Wildfire 5.0 -- Mechanica LITE & Expert Machinist

[A.DelNegro]

Does anyone know anything about these new 'FREE' modules that
maintenance customers are supposed to get?



Tony



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[campbell]

Hi everyone....



It seems there is some confusion, so let me try to clarify the situation. I've asked my colleagues that work with Boundary Systems to do the same for them, but for all of you....



It shapes up like this:



In Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0 M060 (due to ship later this month), PTC will be providing a new set of Manikin capabilities. There are three levels of this functionality. The basic module (Manikin Extension, List price USD $2,995); the advanced module (Manikin Analysis Extension, List price of USD $3,995) and a set of introductory, free capabilities that will be available to all users who upgrade to Pro/E Wildfire 4.0 M060 and later. Please see my previous posts (or click here <">http://www.ptc.com/products/proengineer/manikin/whats-new.htm> ) for more details on the capabilities provided at each level, and the limitations of the free capabilities included in the base Pro/E products.



In Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0 M070 (due to ship in Late February) we will also be unveiling "lite" capabilities for both analysis and manufacturing. We will be updating the Pro/ENGINEER Foundation XE content on PTC.com to describe this in more details over the next few weeks. Specifically, we will provide - in the core Pro/E offering - Mechanica-based structural simulation capabilities, which will be limited to working only on "simple" models, defined by a maximum surface count.



A Guiding user interface walks users through model setup

- Supports Static Structural Analysis for Parts and Assemblies

- Able to Apply Loads and Constraints (Displacement, Pin, Ball, Planar)

- Access to Full "results" functionality

* F Probing, Animation, etc...

Based on Mechanica Solution Technology

Complete upward model compatibility to full Mechanica!



In addition, we will also be including basic 2 ½-axis milling capability, allowing machining of prismatic parts with a very easy to use User Interface. The limitation on this capability (also known as the Pro/ENGINEER Expert Machinist Module)will be the hardcoding of a generic (Fanuc) GPOST, so that the user can see example G-Code output; only CL file output will be supported. More-specific GPOSTs can be purchased from AustinNC or other vendors.



Again, additional information about these new, free "lite" capabilities which will be available in Pro/ENGINEER Wildfire 4.0 will soon be available on PTC.com, well in advance of the delivery of these capabilities later this winter.



I hope that helps to clarify the message below.



Michael M. Campbell

SVP Product Management, Desktop Products

PTC

781.370.5039

[dgallup]

Michael

This comment is directed at PTC's marketing, not you. Once again, PTC is shafting long time users who spent far more for their old licenses and countless maintenance $$$ over the years by providing new users more functionality for less money. We already bought our licenses at the then current high prices, paid once to upgrade them to foundation, paid maintenance for decades but now we have to upgrade them again to XE to get the new functionality. The upgrade cost wouldn't be so bad if it didn't add insult to injury by increasing maintenance costs ad infinitum. I am seriously contemplating stopping maintenance for about 3 years to save up the cash to buy new licenses in the future. It would be very cost effective in the long run. PTC try to bleed existing customers by making them buy upgrades to get functionality that they give away to new customers.

[campbell]

Hi David -



Thanks for the feedback... I appreciate your comments, as it relates to
re-packages in the past - for example, I heard this complaint a lot when
we introduced Pro/E Foundation and then Foundation II.



However, let me be very clear. These new "lite offerings - Mechanica
Lite, CAM Lite and Manikin Lite - will require NO new packages. If you
are using Pro/E Foundation, or Foundation II or Foundation Advantage
Package or any other Pro/E package, these capabilities will work, as
long as you are using the right maintenance releases of Pro/E Wildfire
4.0.



It is important to understand that the package (combination of
individual modules) that you may be using and the release (Pro/E
Wildfire 3.0 or 4.0) are largely unrelated. In this case, it will not
matter what Pro/ENGINEER package you have - it only matters what release
and Maintenance release you are using.... The reason that we require
that you upgrade to Wildfire 4.0 M060 or M070 is because this is the
release that the functionality has been implemented. (In order to get
the integrated GPS, you may need to buy the 2007 model of a car. In the
2006 model you can't get it, because the GPS wasn';t an option when they
built those cars. Same idea here...)



Hope that helps.



~ Mike



Michael M. Campbell

SVP Product Management, Desktop Products

PTC

781.370.5039

[dgallup]

Mike

Thanks for clearing that up. I took your previous post to mean that Foundation XE would be required. I fully understand the need to have the new release to get the new functionality. I take back my previous rant. Good job PTC.