SW2008 SP2.1 Initial Views

Just installed 2008 SP2.1 Premium.

I haven't used SW since the 2001 SP1 version and I have to say WOW, both for
the features and for the bugs (but mostly the bugs).

Some of these bugs are so unreal as to make me wonder what the product
manager was smoking to release something this screwed up as a finished
product. Right off the bat, Command Manager is a joke, leaving buttons on
top of other buttons as graphic ghost image crap. If I move the mouse arrow
over the ghost buttons, I can "wipe" them off and reveal the "real" buttons
underneath.

After getting rid of Command manager, I create a fairly simple cylindrical
part (save it) and try rendering the part with various scene settings (I had
used the Solidworks Office command button to open PhotoWorks). After a few
renderings, I find I can minimize the part but can't close it or close SW.
I had to open Task Manager to close SW. As it stands, with my very initial
experience, this product is crap and needs to go back to the programmers.
SW2001 may not have had all the new "features" but it was a hell of a lot
more stable than this crap. I haven't even begun to explore the rest of the
package and discover what other failings will appear. I am very
dissapointed with this POS.

 

The one thing that everyone will ask is what video card and driver are
you using. Are they on the approved "certified" drivers listed on SW
websight. http://www.solidworks.com/pages/services/VideoCardTesting.html
I too have to agree that the graphics engine that they switched to in
2008 is the cause of several problems I'm seeing including the ghost
images, icon backgrounds turning black along with the logo'd background
when SW starts and nothing is loaded, switching to the configuration
manager and having to drag the separator bar left/right to be able to
see all the configurations/display states as well as constantly changing
between use & not use OpenGL & I have certified driver & card (Nvidia
Quadro FX3000 with 91.36 driver)

 

OK.

System Specs.
AMD Phenom 9600 CPU Black Edition
4GB RAM
Windows XP64
Quadro FX1700 Graphics Card / Driver Version 162.65 / Dated

As with all so called software "upgrades" there are some changes I like and
others I don't - as with most people, it's a personal thing. However,
seeing these type of bugs after barely scratching the surface makes me
wonder about the even bigger problems waiting for me to find. IMO, this is
barely acceptable for a product in Beta test, and completely unacceptable
for one with a SP2.1 attached to it.

 

With their buy the service pack or pound sand customer service I have to say
I'm very disappointed with SW. When you fork out 4 grand for software you
expect it to work. Now I find out I have to pay another $1,300 just to get
service packs to fix what I thought I'd already bought. They tell me true but
you'll also get 2009 and 2010 for that $1,300. I don't care about 2009 and
2010; I assume they will be just as messed up as 2008. I just want the program
I bought to do what they said it will do.

Sorry for the rant, but this sucks...x-(

Joseph

 

I have the same graphics card. I'll have to say I am much more relaxed
with 2004. It is a pleasure to use and does everything I ask of it.
There are a few things in 2008 that I think are quite nice, but the
new UI isn't one of them. 2008 doesn't hold a candle to 2004 when it
comes to building stable mating shemes and fixing mates. Nor does it
hold up well in the stability arena.

TOP

 

I also have this graphic card and douldn't get it working with the
default driver from Dell. I downloaded 6.14.11.6262
from the SW webpage and installed it instead, and now it works like a
charm

// Krister

 

Wait till you start working with BOM for assemblies. It's a nightmare.
They totally messed it up!

 

It should be illegal to sell a product under false pretense then charge for the
service packs to fix the faulty product.

The upgrades/new releases should have an upgrade fee but not the service packs
that fix a faulty product. The fixes should be part of the original purchased product.

Sounds like a good class action law suit to me.

Joseph