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BrianMartin13-Aquamarine
13-Aquamarine
January 21, 2013
Solved

Enhancement Requests for Creo - Now's the time to speak up!

  • January 21, 2013
  • 30 replies
  • 38558 views

Hi Everyone...

 

 

Starting tomorrow January 22 through the 24th, PTC/User is holding it's bi-annual "face to face" Technical Committee ("TC") meetings. These meetings are held twice a year- once at PTC Headquarters and again at the PTC Live World Event (or whatever we're calling it this year).

 

Volunteers from PTC customers and other interested individuals comprise the membership of these Technical Committees. Working closely with PTC, the Technical Committees provide product feedback, enhancement requests, and other information that helps to influence future software development. At the face-to-face meetings,Technical Committee members have direct access to PTC software developers and Product Line Managers. These are the people responsible for enhancements, upgrades, and future functionality for all PTC products including Creo/ProE, Windchill, and Creo View.

 

There are well over a dozen different TC's of which I'm a member of about 6 of them. Originally, I joined with the intention to share NASA's feedback, comments, and concerns with the software developers and other committee members. But having spent a tremendous amount of time interacting with users on PTC Community, I'd like to throw the door open for everyone to submit their feedback, insights, comments, concerns, and enhancement requests.

 

The goal is to make positive contributions and hopefully influence future enhancements to the software. This isn't intended to be another "gripe" thread. Let's please focus on bringing something positive to the discussion. These are professional meetings held at PTC Headquarters and we're invited guests.

 

To be blunt... I can't just go into a TC meeting and start ripping the PTC people a new one because I don't like the ribbon interface. However, I can go in there with a reasonable request supported by sound logic and a true business need and make a case for a software enhancement.

 

The last time I attended one of these meetings, many people just sat there quietly taking in the scenery and munching on free snacks. You could hear crickets chirping in some of the sessions. Sometimes PTC Product Line Managers were standing there asking for feedback and people just stared at them. That absolutely cannot happen! How often do you get these people in a room giving you their time and attention? This kind of opportunity cannot be squandered.

 

I realize we have the "Ideas" section of the PTC Community and we've been assured that those enhancement requests do make it to the developers. But this is a chance to speak directly with the software developers. If there's an enhancement you really need... or a problem you're having... or some piece of feedback you really want to make it up the chain of command, now is the time to say something!

 

Add to this thread and send in your feedback and requests. I'll do my best to get it in front of the developers. They might be sick of hearing from me by the end of the meetings... but I've never been afraid to speak up.

 

Remember to keep it positive if possible... but let's hear what you have to say!

 

Thanks!!

-Brian

 

PS: I am currently a member of the following Technical Committees so I can address topics in any of these areas:

  • Routed Systems - Cabling/Piping & Schematics
  • Core Modeling
  • Model Based Definition (ASME Y.14.41 Standards)
  • System Administration
  • Detailing
  • Creo View / Visualization
  • Windchill

 

PPS: If you're interested in joining a TC, go to the PTC/User Website, create a login, and sign up!


This thread is inactive and closed by the PTC Community Management Team. If you would like to provide a reply and re-open this thread, please notify the moderator and reference the thread. You may also use "Start a topic" button to ask a new question. Please be sure to include what version of the PTC product you are using so another community member knowledgeable about your version may be able to assist.
    Best answer by BrianMartin

    I'm posting the wrap-up notes from the Technical Committee meetings as an attachment to this thread. I'm also going to write a blog post to tie things up. I'll also respond to each person individually (in the thread) so everyone understands the disposition of their requests.

    Thanks!

    -Brian

    30 replies

    Show previous replies
    R
    rohit_rajan15-Moonstone
    15-Moonstone
    January 23, 2013

    8. To be able to measure mass properties in any unit other than the parent unit of the component without changing the parent unit.

    "i am not a big supporter of reducing the number of mouse clicks"....copy paste command is a big help.

    i do not agree with just copy the "Inventor" way also.

    B
    BurtLand1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    January 23, 2013

    Appearance Manager

    1. implement UNDO

    2. implement solidsurfaces selection in tool

    3. implement Shift-Select

    Draft Analysis

    1. turn ON wireframe display on entry, then OFF on exit - always have to do this as its difficult to distinguish position with just blocks of color - needs edges.

    Cross Sectioning

    1. new interface is great but which is X Y Z ? needs some reference

    UI Usability

    1. set up a UI Usability Team and focus on making the new interface fly

    and for the love of god

    banish the Menu Manager

    B
    BrianMartin13-AquamarineAuthor
    13-Aquamarine
    February 8, 2013

    Hi Burt...

    I truly liked many of your enhancement requests. I was able to submit some of them but I didn't get the traction I think they needed. This is definitely not a reflection upon the quality of your requests. In fact when I was going through the spreadsheet listing the dispositions of each request, I felt bad that I didn't get to push for more of yours. Some of yours, like the Solid Surfaces selection for appearances, are a huge pet peeve of mine. Going through such a massive list of enhancements, I just couldn't get to all the right meetings to address everything. I needed to get to a visualization meeting to really hammer on the need for appearance manager enhancements but this conflicted with other meetings so many of these requests got missed.

    I'll keep these on the list and take them up again in June at the next meetings. Thanks again for submitting your requests. I'll try harder next time to get all of them in front of the developers.

    Thanks!

    -Brian

    R
    rohit_rajan15-Moonstone
    15-Moonstone
    January 23, 2013

    the ability to create a hexagonal vent(like shown below) directly

    sw3dps-power_case_sheetmetal_do.jpg

    P
    PrebenReventlow_1036971-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    January 23, 2013

    Kill the menu manager for good!

    It's a pain in the......and doesn't belong in a modern software.

    RMB and good, 1 view menus. 1 view menus meaning that all options are shown and just divided with color coded areas.

    Patriot_1776
    Patriot_177622-Sapphire II
    22-Sapphire II
    January 25, 2013

    Many (though not nearly enough) of us are long-time expert-level users, and have been for a long time. Us advanced users prefer the old interface. It was less flashy, and far more integrated (it was all the same, not a mish-mash), plus for those of us that know how, it was much faster. The WF and especially the creo interface (particularly the dreaded ribbon) have done nothing but slow us down. It easily takes 2 to 4 times as long to do dwgs in creo as it did in WF4. I like the enhancements in WF4, but the interface is bad. As bad as that is, creo is far worse and more cumbersome. If you're a low-level user, then you might like creo having not known anything better and not needing or being able to use better. For those of use that do, well, I'd take the menu manager back in a second over any of this new stuff. It wasn't flashy, and yes it looked a little old school, but so what? I wouldn't buy it for looks. You could get it to flat WORK, especially with mapkeys which are all but useless now with the ribbon interface. Mapkeys that work in one don't work in the other. At least up thru WF4 most of the mapkeys worked no matter what mode you were in. Progress? I think not. Here's the rub: If I was to start my own business with my own money, I'd buy a copy of WF4 from someone (yes, I hate the interface, but the enhancements are worth dealing with it), and not buy maintenance, and not upgrade. I'd probably get a copy of creo just to be able to read the models, but I would choose not to work in it.....

    T
    TomD.inPDX17-Peridot
    17-Peridot
    January 25, 2013

    You might look at the policy for buying an old seat of Pro/E. Once you buy it, you still need to pay PTC to get maintenance up to date so you can get the license support.

    Therefore, if you buy a new license for Creo anyway, you have all rights to install previous versions.

    I may be loading WF4 pretty soon for a potential client. Can't wait... wait... yes I can! Still haven't loaded the 2001 version because PTC can't seem to find one of the files I need. They tried telling me "you don't need it"... isn't that -my- decision?

    D
    David_M1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    January 23, 2013

    Hi Brian. Here's a few more:

    The ability to work within an analysis mode, such as Draft Analysis, and have Creo tone down the "transparency" of the superimposed analysis results when you start working (eg less red and blue for draft, so that you can still see the model shading to work).

    Currently, as soon as you do something the analysis turns off again, which is a pain when you're still trying to draft all the white surfaces. I usually take a screenshot of the analysis and put it on a second monitor.

    The ability to have a persistent view manager. There's no need for it to close on its own all the time.

    The ability to navigate the features in the model tree with the arrow keys.

    Ask them to buy 3D Caliper and build it into the foundation package 😉 or at least include a decent 3D thickness analyser for parts.

    Thanks

    B
    BrianMartin13-AquamarineAuthor
    13-Aquamarine
    January 30, 2013

    Hi David....

    I added all of your suggestions to the spreadsheet of suggestions. I thought the suggestions in this recent post (the one I'm replying to) were especially good. I could not get to the analysis/simulation meetings because I was ovrerloaded with core, cabling, windchill, and assembly meetings but I'm working to contact the proper technical committee to forward the analysis suggestion.

    I'll put the spreadsheet up tomorrow so everyone can see what was addressed and what still needs to be pursued.

    Thanks again for all of your input!

    -Brian

    T
    TomD.inPDX17-Peridot
    17-Peridot
    January 23, 2013

    Can we have a legacy "menu manager" interface option? Pu'Leeeeeeeeeeezzzzz

    B
    BrianMartin13-AquamarineAuthor
    13-Aquamarine
    January 30, 2013

    That Legacy Menu Manager thing was just never gonna happen... from the way these meetings went I can tell you the ribbon is permanent. Yet I did see some bright spots coming down the pike for upcoming releases.

    R
    rohit_rajan15-Moonstone
    15-Moonstone
    January 23, 2013

    while giving our views on what enhancements should be there....i think that will keep on coming....

    i wud like to thank all the engineers at PTC and all those engineers through techinical commitees have brought out a wonderful freshness and offcourse the powerful enhancements uptill CREO 2.0.

    there are many enhancements in Creo 2.0 like the attached preview, dynamic cross section,...the sheetmetal is much easy to understand......and many more...

    great work guys..keep it up!

    P
    pimm15-Moonstone
    15-Moonstone
    January 23, 2013

    Hi Brian,

    I have 1 request that I'd like to add.

    Could "Solid" select be added to the pick querry dropdown box in the bottom right. Since the other pick choices are already there it would be nice to be able to select by this type as well.

    B
    BrianMartin13-AquamarineAuthor
    13-Aquamarine
    January 30, 2013

    Hi Paul...

    I like that idea... I'll add it to the spreadsheet I made of all the other suggestions. I'll try to get it up here tomorrow so everyone can review. Several of your teams' suggestions made it in front of the developers.

    Thanks!

    -Brian

    P
    pimm15-Moonstone
    15-Moonstone
    January 30, 2013

    That is great that you were able to bring forward many of these ideas.

    There are some such as this that really wouldn't be that difficult to impliment and save people time looking different places for the same type of things.

    This was a great opportunity you took to advance the Creo product. This was good for all ends concerned.

    Thanks for stepping up to the plate for us!

    D
    David_M1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    January 24, 2013

    Hi Brian

    If you're still taking requests I almost forgot my number one wanted feature: ability to limit selection to faces, edges, or verticies. Pro/E's habbit of always picking some obscure points in the background really slows me down.

    Thanks

    P
    PrebenReventlow_1036971-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    January 24, 2013

    Hi Brian

    Just another thing:

    A BIG warning sign when Windchill server is offline

    Just had a computer that was offline without warning.

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