Exocad, open system and hostage users .....

[zero_zero]

Cadfan, I have the new updates downloaded but they will not install in WIN7. Unless there is a file on the PC that allows it.

Did to you try to install the framework first ?

 

[French Cadman]

In order,
install W7
install antivirus
install all updates
install frameworks 32 or 64 are different !
install Exocad software
install scanner if you have ....

 

[Till]

Dear forum members,

we share your vision to have fully open software, and the flexibility to get support from anyone you want to get support from.

The issue you describe is a little more complicated, because of the variety of resellers and their differing business models. As you know, it takes quite a bit of investment to fully integrate exocad-based system to end-users labs. As part of this investment there necessarily is the expectation of future sales of modules and update contracts, which many resellers do mark up a fair amount to fund their real ongoing support costs. We want to make sure that resellers who invest time and energy in their customers get some return on that investment. What we want to avoid is a free-for-all where resellers with excellent service lose customers to "budget" resellers who are willing to cut margins to expand market share. In fact in the worst case, this could cause end-users to regularly switch resellers depending on what service they need in a particular month (good support or cheap modules?)! This "churn" is something we don't want to see.

On a technical level, exocad software can be heavily configured (integrating with specific scanners/machines, enabling or disabling certain features, adding or removing libraries...) and branded (colors, icons...),which - as said above - can be quite a bit of an investment. Large exocad resellers have an entire team on staff just to make sure that everything in exocad is configured to work perfectly well within the specific system/hardware they ship. Replacing just the exocad installation within the system can potentially cause a support nightmare, especially if the user still calls the old reseller for support. If you bought your exocad software from reseller A and move the licenses to reseller B, and then the scanner integration stops working, who is in charge of support? Reseller A? How can he support reseller B's exocad configuration? Or reseller B? How can he provide support for a scanner he hasn't sold and doesn't even know?

However, even with these issues, today's reality is that exocad customers can request a change of reseller for no charge. So, YES, "reseller switches" are generally possible, and in the past we've occasionally switched licenses from one reseller to another.

For this switch to be done, both the 'old' and the 'new' reseller have to agree (we hope for your understanding, for the reasons explained above). So far, in the VAST majority of cases, the reseller switch requests have been approved by the respective "old" resellers. Very occasionally, a request has been denied. For example, I remember one case where a reseller sold a system to an end user, but that end user never fully paid his invoice. Later, the user desired an add-on module, but his reseller denied to deliver it due to the outstanding payment of the previous invoice. The end user then tried to switch his dongle to another reseller, and the old reseller denied the switch, for obvious reasons.
It has also occurred that an "old reseller" requested a delay before the switch, to have a chance to talk with his customer first to clarify the situation, but later agreed to the switch.

We try to be as flexible as possible to meet the different business requirements of our resellers. We like open systems, but if a reseller wants a closed exocad-based system, we will provide it (e.g. the 'red dongle' exocad licenses in the US which write closed output files). We'll happily sell licenses that run indefinitely without yearly fee, but if a reseller prefers a rental-based system, we'll offer this as well. The same way, if a reseller chooses to make all his licenses "free to switch to other resellers", that's fine with us. But if a reseller chooses that none of his licenses may be transferred to other resellers, we'll handle it that way.

That being said, if there's a problem with a certain reseller, we'd like to know about it, to make sure that exocad end users all have a change to get proper support for the product. If you were denied a reseller switch and are unhappy with your current reseller, please email [email protected] explaining the issue. We can't promise a solution for everyone, but we'll try to mediate and help solve the problem.
It is also very important for us to know if one of our resellers doesn't fulfil expectations as far as support is concerned - please let us know.

I'd also like to foster understanding for some of our reseller's policies that Windows XP-based machines cannot update to recent exocad versions. Microsoft has ended support for XP over a year ago. Although even the latest exocad versions still happen to work on XP (though not optimally, due to OS memory restrictions),it is NOT an officially supported operating system, and we do not test our software on XP anymore.

french cadman - I know you're a true exocad expert, and you will manage integration-related issues yourself . However you requested something that was never requested before, a switch from a 'Euro generic' dongle to 'US generic' dongle. No process exists for this, so our US office put this on hold until we worked out if and how this is possible. I'm afraid the physical dongle will have to be changed, so you'll have to send your dongle to exocad to get a replacement. We will discuss with your new reseller how to handle this without sending a dongle across the Atlantic.

Best regards,
Tillmann Steinbrecher (CEO exocad GmbH) and Larry Bodony (President exocad America, Inc)

 

[2thm8kr]

Thanks for the reply Tillman!

 

[French Cadman]

Hello Till !

Thank you very much !
We waited and we don't regret your response, we knew we could count on you !
Thank you for supporting us in this new opening step !
Now that I'm reassured, I can wait the necessary time for a special dongle transatlantic prototype "waterproof" !

je sais que tu parles bien le français alors je terminerai en te remerciant toi et toute ton équipe pour l'ensemble du travail réalisé depuis 5 ans , c'est merveilleux et nous prenons beaucoup de plaisir à travailler sur votre système et essayer de trouver de nouveaux cheminements pour réaliser de nouvelles pièces encore jamais réalisées , avec Exocad chaque jour est une nouvelle aventure , merci de nous donner quotidiennement ce plaisir de travailler !

Meilleures salutations de France !
Amitiés,

FCM

 

[cadfan]

Its always a pleasure Till ,Larry ,and Maik and all the guys in the background.

 

[Affinity]

Zerozero, can you explain this mystical framework you speak of.
CAD is making me hate computers..

 

[zero_zero]

Zerozero, can you explain this mystical framework you speak of.
CAD is making me hate computers..

Check your PM

 

[Affinity]

Exocad isnt necessarily the problem I have with AG, I rarely even use it, I want to be able to update to new CAM.. Let you know how it works,00 youre an evil genius.