SolidWorks 2008 Users Beware!

[ltmquik]

Here is an announcement from SolidWorks:

Notice: SolidWorks 2008 will block the loading of 3rd party SolidWorks add-ins created using the old style MFC 4.2 extension DLL architecture.
Testing of SolidWorks 2008 has revealed severe instability with add-ins created using this architecture.

Users will see the following message when attempting to load an add-in using this old architecture: " is incompatible with this version of SolidWorks and cannot be loaded. Check with vendor for compatibility information."

This will affect any Solution Partner or internally developed add-in products using MFC 4.2 extension DLL architecture when used in conjunction with SolidWorks 2008. This does not affect SolidWorks 2007 and earlier releases.

This does not affect add-ins created in VB, VB.Net, C# or those communicating with SolidWorks via the COM interface.

Please direct questions to your local support provider.

We are running into this with our CAM package. Thought it might be helpful to know before installing '08.

[CyborgCNC]

I wish that software vendors would FINALLY realize that people have hardware/software investments that just because of a new version, they have no need to upgrade and throw things out.

I had to revert to VMware, when I converted to Windows Vista, cause guess what? Nothing really worked as it should.

I am not a programmer, so I do not know how much effort is would take to create "compatibility" modes into some of these products, so as to ease the transition. But I would think for the money they are charging, they should be offering this.

Thanks for the heads up!!

[Stinson_Voyager]

[QUOTE=We are running into this with our CAM package. Thought it might be helpful to know before installing '08.[/QUOTE]

Which CAM package are you using?

[posix]

Actually I applaud their move - finally a company that is willing to cut the ties with old and unstable and move ahead into the future. Noone is forcing you to use solidworks 2008, you can still use 2007 and earlier as they say.
Look what windows did to us with DOS - even now, some 20 years later we're STILL running an incarnation of it and software written to be compatible with it.

[apache405]

Originally Posted by posix Actually I applaud their move - finally a company that is willing to cut the ties with old and unstable and move ahead into the future. Noone is forcing you to use solidworks 2008, you can still use 2007 and earlier as they say. Look what windows did to us with DOS - even now, some 20 years later we're STILL running an incarnation of it and software written to be compatible with it.

I agree to an extent. It was mentioned earlier that some have hardware and software investments and do not want to upgrade because solidworks said so.

I think that they should offer a module that allows the old to work with the new, but that is not enabled by default. That way, the people who have big capital investments can keep their legacy stuff running and new users are not bogged down by the old.

[tnik]

Originally Posted by apache405 I agree to an extent. It was mentioned earlier that some have hardware and software investments and do not want to upgrade because solidworks said so. I think that they should offer a module that allows the old to work with the new, but that is not enabled by default. That way, the people who have big capital investments can keep their legacy stuff running and new users are not bogged down by the old.

Yea, but to keep the legacy working with the new software will just add more bugs to the software to be fixed.. and they have enough as is..

[apache405]

hence the module that can be disabled. like an add in.

tnik- all the bugs in software arentan accident, they're there so you have to buy technical support.

[tnik]

bugs are there because to err is human. It doesn't matter how many ppl you have writing something, there is always a bug. Look at all the Open Sourced projects.. you can have thousands of ppl writing code, fixing bugs, and they still happen..

as with solidworks, if you want new features to the software, and you want it to work with the latest hardware and etc, then your going to get bugs.. its inevitable.. mind you, I really don't agree with the 'maintenance plan' that they make you buy to get service packs, I feel that if you buy say SW2k8, you should get all service packs for that version. But at least if your on maintenance, you get automatically upgraded to each new release..

[apache405]

tnik-
it was a joke (halfway).

[tnik]

oh ok.. my bad.. we need a 'sarcasm' button to put over text..

[apache405]

sarcasm button:

*sarcasm*

actually though, i have seen multiple instances where companies do things like install the wrong thing or fail to calibrate what they did put in, just to force the customer to pay for a service call. (case in point the fire alarm where at the high school i went to)

[tnik]

yea, another form of job security.. heh