
Seperately. As far as I'm concerned FEA software is too specialized to
be bundled with of all things, a scanner plugin.

Zander

 

1) The NextEngine "scan" looks a little bumpy (coarse) especially for the
small parts it scans. 4" x 5" (+/- 0.005" or 0.010" total) macro mode, 13" x
10" (+/- 0.015 or 0.030" total), That is accuracy of roughly 0.25% in macro
mode, and 0.30% normal mode. Not too bad but it seems a little coarse for
fine detail, like a switch, connector, or other small detail item. Patching
around the object (as well as to make large parts) looks a little coarse as
well. You have to smooth (read filter) the "point cloud" to resolve this
dilemma which just reduces overall accuracy, but I guess this is good enough
for digitizing TV remotes, cabinet handles, and such. Part "cleanup" would
take a while too. Small items like PDA's, Cameras, Cell Phones and Consumer
Electronics and such would need much more accuracy (and modeling time added
too) to be done properly, especially when making a series of $30,000
injection molds!

2) What burns me up is the price difference between SW Pro. and SW Prem. is
$2500 and the upgrade price is $3500... $1000 for what!!!! Not to mention
they are already going to get $2000 a year for subscription fees. I can
take the subscription fees (almost), but the upgrade fee thing is too
much... And not a peep from SW by the way, and only one email from my VAR
asking SW for me now (is this what I pay $1500 a year for - "leverage" and
"muscle"!!!)... I sent 3 emails to SW last week! The more I think about
this the more PI$$ED I get! Sorry for the rant... I am really "on it" about
this!

Aron

 

possibly it is only really intended to scan foam models and the like into SW
for reference for proper construction.
if not part of a package deal what do you think it is worth as an add-in?

 

I'd pay 1000$ for the scanner addin with no increase in yearly support.
Sounds fair, but of course I have no idea what the developement costs
were. Again, it's being force fed the FEA software with it's highly
yearly maintainance that burns me. As well as conveniently not
mentioning premium once at the convention.

Zander

 

Hi Zander,

I couldn't agree more, however if you follow the link to the video "See the
Desktop 3d Scanner demo at SolidWorks World" on
http://www.solidworks.com/pages/products/solutions/ScanTo3D.html John
McEleney does state it's in Premium.

John Layne
www.solidengineering.co.nz

 

Ha! - well that's a mere technicality! Anyway - the double sided
'coupon' brochure that nextengine had at their booth never mentioned
premium. Actually they probably hired a special effects place to do
that in post production, right?!

 

The trouble is I think in the past some add-ins didn't sell that well
individually.
When SW decided to bundle them it turned out to be good value for users even
if they didn't use everything.
Including such things as CosmosMotion and the scanner plug-in extends that.
IMO overall it is still v.good value but I hear what you are saying about
the cost for individuals who really just want a specific capability.
May be SW will offer the scanner plug-in separately if you make the price
point issue known. Perhaps they should rebundle with consideration to a type
of work need - so for instance there is an ID bundle or an analyst's bundle?

 

The plugin is definitely slick, but I was under the impression that
NextEngine could export scans into all the standard file formats which
could then be imported back into sw. True, it's klunky compared to the
single-click bring-it-into-sw approach, but you should be able to buy
the NextEngine scanner separately and use it this way, no?

 

I don't know the details of what NextEngine itself allows- perhaps someone
else can say. If the plug-in is just a pass between routine on top of what
is already available with the scanner then I guess it isn't worth any thing
like even $1000 that was mentioned as a stand alone offering. Maybe it
should be part of the core product just like a translator is for no cost...