Its a long list, and if you are a first time CU or ViaCAD user don't let this put you off. CU is simply the easiest to use most powerful conceptual modeler out there. Thats why I care enough to create a wish list of what I would like to see in V5.


ASICS history errors - Parts start to do very unpredictable things when you try and resize them after doing a couple of transforms.

Crash reporting - CU reports that it has crashed but doesn't
Crash reporting - CU reports it has crashed an operation can not be completed, then completes it.
Crash reporting - CU does not crash, but system activity says it has.

Status - need for a progress bar + time estimate so if an operation is going to take an hour you know to not sit there twiddling your thumbs

Help system - images in HTML help are often missing - help is overly simplified and missing lots of items.

Windows - Info window needs to be re-sizable
Windows - Info window needs to contain text attributes
Windows - Info window needs to contain dimension attributes
Windows - Info window only shows a few levels of sub-layers, they quickly become flat and loose indentation
Windows - Features and Layers need to be separated so that you can see both. Tabs worked on small old displays, but bigger displays allow us to see more. Give the user options.
Windows - should be possible to tear-off tabs like Adobe and Omni apps (Omni has an open framework = free to allow programers to do this). At a minimum it should be possible to have multiple instances of a window open so that you can look at Layers AND Features, or Data AND Attributes.

Layers - drag and drop to re-order layers and move items between sub layers
Features - part number xxxxx is indecipherable Auto naming of parts with real names would make sense.
Features - re-ordering of features by point and click is very iffy. Should be drag and drop
Features - need to be able to change several features simultaneously in the Info / data window. If you have 15 2mm radiuses showing in the info data window I should be able to drag select, or do a select all, and then change them all with one entry in the data field. The current interface does not even let me tab from item to item.

Shortcuts - let users use modifier keys -Shift, Control, Option, Command to extend the available keys. The present system might have been state of the art in 1982, but that was 25 years ago.

Rendering interface - enough said
Rendering interface - create a separate folder(s) for users textures + decals in the users directory. Let users specify path so that it can be where it makes most sense to them.
Rendering interface - Camera positioning - so you can set a view point in space and then define the field of view in degrees - like lights
Rendering interface - Lights - the only way to re-aim a light is to create a new light. This is not acceptable.

Separate the interface code base so that the Mac and Windows versions can be more system specific and follow system standards. The current non-standard code base is hampering the development of the interface - such as tear off windows.

Updates - Auto checking / auto updating
Updates - Size. How about just updating the items that have changed instead of the complete 160mb (Mac) package.
Updates - PROPER version numbering, at least build 660.0.1 or something like that, multiple versions of the same build is unacceptably sloppy. Versions also need to be dated correctly. Why does the latest build have a build date that is 6 weeks before it was posted ?
Updates and Installs - Admin rights are completely messed up. CU will currently only install in the admin account when the user is logged in as admin. The installer should allow you to install from a user account and ask for an admin password, or allow the user to install the app in the users directory / account.

Admin / User accounts. Because the only way that users can add textures and decals is to add them into the appropriate folders within the CU/PhotoRender folder users have to authenticate as Admin if they are running as User and not Admin. If CU is used in an office or college environment where users run as User and not Admin, they need to have a systems administrator present every time they want to add or tweak a texture / decal. Not an ideal situation when you are on deadline at 11pm and the only person in the office.

haha .. I couldn't understand it

what I hope it said was radius blends tangential to the adjacent faces

Mr Brown .. great comments !!

The only one I'm not sure about is having more open windows (ie layers & features)
The drag tab thing is Adobe's patent, I believe

I think putting all these windows in an inspector .. and allowing multiple instances of it .. could serve to both allow better usage and rationalise interface scrappiness

Whilst more screen real estate is generally available .. a lot of us are choosing to work more on powerful laptops .. so, you still need to be mindful of that

I think the drag tab is, but Omni Group (http://www.omnigroup.com/) has an open source alternative for the Mac. If there is nothing similar for the PC, this is one more reason to break the MAC / Windows code base that is the worst of both worlds.

Even laptops have larger screen than they did a few years ago, and more and more of those have a wide aspect ratio - ideal for lots of windows on the side.

Assembly mode preserves connections and alignments between parts if there are feature changes in either the base part or attached parts, generally in a parent/child relation. Assembly mode also would allow a part to add or modify another part's features (like adding a bolt through a couple of plates). Currently, individual parts are aligned, but are referenced to the working space. This would require realignment each time a parameter in a part of the assembly is modified.

It's a pain if you don't need to make many changes, but in your assembly, for mechanisms, it really is the preferred method. I would also assume that you can keep the alignments as is used currently.

Assemblies can create difficulties and fail if not well implemented.

Besides Concepts, I also have both Pro/E and SolidWorks, and for simple assemblies, it is probably easier to just use alignments with Concepts. Adding Assembly mode would make Concepts more useful for engineers and mechanical designers.

tom

A lot of the things mentioned appear to be bugs.
It would be nice to see these eradicated in a service pack vs. a paid upgrade in V5. Paying $$$$ for an upgrade should give you new features and enhancements, and one should not have to pay for bug fixes.

I agree with all the things on your list.

I would include (for the third or fourth time) enhanced 2d line editing, with associative fillets between line segments, and interactive control of the control points on "compound" lines. (we need interactive control for the path lines of complex sweeps and "pipes").

This is essential for any type of steel wire and tubing design.

Maybe not enough...
Personally I gave-up using the advanced mode : it's a nervous breakdown generator.
If the render isn't right the first time, I just export and use another render soft.

Very good list Nick !
JL