when people ask me what package they should learn! I tell them mastercam!
thanks bill
-----Original Message-----
From: Larry Hoke <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: '[EMAIL PROTECTED]' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Thursday, June 08, 2000 4:17 PM
Subject: [mfg-smartcam] Dead Product
>To all SmartCAM users:
>
>I have been following the lament that SmartCAM is dead; SmartCAM is the
>best thing since sliced bread; and why can't SDRC do something to support
>it, with increasing annoyance. To all of you I say, "Grow up!! SmartCAM is
>dead - move on!!"
>
>If you all want to collectively go crawl into a corner and cry about how
>SmartCAM is dead and no one wants to support it then go ahead. The ones
>who understand life, will leave you in the dust to rot. There have been
>many good things in life that have died only to be replaced by something
>better. Such is the case with SmartCAM.
>
>The '39 Ford coupe was a good car, but it was replaced by newer technology.
> The B-17 was a good war plane but it was replaced by newer technology.
> COMPACT-II was a very good lathe package - it died and was replaced by
>newer technology. APT was (and still is) a good product, but there are a
>hell of a lot of products that are better. SmartCAM was good but it too
>will be replaced.
>
>None of you have a clue to life about technology. SDRC made a very sound
>business decision to stop supporting that particular technology. And to me
>it was for a very good reason. More and more customers are wanting things
>SmartCAM and other 'hobby cam packages can never offer - associativity of
>NC programs to engineering geometry. If engineering changes the NC
>automatically updates. Your hobby cam packages simply don't have the horse
>power to build, support, and handle the intense engineering data being
>created these days.
>
>That is why SDRC, Dassualt/IBM, Unigraphics, and PTC are investing millions
>to create associated data bases from design to manufacturing. That is why
>they are building NC packages that allow users to capture frequently used
>data and reuse it on other jobs. None of your hobby cam packages have a
>snow balls chance in hell of doing that. Having to pass data from a major
>system to hobby cam looses all of that.
>
>The statement made recently about being able to learn SmartCAM in three
>days is absolutely ridiculous. My company inherited several hundred
>SmartCAM programs, and decided to try to train someone to use the SmartCAM
>seat we also inherited. After two weeks of hands on training by a local
>user, we are no farther along with SmartCAM than we were before. Yes we
>can make some programs. Yes we can generate some code. But no we are not
>proficient enough after two weeks to be able to handle all of the
>programming situations that arise on a daily basis.
>
>I have been in this business since 1966, and have never seen any
>programming system that could be learned in 3 days. It hasn't existed in
>34 years, and I don't see it in the near horizon. And that goes for APT,
>UCC-APT, Westinghouse CIN-TURN macro package, LATHESEQ, CADAM NC, and CATIA
>NC. Each package had/has it's strengths and weaknesses. You don't sit in
>a corner and cry about not being able to do your job because it doesn't run
>like I want it to. You get your ass in gear and make it work to the best
>of it's ability, and learn how to work around the faults. And that
>philosophy will never change my friends.
>
>If you put any well trained, seasoned operator (such as Mr. Lazarus) on any
>system, he/she will be able to make it dance an Irish jig and whistle Dixie
>at the same time. The complaints about long training on new systems are
>unfounded and basically "crying in your beer." You had to invest time in
>SmartCAM - so will you on a new system.
>
>As far as those programs we inherited goes - they are absolute junk. And
>this guy supposedly had three years experience in programming. Every
>program is being converted to CATIA as they come up for re-run. So it goes
>to say, it's not totally the package being good or bad. It's the
>experience of the people, and how willing they are to invest the time in
>learning new skills and making things work to the best advantage possible.
> Something you SmartCAM folks seem dead set against doing.
>
>Instead of complaining about the lack of support and how much you are going
>to miss SmartCAM, why don't you form a for real users group, or some other
>type of organization, and go to SDRC and say, "Look folks, we like what
>SmartCAM could do. We understand your decision to kill SmartCAM, but we
>would like to work with you in trying to implement some of the SmartCAM
>features into your new product, if possible." And you know what, with SDRC
>being reasonable most of the time, they probably would be receptive to that
>idea.
>
>At least they would be more receptive to that than everyone throwing rocks
>at their windows, and telling them how arrogant you think they are. Your
>recent attacks and attitudes are similar to the NRA who doesn't have a clue
>as to how to win friends and influence enemies.
>
>Or maybe better yet, if there is an entrepreneur among you, why don't you
>put together a group of investors and buy the code from SDRC? Then you can
>do any damn thing you want with it.
>
>The bottom line is - SmartCAM truly is dead. Get a life and move on. If
>you want to stay in the Mom and Pop shop mode where hobby cam products are
>the only ones you can afford, then go buy a new one, learn how to use it
>and shut up. You would be suprised what you can do if you just try.
>
>Larry M. Hoke
>
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