Maintenance Fee increase

[Brian]

I wont give an exact number, but as of right now, we pay about half that for 1 full seat up to 5x (dynamic is just part of the package and not an extra charge). We also have 1 seat of design which can pick up a network license for mill or lathe if we drop it from the other seat.

No PDM available in Mastercam.  I really do like the PDM in TS but had some growing pains with it.

We don't have the millturn module with mastercam which is just baked in to the cake in TS.  And its much better in TS. 

All of our posts for MC were modified free versions of MPMaster. We've never payed for a single post in Mastercam. IF TS could figure out how to make that work, free posts for 3 axis mills + indexer (or Horizontal) and 2 axis lathes, they'd probably have a recipe to grow.

Yeah, I think it's dumb that they want to charge extra for Boost, but I wouldn't do without it....they used to license Volumill, and Boost is their own home-grown thing.

My license works with a dongle, but I believe you can have floating licenses; I have no experience with this. Maybe if I ever hire someone again I'll look into it.

Yes, the PDM is great-and I would have never thought I'd have any use for it....but I was wrong, even a small as I am here now.

Yes, I agree that "basic" posts should be free! I *think* the general rule of thumb is ~$1K/axis for custom posts. I mostly modified my own posts (3 + 4 axis mills) when I switched to V7 because I was between dealers at that time, and I had the PP generator on my license like I did with V6. I've since let that lapse, as my dealer has made any remaining tweaks (minor stuff really) for free, and clearly is much better at this than I'll ever be.

TLDR summary: very happy with it overall, but yes....there are a few things I wish they'd reconsider, but nothing that leaves me thinking I need to start shopping for s/w again. I *think* I'll do maintenance again this year unless the quote is outta line! My dealer is really excellent now, and I do factor that into the decision.

I think one of the things people might not consider is the ("all-in") cost to switch s/w anyway....not just the size of the check you've gotta write, but how long till you're getting the productivity/capability boost that you've used to justify the purchase price....a week? Month? 6 months? A year?

[neurosis]

My license works with a dongle, but I believe you can have floating licenses; I have no experience with this. Maybe if I ever hire someone again I'll look into it.

I'd have to look, but I remember there being a time release type license?  Like for a weekend or something?

Yeah, I think it's dumb that they want to charge extra for Boost

Yea, they have some decent tool paths but making boost a pay for module doesn't help them.  I get that they're trying to develop and pay for it but? 

Yes, I agree that "basic" posts should be free! I *think* the general rule of thumb is ~$1K/axis for custom posts. I mostly modified my own posts (3 + 4 axis mills) when I switched to V7 because I was between dealers at that time, and I had the PP generator on my license like I did with V6. I've since let that lapse, as my dealer has made any remaining tweaks (minor stuff really) for free, and clearly is much better at this than I'll ever be.

I've discussed the posts with you behind the scenes.  Yea. Lets just say that they were less than honest with us about the posts. Are you capable of building your own machine definitions?

[Brian]

I've discussed the posts with you behind the scenes.  Yea. Lets just say that they were less than honest with us about the posts. Are you capable of building your own machine definitions?

Yeah, your post experience would make me angry, too....definitely not cool.

As far as I know, you can build your own machines-this is independent of the PP kit. I modified a generic Haas vertical to use for one machine, and had my dealer work up a Mazak 4 axis vertical for me and do some pp tweaks for another. I *think* I've got an *old* training guide for building machines floating around here somewhere.

[neurosis]

As far as I know, you can build your own machines-this is independent of the PP kit.

I wasn't generalizing. I was asking if YOU could.

[Brian]

I wasn't generalizing. I was asking if YOU could.

Ah! I *think* I could, as long as I could refer to that training guide....and I guess I'd need to be able to have a post for said machine so that I could test the output (which implies having some knowledge of what the code *should* look like or what I'd *want* it to look like).

So I guess my answer is "yes, that's a definite maybe."

[TSmcam]

This is making it alot easier to switch to topsolid next year...

Come to the dark side. We have cookies LOL

[TSmcam]

Re: Vericut and subscription licenses: I was only aware they had this option about two or three years ago. Honestly, they dont push it, at least down here.

@Brian and @neurosis. In TS you can build/create your own machines. No special license is needed (machine building isn't available in the "light" versions of Mill and Lathe. Building machines is relatively straightforward. They do have a tutorial the creation of Mills and Lathes.

The biggest question/concern I get from people considering switching is the "I have thousands of legacy files, but there is no converter from Mastercam". In my opinion, that isn't such a concern. The process is, keep your legacy software going (if it is on a hasp, great), but just quit maintenance, because you wont need the next versions for your legacy files. Then, put a line in the sand, and start creating your new files in the new software. Need to mod a legacy file? Go back to the legacy software, or in some cases (if the changes are large), consider redoing it in the new software.
I went through this with a customer with thousands of legacy files. And it was a non-issue. They moved forward with new stuff in the new software, and maintained the legacy stuff in the old software.

[Brian]

The biggest question/concern I get from people considering switching is the "I have thousands of legacy files, but there is no converter from Mastercam". In my opinion, that isn't such a concern. The process is, keep your legacy software going (if it is on a hasp, great), but just quit maintenance, because you wont need the next versions for your legacy files. Then, put a line in the sand, and start creating your new files in the new software. Need to mod a legacy file? Go back to the legacy software, or in some cases (if the changes are large), consider redoing it in the new software.
I went through this with a customer with thousands of legacy files. And it was a non-issue. They moved forward with new stuff in the new software, and maintained the legacy stuff in the old software.

This is exactly what I did when I migrated from V6 to V7. Initially I was mostly concerned that I'd get stuck on a hot job and not be able to do something I knew how to do in V6, but it was kinda a non-issue. I did still keep V6 around on the next PC I setup, but I don't think I even opened up any old files more than 3 or 4 times with that PC, and when I got a new PC last year I didn't install V6 at all! (I do still have all of the old files on a HDD with archived data, but doubt I'll need it in the future. Most work we do is low-volume or non-repeat, and we've outlived most of our customers...LOL).

[Brian]

@TSmcam :

I'd love that training guide (for building machines) if you can share it-I think mine is from V7.6?

[TSmcam]

This is exactly what I did when I migrated from V6 to V7. Initially I was mostly concerned that I'd get stuck on a hot job and not be able to do something I knew how to do in V6, but it was kinda a non-issue. I did still keep V6 around on the next PC I setup, but I don't think I even opened up any old files more than 3 or 4 times with that PC, and when I got a new PC last year I didn't install V6 at all! (I do still have all of the old files on a HDD with archived data, but doubt I'll need it in the future. Most work we do is low-volume or non-repeat, and we've outlived most of our customers...LOL).

It was the same here. Did a gradual transition, focussing on the VMC first, then the 5 axis and Mill/Turns, and finally the lathes.
If under pressure, we still had Mastercam to fall back on, but rarely. To a point where within about six months, I was down to opening Mastercam about once a month, and then hardly at all.

The training guide I have is V7.7, but there may be a later one. I will check.

[gcode]

My personal seat on a USB Hasp
3D Mill, Lathe (not mill turn)  Multiaxis

Last year was $3400
I should be getting a quote any day now for the new year

I received my quote for renewal this morning
$3658, slightly more than the advertised 2% increase.
This is for software maintenance only, no support.
My employer's quote due next month will be much higher with the loss of the multiseat discount.

It does include the new 3X deburr cycle.
It must be grandfathered in with the multiaxis module.
I know a lot of guys with 3D mill and no multiaxis were disappointed because
3X deburr is an add-on.
It works pretty slick
BUT
it posts point to point like all the ModuleWorks toolpaths and I could find no way
to filter it to G01/G03 output,
My test file was a Ø34.00 ring and one .005 edge break posted a 90K file.
Do any serious work with it on our big parts and program file sizes will quickly become too big for our controls.

[gcode]

This was included in my quote
You can see which was the wind is blowing.

On July 1, 2024, the cost of yearly maintenance increased and there will be no more multi-seat discounts. Depending on the collection of licenses you have, this price increase will vary. This is reflective of the new features and enhancements in development, and while this represents a price increase, there will be benefits. A few existing benefits of maintenance include:

Access to the latest technology and updates of the software, including Beta versions to try.
Priority technical support from CCCS and 50% off all our training.
Mastercam corporate online features such as the User Forum, Tech Exchange, my Voice, Mastercam University and our library of free post processors. 
Another software trend across industries is the subscription model. Mastercam's goal is to produce easier, quicker toolpaths and better functionality and release it as soon as it's ready. Improved quality and frequency of releases with more features helps you be more competitive, productive, and profitable. More frequent updates and features for subscription customers may become available faster if you're on subscription. Also, subscriptions have a lower entry fee, and provide the user with the flexibility of payment terms and software modules to be used when they're needed. For all your licenses, when it's time to update or renew, we will be happy to discuss with you the benefits of subscription access to Mastercam and pricing with complete transparency.
Please reach out to us with any thoughts or concerns as we enter the next generation of Mastercam and remain steadfast in our mantra: your success is our success. We stand with you.

[riverhunter]

I feel the only advantage MC HAD over other software's were a strong user base / availability and a fair price.  looks like one ship is sailing! 

[JParis]

Oh, this is going to hurt BIGLY this year

6 – Mill 3D – NetHasp
3 – Mill 2D
1 – Wire
2 - Mutli-Axis
4 - Lathe
1 - Mill/Turn

Add in Cimco NCBase and DNC Max

Last year alone was enough to buy a mill 3d with Multi-axis for maintenance & support

[Here's Johnny!]

Can't even access their Forum anymore.... "You do not have permission to view this content".....