Power Users Preventing Needed Changes in Chief


KevinWaldron
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I just submitted an issue to tech support regarding the Room Name and Room Area Labels getting on top of one another when the plan box was rotated on the Layout page.  They suggested a workaround but also sent it to the software guys to fix.  So if something doesn't do what it's supposed to do then by all means post it here but also open a tech support case.

Alan

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When out at the UGM the how and why of getting changes was explained to the User Panel. The way I understood it was they add to a database from: suggestion forum, suggestions sent in, tech support. When it comes time a bunch of them sit down and fight it out. The regular forums were not said to be included in the database but could possibly have something to do with the "what will we do brawl" as I'm sure each persons own experience and prejudice does. So does listing work-arounds discourage improvement-mhhh.

Should it stop? seriously. I don't think so.

Even in the suggestions forum I think there are times that it makes some sense. While I don't think that poo-pooing someones request should happen sometimes it does make sense to offer "until they fix that try this" expecially for things that will A take longer to get, or B-not be high on a majority of lists.

Any way-I'm personally always grateful for a way to "get it done".

 

I've been on since X3. In my end of things, kitchens and baths, I was pretty critical of CA's approach to our end of the market. I completely understand that the program is first targeted to full houses, AND that it is damn complicated. After the UGM you could say I drank the kool-aid, I came away convinced that every single person from CA I met cares a lot about the product and the users.

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...The really sad part is yet to come....It's bad enough that...The SpaceMouse...doesn't work as advertised...but Chief Architect will penalize it's users when CA Version X9 comes to market, and it's users that don't upgrade during that iteration...."CA Users will be "Forced By Chief Architect Corporate" to pay more if they upgrade at a later date....It seems to be all about... "The Dollar, Dollar Bill"

 

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...The really sad part is yet to come....It's bad enough that...The SpaceMouse...doesn't work as advertised...but Chief Architect will penalize it's users when CA Version X9 comes to market, and it's users that don't upgrade during that iteration...."CA Users will be "Forced By Chief Architect Corporate" to pay more if they upgrade at a later date....It seems to be all about... "The Dollar, Dollar Bill"

 

Agreed, and a very well thought out post. I've been using Chief for about 15 years and every year the software gets worse, the money they charge has always been unfair, and I am moving out of my house in to a tent because Chief has taken all my money and that's all I can afford. By the time Chief X10 comes along Chief will probably cause me to die of a heart attack, if I can afford it. Dam those Dollars, those Dollar Bills. :blink:  :blink:  :blink:

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Kevin (OP):

 

Your comments (with a twist) have been bounced around on Chief Talk many times.  When I got into Chief (v7 - 2001), I had almost absolutely zippo CAD experience on my resume, and other than dabbling with Sketchup a wee bit, that is still true today.  In other words, Chief Architect is IT for me now and in the foreseeable future.  At this stage in my life, I have NO interest in keeping up with the Jones' or all the other CAD and other fancy software out there for architects, designers, engineers, etc.  I am not saying that I definitely won't ever use some other software for my design work, but at this point in time, I don't see it happening.  Chief is it for me ... it, for the most part, does what I need it to do. 

 

Yes, I still have some quibbles about some aspects of the software.  If I get my head out of the sand one of these days, I will hit the suggestion forum and/or TS with my "issues" and hopefully, CA will come through with the changes I want to see.  I have seen it happen many many times in the past - and unless I drop dead tomorrow, I will see improvements in the program many times in the future.  Those guys and gals in Coeur d'Alene are listening to us, believe it or not.

 

I have to agree with Mark ... Chief has a great staff that really do care about the program and its users' satisfaction with it.  CA is a small company that has produced a GREAT product that serves most of us quite well.  Yes, it takes time to learn it, especially if your like me with not much computer experience.  I look forward to future improvement in the program and REALLY appreciate all the other users who come to bat for us when we can't figure things out.  Thank you gurus for all those "work arounds" and all the tech support you provide.

 

Thank you for your comments ... hopefully you are or will be sending in your specific suggestions for improving CA and/or making feature requests. 

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Kevin (OP):

 

Your comments (with a twist) have been bounced around on Chief Talk many times.  When I got into Chief (v7 - 2001), I had almost absolutely zippo CAD experience on my resume, and other than dabbling with Sketchup a wee bit, that is still true today.  In other words, Chief Architect is IT for me now and in the foreseeable future.  At this stage in my life, I have NO interest in keeping up with the Jones' or all the other CAD and other fancy software out there for architects, designers, engineers, etc.  I am not saying that I definitely won't ever use some other software for my design work, but at this point in time, I don't see it happening.  Chief is it for me ... it, for the most part, does what I need it to do. 

 

Yes, I still have some quibbles about some aspects of the software.  If I get my head out of the sand one of these days, I will hit the suggestion forum and/or TS with my "issues" and hopefully, CA will come through with the changes I want to see.  I have seen it happen many many times in the past - and unless I drop dead tomorrow, I will see improvements in the program many times in the future.  Those guys and gals in Coeur d'Alene are listening to us, believe it or not.

 

I have to agree with Mark ... Chief has a great staff that really do care about the program and its users' satisfaction with it.  CA is a small company that has produced a GREAT product that serves most of us quite well.  Yes, it takes time to learn it, especially if your like me with not much computer experience.  I look forward to future improvement in the program and REALLY appreciate all the other users who come to bat for us when we can't figure things out.  Thank you gurus for all those "work arounds" and all the tech support you provide.

 

Thank you for your comments ... hopefully you are or will be sending in your specific suggestions for improving CA and/or making feature requests. 

+1

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.........all about... "The Dollar, Dollar Bill"

This post is so funny. Darn right it is about the dollar bill....,, If it wasn't, you wouldn't be complaining.

What I don't understand is what is wrong with trying to make an extra buck...... CA isn't here as a charitable organization. They are here to make a buck and to give their employees a few bucks.

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This post is so funny. Darn right it is about the dollar bill....,, If it wasn't, you wouldn't be complaining.

What I don't understand is what is wrong with trying to make an extra buck...... CA isn't here as a charitable organization. They are here to make a buck and to give their employees a few bucks.

 

right on-my friend

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I appreciate all your comments and for sure think that we all need to make a profit. We are all forced to make balancing acts of time, energy and money to achieve various goals. I'm only requesting that you have an open mind to change....  Many of the users of Chief are so ingrained in the way things are done in Chief that they are unwilling to consider other alternatives.

 

Some area's that I'd like to see great improvements appear.

 

1)Plot plans Surveying units and radius's and topological points are one of the areas that is in great need of change and upgrades..... Many programs can blanket topo's data like a sheet/drape and produce accurate representations of many survey points quickly and accurately at any give depth or Z height quickly and accurately. 2)3D solid modeling tools are long over due for new tools and upgrades. Adding Mesh manipulation with various tools should also be included.Twist, Blend, Boolean,Taper, Stretch, Flow along a curve, Flow along a surface 3)Layers in my opinion is another area where more options and flexibility are needed....... annotations sets and layer sets are great but limited in so many ways. 4)Text manipulation and scaling is in great need of upgrades 5) Database access is a must not only for users but also for 3rd party programs that could open direct access to Chief and open new programs that would aid in all kinds of area's 6) More adherence to code standards in regards to framing and other fields etc....... several more but enough

 

I realize each of us could produce a list of wanted changes.......and we each have an opinion...... I'd truly wish that all of you would download several of the more popular trial Cad programs just to get a taste of what could be.......then maybe changes would and could be made with more than my voice being heard.

 

kevin

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...... I'd truly wish that all of you would download several of the more popular trial Cad programs just to get a taste of what could be.......then maybe changes would and could be made with more than my voice being heard.

Kevin,

I think this is a huge misconception...that those of us who are sometimes seen as resisting change are ignorant or unaware of whats out there. The fact is that there are MANY Chiefer's (myslef included) who either have used other CAD software, or who still do own and use other CAD programs. Many people came from Softplan, Vectorworks, Revit, ArchiCAD, Sketchup, and/or AutoCAD just to name a few, and there are plenty of Chief users I know of who still use those programs. In fact some of the guys here on the forum own copies of half a dozen different CAD apps.

Anyway, take that for what its worth. I'm just sayin'...we're not all living under a rock.

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...@dshall....Contrary to what you've stated...I do understand commerce....I'm an American, I'm an integral part of this Free-Market-System. FYI, You omitted (1) One-Important Component to your equation......(e.g) The Customer. 

 

 

 

iMac OSX El Capitan

Mac (27-inch, Late 2012)

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32 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M 512 MB

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------

 

HP-ENVY TS 17 NOTEBOOK PC

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PC Windows 10

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Kevin (OP):

 

Your comments (with a twist) have been bounced around on Chief Talk many times.  When I got into Chief (v7 - 2001), I had almost absolutely zippo CAD experience on my resume, and other than dabbling with Sketchup a wee bit, that is still true today.  In other words, Chief Architect is IT for me now and in the foreseeable future.  At this stage in my life, I have NO interest in keeping up with the Jones' or all the other CAD and other fancy software out there for architects, designers, engineers, etc.  I am not saying that I definitely won't ever use some other software for my design work, but at this point in time, I don't see it happening.  Chief is it for me ... it, for the most part, does what I need it to do. 

 

Yes, I still have some quibbles about some aspects of the software.  If I get my head out of the sand one of these days, I will hit the suggestion forum and/or TS with my "issues" and hopefully, CA will come through with the changes I want to see.  I have seen it happen many many times in the past - and unless I drop dead tomorrow, I will see improvements in the program many times in the future.  Those guys and gals in Coeur d'Alene are listening to us, believe it or not.

 

I have to agree with Mark ... Chief has a great staff that really do care about the program and its users' satisfaction with it.  CA is a small company that has produced a GREAT product that serves most of us quite well.  Yes, it takes time to learn it, especially if your like me with not much computer experience.  I look forward to future improvement in the program and REALLY appreciate all the other users who come to bat for us when we can't figure things out.  Thank you gurus for all those "work arounds" and all the tech support you provide.

 

Thank you for your comments ... hopefully you are or will be sending in your specific suggestions for improving CA and/or making feature requests. 

+1

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I appreciate all your comments and for sure think that we all need to make a profit. We are all forced to make balancing acts of time, energy and money to achieve various goals. I'm only requesting that you have an open mind to change....  Many of the users of Chief are so ingrained in the way things are done in Chief that they are unwilling to consider other alternatives.

 

Some area's that I'd like to see great improvements appear.

 

1)Plot plans Surveying units and radius's and topological points are one of the areas that is in great need of change and upgrades..... Many programs can blanket topo's data like a sheet/drape and produce accurate representations of many survey points quickly and accurately at any give depth or Z height quickly and accurately. 2)3D solid modeling tools are long over due for new tools and upgrades. Adding Mesh manipulation with various tools should also be included.Twist, Blend, Boolean,Taper, Stretch, Flow along a curve, Flow along a surface 3)Layers in my opinion is another area where more options and flexibility are needed....... annotations sets and layer sets are great but limited in so many ways. 4)Text manipulation and scaling is in great need of upgrades 5) Database access is a must not only for users but also for 3rd party programs that could open direct access to Chief and open new programs that would aid in all kinds of area's 6) More adherence to code standards in regards to framing and other fields etc....... several more but enough

 

I realize each of us could produce a list of wanted changes.......and we each have an opinion...... I'd truly wish that all of you would download several of the more popular trial Cad programs just to get a taste of what could be.......then maybe changes would and could be made with more than my voice being heard.

 

kevin

Not sure exactly what you're asking for. Are you asking that changes be made to the program? Like the thousands (literally thousands) of requests for new features currently in their data base? Or like the hundreds of requests on the suggestions forum as if yours is the single, lone voice asking for new features?

 

Are you asking that others try different software to see what's out there? Ignoring the hundreds of threads referring to same?

 

Do you think some users are 'ingrained in the way things are done in Chief" and don't want to see improvements and new features added?

 

Have you logged your requests and discussed them on the suggestion forum?

 

Have you searched the forums to become better informed about the nature of Chief and the many topics covered over many years on these forums?

 

We all want to see new features added. We all want to see Chief improved and that includes the programmers and the many hard working people at Chief. It will never happen at the pace we each want and it will never happen in the form we each want but it will happen.

 

In the meantime the question remains the same. "Is Chief the best software for my business?" If so I suggest you do your best, like the rest of us, to let Chief know how you want it to change for the future. The suggestions forum is the best place for that.

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Note to average user: Be careful here.  We help people on this forum on a voluntary basis.  The knowledge level of some members is very low and it takes some patience to deal with some of them.  If we suggest a "work around" it is to help you put out a fire.  It is not intended to be a replacement for knowing what your doing or curtailing future software improvements.

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The problem is not the workarounds

 

they are most welcome as a temporary solution to the issue

 

the problem is when some "insist" that because there is a workaround available

then the suggestion or "fix" is not needed

 

then when the OP states they still would like to see something "better" than the workaround eventually

 

then the browbeaters start in with the admonitions that Chief is "perfect" if you just learn its ways

 

that is the point of this thread

 

Lew

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I've been in need of urgent, practical help to get drawings out the door and received great advice from fellow users - QUICKLY. Some of the things I may have been able to figure out given enough time, some where techniques that I 'knew' and forgot, and some where in the 'this is awkward' category. I've taken the workarounds and finished my work with a spirit of THANKS to those that gave their time and expertise freely. Those Power Users are Heroes to me!

 

I've made several suggestions that are incorporated into CA. Some appeared fairly quickly, and others took several revs. The Suggestions area is the place to be positive and offer solutions, or methods that will make our lives easier and more productive. Like Mark said, CA uses that list and the number of 'hits' on a topic to help prioritize the list.  We help forward think the software in the Suggestions Forum!

 

Some of our suggestions are in the "you can't get to it from here," realm. They involve structural chances to the software and can't be done by the next rev.  But, they are still being considered. I hope that CA will continue to be open with what they are shooting for in the next rev.

 

Having met most of the Staff of CA, and watched their demeanor hearing criticism, concerns, suggestions and praise, I think that senior management have attracted the best and brightest. We want to continue to support them with SSA renewals. 

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the problem is when some "insist" that because there is a workaround available

then the suggestion or "fix" is not needed

 

 

Lew,

Can you give me at least one example of a post where this applies?

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Lew,

 

I can find plenty of posts that contain "workarounds".

I can't find a post where someone has insisted that where there is a "workaround" available then the suggestion or "fix" is not needed.  

 

I assumed that because you made the statement that you would know of such instances - maybe a wrong assumption?

I would appreciate it if you could help me find one.

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Glenn:

 

I have no intention of doing searches for these

 

I will be sure to point them out each time they happen in the future

 

just for your edification ...

 

I'm not playing your game of denial - you know they are there

 

Lew

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Glenn:

 

no, you figured to play a gottcha game

 

and I refuse to play it

 

you've pulled this "show me one" tactic before

trying to shut down a "diaglog"

 

I refused to play then also :)

 

I'll just re-state that if it wasn't happening

then why did the OP start this thread ???

 

Lew

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