Why is it still impossible to create a working autocad???

[CADDmanVA]

Our company is on subscription, but we are still using 2006. 2008 is sitting on a shelf. One person in another division is exploring how to implement 2008, but she's having so much trouble she's actually calling in someone from the dealer for an all-day session to try and help out.

I've been asked to assess whether our division should move to 2008. I have to say that browsing this forum makes it look like a lot more trouble than it's worth.

maybe I just dont work hard enough. I havent had any more problems with 08 than with any other version I have used.

Must be we don't work too hard either. We have had very little trouble with our 08 installs. I don't doubt anybody, but some of the problems I've heard people talk about, I'm unable to recreate them on my systems. Even my beat up old as dirt test box runs 08 fine (AMD 2500+, 512 Meg).

[H-Angus]

maybe I just dont work hard enough. I havent had any more problems with 08 than with any other version I have used.

Must be we don't work too hard either. We have had very little trouble with our 08 installs. I don't doubt anybody, but some of the problems I've heard people talk about, I'm unable to recreate them on my systems. Even my beat up old as dirt test box runs 08 fine (AMD 2500+, 512 Meg).

Actually same her (although I'm running ACA2008 ), both at work and at home without any issues on various hardware specs.

[ededios]

I'm having random, inexplainable problems with 2006 that I don't want to recreate in 2008, as I'm hoping to upgrade when 2008 year starts (not on purpose) but for me it's lack of knowledge and the people who installed the program are strictly IT and don't know the program at all. They do their best but don't understand problems they just reinstall. SO once I learn why we have problems I hope not to recreate them in 2008. As I've been updating blocks and changing font styles to be annotative etc, in my testing I've had no issues yet.
I am frustrated I can't do certain things I did easily in Microstation, but I still think it's lack of knowledge and I'll be able to work equally well in both. I'm a pessimist being optimistic here!

[steve922542]

Our company is on subscription, but we are still using 2006. 2008 is sitting on a shelf. One person in another division is exploring how to implement 2008, but she's having so much trouble she's actually calling in someone from the dealer for an all-day session to try and help out.

I've been asked to assess whether our division should move to 2008. I have to say that browsing this forum makes it look like a lot more trouble than it's worth.

Michael Evans
Togawa Smith Martin Residential, Inc.

Yikes. Please do not base it on one user or one machine. 2008 is more stable than 2006. If you are that concerned, I recommend bringing in a pro to do the implementation for you. Implementing should not be a big deal since you are on 2006 already.

Do it for the 2008 tables. Do it for the integrated image and x-ref dialog and countless other little tweaks.

Do NOT compare it to the change from 2005-2006 which may have tripped up some users.

[CADDmanVA]

Yikes. Please do not base it on one user or one machine. 2008 is more stable than 2006. If you are that concerned, I recommend bringing in a pro to do the implementation for you. Implementing should not be a big deal since you are on 2006 already.

Do it for the 2008 tables. Do it for the integrated image and x-ref dialog and countless other little tweaks.

Do NOT compare it to the change from 2005-2006 which may have tripped up some users.

I haven't decided if 2008 is more stable than 2006. It appears to be right now, but it took months of turning off superfluous sysvars to prevent some issues. Life was much better after I found how to turn off Object Fidelity.

The tables are well worth the upgrade though. Legends and schedules are almost too simple to do now.

Again, oddly, I didn't find the 05-06 transition to be very menacing. I was happy from the get-go after I upgraded.

[H-Angus]

It seems like a common trend for people to wait until SP1 is released before implementing the latest version.
Personally though I have never encountered an issue(s) which has lead me to circumnavigate an entire release.

[tedg]

~sigh~
oddly enough, I miss hand drafting...........

Funny, I was having that exact though today. I really, really miss manual drafting some days. Not to hijack this thread, but I've thought about slowly building a complete studio at the house to have fun with. Shouldn't take too much since I can find a lot of the equipment on ebay now.

Me too!
There's something to be said about good technique and skill using drafting tools.

Don't get me wrong, I would never give up cadd, it's awesome, but every now and then I'd like to dig out the straight-edge, triangles, compass and graphite just to create something with my own two hands again.

[mom of 3]

Me too!
There's something to be said about good technique and skill using drafting tools.

Don't get me wrong, I would never give up cadd, it's awesome, but every now and then I'd like to dig out the straight-edge, triangles, compass and graphite just to create something with my own two hands again.

I just recently found some of my stuff from my hand drafting days.........I may have to go searching some antique stores for the rest of it, though! I still have my drafting table, but I want to get a lighted one.........eventually.

[Richard McDonald]

I haven't decided if 2008 is more stable than 2006. It appears to be right now, but it took months of turning off superfluous sysvars to prevent some issues. Life was much better after I found how to turn off Object Fidelity.

The tables are well worth the upgrade though. Legends and schedules are almost too simple to do now.

Again, oddly, I didn't find the 05-06 transition to be very menacing. I was happy from the get-go after I upgraded.

Turn off object fidelity is that setvar chastity_belt set to 1?

I have spent ages producing tables in 2007 recently where the upgrade that's sitting on the shelf in IT would have quite literally saved me hours of draughting time.

Having started on Pafec DOGS in 1988 with a machine the size of a filing cabinet and had 10" floppy disks for storage, modern CAD is fantastic. Its not totally foolproof but unless your pushing what is possible then is it worth doing. Lets all go back to R12 yes its stable on a modern machine but no express tools, no tool palettes no wysiwyg plotting no time saving devises at all.

[steve922542]

I don't miss hand drawing in practice. I miss hand drawing in theory and selective memory. The doodles, the sketches in the corner, the over-poched everything - that was enjoyable.

Just so that we can all feel a little better about getting back to the big glowing screen, do you remember:
* paper stretching (or wrinkling under your sweaty hand)
* dwg X of X
* sticky-back prints from the word processor
* frying your nostrils making bluelines
* scum-x that reduced smudges AND your lineweights
* putting together 15 sets of drawings before Oce

It is the pace and the tone of the workplace that has changed the most, at least in my experience.

CAD has come a long way, and I have few complaints with 2008. Revit is even better - even though it is currently in its 'release 13 phase.'