Should I upgrade to ZW3D 2012?

[SteveCAD]

It’s said the 2012 version coming in March. Should I upgrade? How you guys think of this version?

[cncmm]

you can D/L the beta version and have a look for youself

[BuddyGo]

Lots of improvements indeed: new UI, better work-flow, new constraint types, 2-axis turning added.

[lapuser]

I downloaded the 2012 official release this week and it is pitifull. I tried deleting some corner radiuses that are a breeze to do in Solid Edge and ZW just sits there and looks at me. This program is junk and if you buy it all i can say is you were warned. Yeah LATHE, right. Maybe by next year it will even work.





Yes Folks, ZW3D 2012 is HERE | solidedging

[manitoba_farmer]

I bought ZW3D 2012. Really like it, very good for the complex surface design and tooling/molds that I do. The toolpath generation for my 3 axis mills has been very good. Took me a while to get used to, but once you get the hang of it, ZW works well. I'm not sure why other folks have had problems with the posts - I have configured two different posts for two different mills and it works perfectly. IMHO the postprocessor is pretty straight forward to tailor to your needs. The toolpath verification tools are good - shows if you've made any serious errors.
The CNC lathe part of the package in my opinion is still beta, even though it is included in the general release. I configured a post for my old CNC lathe and it cut without crashing. However, the lathe part is still pretty basic. It really needs to include some standard tools from Kennametal, etc. I don't like having to recreate tool geometry that is available for download from the tooling manufacturer.
The support has been good, but it will take a day for someone from China to email you back. I would prefer to have someone in North America to talk to.