ShapeWorks again but legal

Funny I requested a shapeworks demo license and I got a resounding NO!
from the company. Basically I was told that SW is now capable of
importing the files I needed to convert and that I would not need one?
but they missed the fact that you need to have Professional for that and
I have Premium... Unless someone can enlighten me on how to import a 3DS
file? Maybe I am just ranting here and need a good slap?

Too bad I was going to give them some free press on my podcast to help
them with sales, but with the treatment I have gotten so far I doubt I
would recommend shapeworks to anyone. I don't mean to hack and I am sure
it is great software I have heard great things about it but the
treatment I have received is deplorable.

Ben
www.Mountain-Wave.blogspot.com

 

precisely they don't offer a demo license, i've been through the
procedure, even though it is on the website they don't offer it any
more. so you can't test it because importing 3ds files isn't easy from
what i have seen with solidworks, and i can't justify spending that
kind of money on software that "may" work.

 

Couple things I can think of.
www.okino.com sells some translation software (polytrans) that will
translate a variety of 3D formats to a variety of 3D formats and it does
work for 3DS to SolidWorks. I believe they also have a SW plug-in to make
the process simpler.

Another option, Rhino which will open a 3DS file and then you could "save
as" and choose a file format compatible with SW. Rhino has a free trial.

Just some thoughts.

 

Well, be glad you bought Premium and not Professional.

Go to Tools > Add-Ins > Scan to 3D, then File > Open > Mesh Files.

Simple & Easy (though you do need Scan to 3D loaded to see the model).

 

My apologies if that is the case mo. I was unaware that the application
form is defunct...
Really though you should be talking to them rather than looking for a
crack or serial no. Possibly they have a grudge with SW for invading
their territory with the new features in 07.

 

Possibly they have a grudge with SW for invading

Different outfit in the same boat?
http://www.goulu.net/dotclear/index.php/2004/10/30/89-dynabits

 

Nope this wont work without a evaluation code or reg.... So unless you
can provide one...

Sorry I made a typo I purchsed Pro and dont have Premium...

Ben

 

This is too bad becasue these are the guys that create the progress
that is needed for software such as SW. Now that they are all going
away there is less motivation for others to develop addins and then
push companies such as SW into developing at a faster rate....

Ben

 

Actually I disagree this is not defunct...

Here are my thoughts

For those not aware if you want the cheap 3D next engine scanner you
will not be able to use it unless you either have or upgrade to SW
Premium, not the $2500 scanner will actually cost. for me an additional
$3500 in upgrades. So there is a really crappy I repeat CRAPPY hidden
cost for most of us. I am sure next engine and SW have some deal for
all of this to take place, is strikes me as underhanded to be honest.

Now all this uglyness and money grabbing aside I would rather put my
money to an addin like shapeworks instead of paying 2500+3500 or $6000!
on a bunch of stuff I dont need when I could purchase ShapeWorks for
much much less. Too bad ShapeWorks is too short sighted to see this and
the possiblity of me advertising on my Video Podcast. The last addin
software I promoted recieved a massive increase in sales... Too bad I
guess every one loses here.

I know ShapeWorks reads this forum, I hope they read this....

Ben

 

ah I think I said the 'application form' (on the website) is defunct...

anyway in reading your statement I am not too sure you really
appreciate the functional differences between scan to 3d and shapeworks
or indeed what is required or how it integrates with 07 vs 06 say
.....but you are getting quite a lot of other software for the
additional expense of Premium - it is not a $3500 scam just for the
ability to import meshes....and BTW you will have to pay more
maintenance as well for Premium - just to complete the equation...
now if you are saying you would like the scan to 3d functionality to be
available as a seperate module you are not alone in that wish...what do
you think it is worth BTW?
I think SW should be offering an ID package rather than an everything
there is kit.

 

Hummmm

Well you have a point in the additional stuff with Premium but what if
I dont need any of it? It really is not that case with me but I hate
having my hand forced. Sort of like to get premium over pro will cost
an additional 2500, but and a big BUT if you want to upgrade it will
cost 3500????? What, does it cost SW 1000 dollars in man hours to put
out a new reg code? I dont think so, just another money grab if you ask
me.... If it was only 2500 to upgrade I would have done it a looooong
long time ago, but the extra grand....Nope they can wait until I need
another seat of SW and then I will buy it. Funny cause this would have
been extra money or income to SW becsuse I would have upgraded my
current seat and still purchased the Premium in new seat I will
need....but they choose to lose money by silly business practices.

But I digress I think that if the scanner was a seperate package you
could add in to SW I would think that since the scanner is 2500 that
200-400 would be a reasonable cost for the code to interface with any
SW package...

Ben

 

Not often, but occasionally, my var sends out "specials". I've seen
maybe 4-5 of them in the 4 years or so I've been with this var (
goengineer ). I upgraded our seat of vanilla SW to professional on one of
these. It was at the same time as premium came out. It wound up costing
the same for the SW+upgrade as if I'd purchased pro right off the bat. At
that time, they were offering the same for premium, but we didn't need any
of the extra funtionality. Don't know if they were var specific specials or
SW wide ones. You might inquire.

 

Ben,

I absolutely agree with everything that you say. I am in the exact
same situation with SW Office Pro. I do not want PDM works but the
other items would be "helpful" but, not $2000 helpful and $200 extra
per year for upgrade helpful! Some of these little features, like
Toolbox really should be part of the standard package. And if I want
PDM Works then I would be happy to pay for it. But, to me this is just
extremely poor marketing policies! Just give us codes for the
individual packages and "reasonable" prices..... SW will sell more
stuff.

What I have noticed is that SW Engineering is a pretty good group and I
appreciate their hard work. However, I really wish that the marketing
group, (the whole marketing division of SW) WOULD GO WORK FOR AUTODESK!
Now that I think about it, they already are.

Ed

 

Special from my VAR! ROFLOL, never heard of such a thing.

Ed

 

I am neither here nor there in regards to any of this, but I think that
everyone should have their facts straight. (Not saying that any of you
don't) but I date back to the days of SW when I could buy each add in
separately. In many ways I liked this system better because it's a la
cart style didn't pigeon hole you into any one thing.

As we all know SW comes in 3 packages now. Starting at $4000, $5500,
and $8000. I am sure that all of us can point to one tool or feature
that we either have never used, or have no real need for it in our day
to day jobs. That said, when you start to look at what's offered in
each tier, it really is a value to have, if leveraged in some way shape
or form, the different add in. Toolbox and PDM alone are value added
tools. Though they may not be perfect, I can definately say that I was
the first one to not really want to use PDMworks, just too much of a
headache. But now have realized that having a common file structure of
storage just makes sense. Prior to having it, everyone had their own
seperate way of storing the projects that they worked on, and if it was
M$ word that we were using with no associativity to one file or
another, then I say go for it.

The reason why I am pointing out some of these things is that the Next
engine does not need SW to run. The software for the scanner can do all
that is needed to scan and repair the data. Having Premium allows you
to import the data directly into SW from a click of a button. But
let's not fool ourselves into thinking that any of this is some
replacement for some high end scanner that uses Geomagics or Rapid form
to clean up and repair data sets. You can't even bring in an STL into
SW with out it crunching to a slow halt.

There is still along way to go before any of this is seamless. Rob hit
the nail on the head with the Polytrans or use Rhino, it you would like
a cheaper and actually better overall solution than using Next Engine
and SW, that's if you are in the area of data translation and clean
up.

In regards to Shapeworks, baren-boym cannot be upset with SW for adding
in similar functionality into their program. As a progressive company,
they would be missing out on a key market if they didn't add in that
type of functionality in. (Personally I think they should have just
bought Rhino and put it in SW, but that's just me) Why should SW rest
on their laurels that Shapeworks can do it and not them? That doesn't
make much sense to me. If SW want any chance of really reaching
Critical Mass Market level, they need to have all the tools necessary
that people could ask for.

I dunno, not trying to sound like I am on a high horse, but having the
Next Engine in office, I think that I am in a position to give a little
insight to what is and isn't possible. You can also try an xport from
3Ds as an IGES.

 

Fair enought but on the demo I saw (and i know you can only take so
much from that) but the file size after imprt from next engine is much
much much smaller....


Anyhow check this out

http://www.volunteerlabrat.com/scanner.html

Ben

 

Ben,

You have never heard from me before but I have been downloading your
Pod Casts and they have been EXTREMELY helpful. I personally believe
that your pod casts put much of VAR's training to shame and has been
many times more helpful then SWx help. Keep up the great work.

As far as some of these money grubbing lame brain marketing schemes
that we have gotten from SW, I think that we should "get a rope"!

Ed

 

Ben,

I totally agree with you here. I have the exact same situation with
some of the origional "standard Office" features. Some of my clients
have older seats which still have the old office package. But, since I
can not upgrade to just Office now, the cost would be $2000 plus $200 a
year to have the same features that some of my clients have. I don't
have any trouble paying the extra $1000, (the difference between the
basic and the standard office packages). Which I was assured by my VAR
when I purchased SW that I would be able to upgrade to in the future.
But, when I requested the update, the offer is now no longer available.
I have been able to get along without some of these features but they
would be nice to have from time to time. But, I just can't justify
this for $2000+ Especially when I am not interested in PDM Works which
is the bulk of the cost difference. What even makes this more
annoying is that SW now wants an extra $500 to "upgrade" beyond the
actual cost of the current "Office Pro" incremental cost.

To make this even worse, my VAR tells me that SW has made these
policies because they are "customer" driven. I find this extremely
hard to believe and I am quite unhappy with my VAR because they never
made any of these new policies clear, (which apparently came into
effect very shortly after I purchased SW).

So, I too am not making purchases from SW because of some really stupid
marketing policies. Since, there are still seats that require the
basic "office" package, for me to purchase such a package would not
cost SW anything extra... they would just make a sale.

Ed

 

I am neither here nor there in regards to any of this, but I think that
everyone should have their facts straight. (Not saying that any of you
don't) but I date back to the days of SW when I could buy each add in
separately. In many ways I liked this system better because it's a la
cart style didn't pigeon hole you into any one thing.

As we all know SW comes in 3 packages now. Starting at $4000, $5500,
and $8000. I am sure that all of us can point to one tool or feature
that we either have never used, or have no real need for it in our day
to day jobs. That said, when you start to look at what's offered in
each tier, it really is a value to have, if leveraged in some way shape
or form, the different add in. Toolbox and PDM alone are value added
tools. Though they may not be perfect, I can definately say that I was
the first one to not really want to use PDMworks, just too much of a
headache. But now have realized that having a common file structure of
storage just makes sense. Prior to having it, everyone had their own
seperate way of storing the projects that they worked on, and if it was
M$ word that we were using with no associativity to one file or
another, then I say go for it.

The reason why I am pointing out some of these things is that the Next
engine does not need SW to run. The software for the scanner can do all
that is needed to scan and repair the data. Having Premium allows you
to import the data directly into SW from a click of a button. But
let's not fool ourselves into thinking that any of this is some
replacement for some high end scanner that uses Geomagics or Rapid form
to clean up and repair data sets. You can't even bring in an STL into
SW with out it crunching to a slow halt.

There is still along way to go before any of this is seamless. Rob hit
the nail on the head with the Polytrans or use Rhino, it you would like
a cheaper and actually better overall solution than using Next Engine
and SW, that's if you are in the area of data translation and clean
up.

In regards to Shapeworks, baren-boym cannot be upset with SW for adding
in similar functionality into their program. As a progressive company,
they would be missing out on a key market if they didn't add in that
type of functionality in. (Personally I think they should have just
bought Rhino and put it in SW, but that's just me) Why should SW rest
on their laurels that Shapeworks can do it and not them? That doesn't
make much sense to me. If SW want any chance of really reaching
Critical Mass Market level, they need to have all the tools necessary
that people could ask for.

I dunno, not trying to sound like I am on a high horse, but having the
Next Engine in office, I think that I am in a position to give a little
insight to what is and isn't possible. You can also try an xport from
3Ds as an IGES.

 

Never forget entity counts.
Each polygon would be at last one entity ..... probably
each vertex too.