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Originally posted by remi

of course if you have proteus why bother

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Originally posted by Benno

I am a bit disapointed too. I could see some use for the notes thing, since you have them with your schematic of PCB. But I think most of us already use some form of tracking system to track problems and changes and use a simple text file that travels as a file with the project.

Spending time to fill an ideas for version x also seems a waste of time. I did just read the manual supplement for V16 (in the downloads) and I could not spot any of the big issues discussed in the thread.

I also think EasyPC will stay a very closed software package, where engineers like us can not do anything to add functionality or link EasyPC to other systems.

Regarding 3D, it could be usefull since more and more mechanics cad comes available in 3D and becomes very affordable. Also many manufacturers (e.g. for housings) make step files available. It could prevent those typical mistakes where you just misplaced some mount or where some component is slightly off.

But they should have included an option to import a stepfile for the 3D components. Loads of manufacturers already have them as a download on their site. Also EasyPC should be able to produce a stepfile as an output for the 3D view, without being a cost option.

I am also very in doubt if I am going to update, even though it is just a small amount of money. V16 will have it's problems like all previous versions and will need 3 or 4 updates to solve them.

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Originally posted by R.Redding


Well I for one..will not be updating...

Even if v16 cures the fact I have been unable to use the (windows)panel option in v15 (one of its major USPs).

I've never used 3d and see no need for it in my future..HTML nah..

Would have liked to have seen some of the user ideas listed ..especially GCode,library improvements etc.

I always end up having to redraw my schematics in Isis,as the EasyPC schematics look awfully bland..most managers now expect something that looks like Altium or Eagle.

A Library community such as Eagles or Diptrace or even Designspark will never exist while No1 are trying to sell Library packages...so maybe its time to jump ship for me.

Rob

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Originally posted by Hanspeter

So!! V16 of Easy-PC, I will still NOT be able to output my
schematics to g-code?

Hanspeter.

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Originally posted by R.Redding





Its a strange Company that ignores the wants and ideas of its user base.... Do they want more customers for EasyPc?..

I can't afford to ignore my customers.

Rob

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I asked Number one to release the documentation of the C++ classes

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Originally posted by HanspeterWe on this forum are side issues, WestDev I must believe
have some core clients that meets it's business & revenue
model that takes the company through till next version release.

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Originally posted by Benno

I agree with Hodali. I am going to install designspark on my laptop as a test.

If it can open my EasyPC design files I think I am going to switch to designspark. I'll invest the time to transfer my libs to desigspark.

EasyPC has always been very limited in libraries. Using something like designspark at least we can also have a look at libs from others. I also see a lot of supplier libs for Eagle, I assume they will go and make them for designspark too.

Also designspark has some cost options like IDF export already implemented for free. More important is RS also invests in tools to extend that, like their tool to import IDF into google sketch.

I think EasyPC as a standalone package has had it's time. It is a good package, but we as paying customers (at least in the past) should at least be able to open designspark designs AND libraries.

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Originally posted by rvpilot

I too am very disappointed with v16 offerings !!


NumberOne, I would be very interested to see what is on the roadmap for v17 and v18. Until I see where this application is going, I won't be investing any more money in these annual updates. Nothing in the v16 update adds any value to my design experience !

NumberOne, please read the wishlist and feature requests on the user forum and look at the features of the competition (even the free stuff !!) ... and not just the features that the software engineers want to add.

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Originally posted by edrees

"...over 25 significant new developments delivering the best value in a new version of Easy-PC, ....what are you guys smoking?
"

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Originally posted by edrees

There were not a lot of new features that Users had requested incorporated into V15. Bugs from V14 were still unresolved, and still appear to be unresolved in V16. No.1 please debug your existing product first, ensuring stability without adding new un-requested features into Major updates. Previous major updates have also required patches within days of release. "...over 25 significant new developments delivering the best value in a new version of Easy-PC", ....what are you guys smoking?

Please don't get me wrong, I believe that EasyPC (shame about the name) is a good product, and its Users present good, valuable feedback to the developers in a hope to make it an even better product. It's a shame that the next link in the chain doesn't seem to exist.

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but there remain a substantial number of bug reports which simply can't be effectively investigated, either because they're apparently totally random, or because they only ever happen on the user's machine. If the installation has no anomalies, where do you go next?

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Originally posted by Peter Johnson

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Originally posted by edrees

There were not a lot of new features that Users had requested incorporated into V15. Bugs from V14 were still unresolved, and still appear to be unresolved in V16. No.1 please debug your existing product first, ensuring stability without adding new un-requested features into Major updates. Previous major updates have also required patches within days of release. "...over 25 significant new developments delivering the best value in a new version of Easy-PC", ....what are you guys smoking?

Please don't get me wrong, I believe that EasyPC (shame about the name) is a good product, and its Users present good, valuable feedback to the developers in a hope to make it an even better product. It's a shame that the next link in the chain doesn't seem to exist.

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Problems with new releases aren't limited to Easy-PC. In fact, 'dot zero' bugs are a feature of most major software releases. It's not necessarily a lack of testing, either. Granted, even the best of testers will have blind spots, so some bugs will always be missed, but what's becoming far more prevalent is machine specific bugs. Windows is now so complex, and the range of interacting applications so broad, that it's becoming increasingly difficult to test any release adequately.

V16 is a case in point in that all trial installations worked perfectly, but once shipped, a significant minority of users are finding that critical registry entries aren't being written by the installer. The problem is compounded in that the problem isn't showing up on any test machines (or it would have been spotted before release), so it becomes next to impossible to profile and fix. That's pure bad luck, not a lack of responsibility.

This is becoming an ever increasing problem with supporting the program. How do you fix (or even investigate) a bug reported by a user that isn't reproducible? It's certainly real for the end user, but unless it can be repeated in controlled conditions, it can't be found without a huge slice of luck. Even so, the resources required for every bug like this probably exceeds those required for every ten or more conventionally reproducxible bugs.

Some like this we have managed to isolate to conflicts. Some have been tracked down to bugs in the operating system. Some are due to faulty designs or corrupt libraries. In a lucky few cases we have found problems with the code, but there remain a substantial number of bug reports which simply can't be effectively investigated, either because they're apparently totally random, or because they only ever happen on the user's machine. If the installation has no anomalies, where do you go next?

We've looked at introducing tracking code, but in order to be useful, it would use so many resources that the impact on program speed would become a major issue.

In short, we're not neglecting bugs. We're fixing as many as we can, and attempting to investigate those that are more elusive. Ultimately however, there are some which realistically cannot be resolved within the resources available. They are the 'cold cases' which are re-opened as and when more information comes to light and makes progress more likely. If you happen to be a user with one of these bugs, of course it's going to look as if you're being ignored, but there is a very real limit to how much can be done remotely, regardless of the resources available.

I am NOT making excuses. These are very real difficulties we face in resolving problems, and personally, I am continually amazed at how many of these the programming team DO manage to find and resolve.

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Originally posted by wprov

Hi Peter,

What you are saying is that if one end user wish a new feature then will be ignored because of only one request ?.

If so is there any method of a voting system where each end user can vote yes/no for that feature thus raise the request to multi user and just maybe Westdev will actually add the request (or remove previous features !).

A topic with icon field "Yes" [Count_Yes]/"No"[Count_No] with user ID linked to ensure 1 vote with edit if change mind !. For at the moment any list is use less as would be seen as one request from one user !.

Walter

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