Why does PTC insist on Ribbon Interface? Over 40% strongly dislike!

[ptc-5155539]

Why does PTC insist on pushing the Ribbon Interface in Creo?

I personally feel that the Ribbon Interface doesn't work well in 3D CAD software. CAD softwares are geared to use the mouse as the main input device. The demands of everyday CAD work requires users to click away on the interface. For MS Office Suites, the Ribbon Interface works well. This is because the main input device for these tools is the keyboard. People spend more time typing away and uses the mouse seldomly to format what they have typed. And when they use the mouse, the selections are mostly under one tab. Has PTC conducted any real world usuability studies?

The Ribbons Interface doesn't make Creo easier to use. It's a smoke and mirrors interface. What I mean by this is that it is an interface that may make Creo look like an MS Office product which PTC thinks will make the public think that Creo is finally "Easy to Use". This interface doesn't adress the true usability issue. It's the same tool with a different skin. PTC needs to overhaul their interface from ground up and provide solutions that is truly innovative.

I understand that PTC's management made the decision to license the Ribbon Interface from Microsoft but these management people don't have any clue on how to use the product. When speaking to people from PTC regard the issues with the Ribbons Interface, it sounds like this conversation isn't even open for discussion. They have a lot invested in the interface and managment have given them directives that nobody wants to challenge.

Microsoft shouldn't be a company that PTC should look at for inspiration. What is the last innovative product that Microsoft made? Surface Tablet?

I feel that PTC has dropped the ball and have ignore its customers needs. When going over the polls in this discussion forum, I find that over 40% of the users don't like the ribbon interface. This is a staggering figure.

I'd like to hear what others have to say about this.

[dgschaefer]

Gains me time? Hard to say. In my business I may be using WF4 today, WF5 tomorrow, Creo 2 the next day and Solidworks in between. Sometimes all four in the same day! Going back and forth does not make one efficient in any of the interfaces.

I like the Creo ribbon because it's consistent across all modes, all the commands for a given mode are fairly easily accessible and there is a nice balance between icons and text descriptions. I particularly like in sketcher, where a lot of time is spent, where all the constraints, construction mode, geometry entities and various sketch entities are all right there, not hidden (mostly) under flyouts. It takes some getting used to, but I prefer it overall.

Now the Creo 2 colors is another story. I haven't liked any of the default colors since 2001. Creo's not the worst, but it's pretty bad. At least in the WF series I could tweak a couple of things and find a workable solution. I haven't gotten there in Creo yet and I find myself squinting at the screen trying to see what is going on. Painful.

I know I'm not the only one, but perhaps I'm the minority. I was just reading another 'I hate Creo' thread on another forum and one of the 'power users' there was commenting on how he liked it too.

[DaveClark]

I like it too. I took the time to rearrange the Model tab to contain EVERYTHING I need to model parts. I moved the measure and appearance tools to the Model tab. Sketching is great, having everything out in the open rather than the fly outs. I did the same thing for Assembly mode.

I've been working on a project in WF5. It's been painful using the old interface, especially creating datum curves (I do a ton of surfacing). That's one thing they got right that is a HUGE time saver. No more picking Through Points and selecting end conditions to make things tangent or curvature continuous. Not to mention the draggable sectioning.

There are some things that still need improvement, like graphics performance taking a hit, especially with imported geometry, but otherwise I really dislike going back to WF5.

I guess that makes two of us!

[Patriot_1776]

Interesting. It seems the majority of them over at MCAD hate it too.

I'm on WF5/creo, and I find that doing a dwg with the hated ribbon dwgs take 2-4 times as long. I STILL try and change items on the screen, when I'm zoomed in, only to find I'm not in the right f#%&$%g tab. And all the users I've been training that come over from SW hate it too.

Luckily, in that release, the modeling and assembly GUI's are relatively untouched.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, up until WF, all the revisions were logical changes, with REAL new features (a revised GUI is NOT a new feature), and logical menu implementation. The WF interface trashed that (lead vs. follow, SRSLY?), and creo further destroys it.

[AndyHermanson]

Frank just want to clarify when you say WF5/Creo if you are talking about Creo Parametric or Creo Elements\Pro. If it's CEP you are talking about then i agree with you. The implementation of the ribbon in WF5/CEP5 is horrible. Its much smoother in Parametric.

[STEVEG]

And there's the answer. You are on WF5/Creo. I have heard the Drawing tab is awful. Try using the actual Creo 2.

I did not let our company go to WF5 because of all the people that hated it. So for WF5 I would agree with you. I also wouldn't let us go to Creo 1. 1st version doesn't lend well to productivity. I've heard some good/some bad for Creo 1 so i didn't even take a chance. We are still on WF4 and will be going to Creo 2 early next year. Maybe just before Spring starts.

[JoshH]

Stephen, that's a point well-made.

Actually it was a good point back in June as well.

WF5 (Creo Elements Pro/5.0) is a messy interim build between Wildfire and Creo. It is not a good representation of the Creo 2 implementation of the ribbon interface.

(now, how do I ignore further entries to this thread? I've had enough.)

[Patriot_1776]

I don't get to make those decisions.

[James62]

Ribbon in Creo 2 in DRAWING mode is still ridiculous, not much has changed since WF5 there.

For instance having to be in the annotate tab to select a snap line is just plain dumb.

I know I can change the ribbon layout so these limitations get lost, but I should not be bothered with that as I'm still learning the software.

[BillRyan]

I sympathize with the drawing users. However, as a user managing large cad assemblies, I like the consistency between Creo View, Creo Parametic and the office products of Word/Excel/PowerPoint. I've seen Creo View 3 where the ribbon can be customized just like CP2. Yes, there are other PTC products out there besides Creo Parametric. I've customized the CP2 ribbon for part, assembly, sheet metal, and skeletons to be identical providing me with the functions I use 95% of the time in one tab. Even in my customized Windchill workspace, most of the menus are at the top of the screen where every table within Windchill has been customized to only show information I care about. About three weeks ago, I opened WF5 and Intralink to evaluate a legacy file...man was it painful. No way I'd go back. The save, view manager and file history menus were miles apart.

[Patriot_1776]

I believe I'm on WF5/creo, the first creo. Doing drawings is horrible, I hate it. IMPO you couldn't have designed a worse interface if you tried.......

[SteveFowler]

Has anyone been on photoshop 6, I can find hardly anything there anymore and as far as microsoft goes, I struggle with those also. Doesn't really matter if most of the input is keyboard if you can't find the command to enter it. I am still using WF5 so haven't really been exposed to the modeling ribbon. However I use this everyday so I am sure once I find the commands I will probably remember from one day to the next. All the other programs I use only occasionally I will probably always struggle with their ribbons. Even Outlook and Explorer have commands hidden I used to use occasionally and now have to look deeper. Thats just progress and I'm not getting any younger.

[dhermosillo]

Here's another good comment about the ribbon (the article is good too):

http://engineerblogs.org/2011/05/proe-my-love-hate-relationship/#comment-18864

[ptc-2506861]

Hello there,

I'm a CAD user since '96. I've always fought pro/e cause its horrible interface and not user friendly approach to modeling. The drop down menus were fool and disgusting. It looked like a CAD for disables. I'm not a ribbon fan, but I think that new interface was the right way to change to go toward a modern future. I also understand that is hard and not simple for the older user to adapt themselves to the new and that requires a strong effort to go ahead, but it was necessary to start to be a "normal" CAD.

Marco