SW 2007 Upgrade

I know that this question has probably been asked before, but I want to
get some recent opinions on Solidworks 2007. We are currently using
2006 SP4.1 and before I upgrade everything I wanted to find out how
stable it is. We just received the DVD from our VAR, but am hesitant to
install without finding out how stable it is. Why fix 2006 SP4.1 when
it is stable for us kind of thought process.

I am far more interested in everyone's experienced opinion on the new
release, and much less interested in the personal attacks that I see in
many of the other threads of this nature.

Thank you for your input.

 

The best thing to look at is all the what's new stuff - will any of it
benefit you? If not, why bother other than you already paid for it.

But if you see some value there, load a machine (not upgrade the current
installation) with 2007 and try several of your files to see how they go.
Just remember to not save over the top of anything until you are sure you
want to proceed.

I have been using it for several weeks, as well as the beta versions, and
there are enough benefits to the stuff we do that I'm all for it. Some bugs
still, sure, but no show stoppers at this point. I'm rollin.....

WT

 

Our most important reason to migrate or not is that your customers have
migrated or not. You see, you must all chouse to do it together. The
first one to do it forces all others to update, since you can not open
a 2007 model with 2006 no mater what. Once you do it you can't go back!

 

Wayne has the best suggestion I've heard, and that is load up a
"machine" or new hard drive w/SWks 2007 and test drive it on copied
files, leaving all 'normal' work back on the old machines &/or hard
drives.

I tend to do the same with OS upgrades, so I can always have an easy
fall-back position.

Bo

 

You have to consider several factors.

1. Will it work with your existing assemblies, parts, and drawings? You
need to do some amount of testing to determine this. You need to search
SPR lists. You need to search the NG and other sources for things that
might have changed or been broken. The NG is strewn with people who
didn't do this and regretted it later.

2. Will it work in creating parts, assemblies and drawings in the way
that you are used to working? Any macros broken? Procedures that need
changing? Configs, design tables, sheetmetal tables, etc. need
changing? You have to to a little test project to get a feel for this
question.

3. As was mentioned, are there any new features that you can't live
without? When I looked at what's new for my situation there were very
few new things that impacted me.

4. Cost of converting. It is a good idea to convert files. This can
take appreciable time and potentially cause some level of hand fixup.
If you don't convert load and rebuild times can be greatly impacted.

5. Cost of retraining to use the new features. See 3. If you don't need
to use any new features or have to retrain to use existing features
that have been repackaged this needs to be factored in.

And my favorite all time question, can you stand the performance hit of
upgrading?

 

Wait for SP 2.0
SP1.0 fixed one assembly that was inaccessable with 0.0, now another is
inaccessable with 1.0 but the first problem one opens.
At least load it on another machine and open all your active projects
to make sure it doesn't CTD.

 

Was that in markham?

 

Was that in markham?