HumbleChief

Same point I was trying to make a couple posts above.

Maybe. But that assumes that advancements in technologies graphic engines etc. will be useful to users who also may not need those advancements. I have an ancient graphics card and very old computer that works great for my uses. I used to need all the latest and greatest but not so much any more so future tech like advances in graphics cards etc. hold no interest - for me.

Before I go on I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the staff and developers at Chief. They have helped me make a living for many years. Given that, there is one more phenomenon that strikes every software company and creates a difficult but inevitable business decision. That phenomenon is the eventual 'maturity' of software. Think Microsoft's Word and Excel. When was the last time there was a meaningful update to their feature set that truly benefitted 95% of their user base? That feature rich maturity creates no real need to upgrade and predicting a revenue stream becomes nearly impossible. Hence, the subscription business model. Revenues can now be projected with much more accuracy and top and bottom lines are easier to manage. Has Chief 'matured' with a feature set that is complete enough to discourage users to update? Maybe. But X17, if not there, is really close. For this user, who still has the grandfathered SSA program, this may be my last upgrade as I really don't need any new features. Others' needs will be different I'm sure and who knows X18 may be ground breaking but I am not really looking forward to its release but am willing to be surprised.

I've used Chief for over 20 years and my experience with X 17 so far mirrors my experience with every upgrade with one personal difference this time. The usual upgrades give us things we each need, things we don't need, and things we didn't know we needed. Watching the program mature over the years has been an amazing adventure with each year adding just a little more functionality and a little more capability. The thing is for some people, including myself, with each new upgrade the software becomes so capable that upgrades are only really needed to keep up with the latest version, even if that version adds very little day to day work flow improvements. That's the difference for me and X17. I simply don't need any of the new features in X17. I haven't seen a single new feature in X17 that will help my work flow but I realize how individual that can be and can see how moving water and 3D text might be good for some users but for me I really don't even need any new features over X16. I do small home remodeling in San Diego so my business model doesn't require that much horsepower and I can figure out stairs and most every situation (with the help of this forum :)) that I come across. So for me X17 might be a great upgrade for some but for me I'll upgrade to preserve my SSA status and not for the new features of X17.

Very confusing at times but I just learned that the 'backups' folder under Documents/Premier X17 Data/Backups can be saved to DropBox without needing to export caproj files for each project. May not work for everyone but seems to be OK for my work flow and backup strategy.

One more question. With Project Management turned on what happens if my hard drive fails? Are there backups stored somewhere that can be restored? Right now I have DropBox and Carbonite but both those offer no help with PM turned on. I understand the option to just turn off PM but would like both, PM and a secure, accessible backup location.

What if Chief exported/saved/backed up caproj files for each project to a folder and frequency specified in Preferences? That folder would be visible to DropBox in explorer and would save the gymnastics of manually exporting each project?

I exported and imported a caproj file and all links were broken so am reticent to try again.

Does all of the pertinent information live in the X17 Data Folder that can be saved to DropBox?

Curious too as I didn't think of that as I have saved all my plans to DB and have trusted DB for years and would also like to use project management AND DropBox.

Yup, sorry.

My section arrow DBX has both directions for the arrows.

THANK YOU JIM!!!

Can't seem to delete these objects or walls? Unlocked all layers, tried everything I could think of but these 2 walls or objects remain. Help appreciated. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2meck1xvsk7wkkdy17g0x/WALLS-1.plan?rlkey=1oaacnu4mullxwf715in2hvxi&dl=0

OK, but I'm not a 'larger organization" and am wondering why I might need a "customized quote." I'm trying to find my renewal rate now.