Maintenance Fee increase

[gcode]

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

You have to reregister your username once a year

[SuperHoneyBadger]

Mastercam's goal is to produce easier, quicker toolpaths and changes for change's sake and release it as soon as it's ready. Improved quality and frequency of issues with more headaches helps you wish you were more competitive, productive, and profitable. More frequent updates and undocumented features for subscription customers may become available faster if you're on subscription.

[neurosis]

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

So basically, nothing extra? 

[JParis]

but I'd always vote for less, more bullet-proof releases, with more thorough testing and fully functioning features.

Can't justify the yearly maintenance if people don't feel like they are getting something...

They would have to go back to a buy in and upgrade when you want...they ship sailed a LONG time ago....coincidently, right about the time they introduced the Maintenance program

[gcode]

imo, X25 is the worst release since the very early X releases.

We cannot/will not use x25 lathe.
The new plane checking feature means you have to dismiss a warning yell on regen
for every operation, every time you regen.
and
since x25 lathe brings nothing new to the table and adds thousands of new mouse clicks,
there is no point in doing the work to deploy it.

I will deploy x25 mill.
The Module Works toolpaths have added some useful features and regen times and overall performance
seem to be much better.
The new solid selection scheme is broken as far as I'm concerned, but CNC is aware of the problems and
working to fix it.

I'm going to update this year, but with retirement coming up, it may be the last time I renew. 

[Brian]

It looks like my TS maintenance costs are the same this year as last year....

[Jeff]

imo, X25 is the worst release since the very early X releases.

I'm still refusing to move past X23 because they refuse to fix the functionality they destroyed with the machine group setup when that was introduced along with many other minor things that are so obvious QOL changes to anyone.

[JParis]

I'm still refusing to move past X23 because they refuse to fix the functionality they destroyed with the machine group setup when that was introduced along with many other minor things that are so obvious QOL changes to anyone.

You might as well just drop maintenance..I for one don't see those changes going away.

[JakeL]

I'm still refusing to move past X23 because they refuse to fix the functionality they destroyed with the machine group setup when that was introduced along with many other minor things that are so obvious QOL changes to anyone.

I think it was in one of the annual SDK livestreams, they said that style interface is the direction they're headed with the whole software. I believe I heard the same thing from our reseller. IIRC the main reason for the switch is because the functionality of the current interface is limited by todays standards.

@Thee Byte has a better understanding (and probably better explanation) of this.

[Jeff]

You might as well just drop maintenance..I for one don't see those changes going away.

It's not the changes, it's the stuff they broke when they made the changes back in V21? V22?

[MIL-TFP-41]

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

Sounds very similar to what we have
5 - Mill 3D
3 - Mill 2D
3 - multiaxis
4 - Lathe
1 - Wire
2 - Mill-turn
And we could easily use another seat of 3D. Add in CamPlete & it will amount to a serious chunk of change.

[neurosis]

I don't care for the changes made to the machine group setup in the last couple of releases but I get why they are headed in that direction. 

If you've ever used Cimatron or even TopSolid, each machining operation is, for lack of a better term, sandboxed. You feel like you have more freedom between operations in Mastercam and it's difficult to see using it in any other way.  I feel like that's the direction they are headed.

[JParis]

Sounds very similar to what we have
5 - Mill 3D
3 - Mill 2D
3 - multiaxis
4 - Lathe
1 - Wire
2 - Mill-turn
And we could easily use another seat of 3D. Add in CamPlete & it will amount to a serious chunk of change.

Yup and the reality is we will need another 3D & another Mill/Turn seat coming up here...plus Vericut...

This years quote, die in October just may be the impetus to get people to tell me to explore other options..and frankly, I would not blame them...it feels like this is nothing but a $$$ grab, especially with the removal of the milti-seat discount. Can't parse that any other way that a straight forward cash grab.

[MIL-TFP-41]

This years quote, die in October just may be the impetus to get people to tell me to explore other options..and frankly, I would not blame them...

I can see that happening to a lot of places. Personally, after using Mastercam for 30+ years I really don't look forward to change (I did drive NX for a couple of years and the thought of going back makes me cringe) tho getting out of the clunky mill-turn would be a big incentive to jump ship.

Piss off a bunch of long term users....I can see the multi-discount deal resurfacing pretty quick. hopefully anyways.

[gcode]

It's pretty simple
They are going to make subscription service more and more attractive by bumping the costs of hasps and net hasps.
Once they have reached a tipping point of subscription users, hasps and nethasps will go away.