Communicator - SLDPRT format

Steffen Ahmad · May 2016

Hi,

I'm currently testing Communicator on Windows and it seems the import function is a bit picky about the version of sldprt files.

I have 6 files here that I'm trying to import but BricsCad shows an error:
Cannot import file: C:\Users\ahmaste\Downloads\solidworks_809\POWERED.SLDPRT (Unsupported file version.)

Anything I can do about it ? Don't know the file version though.

Best
Steffen

Steffen Ahmad · May 2016

...btw, the files are fine. My 30 days trial of AutoCAD converts the files correctly.

Steffen Ahmad · July 2016

Just signed up for the free version of Fusion 360 and guess what - opens those sldprt files perfectly too.

So whats the deal in spending over 500€ for communicator ? I didn't as I was just testing but BricsCad gets more and more uninteresting to me as a Platinum licence owner.

Roy Klein Gebbinck · July 2016

According to info from Autodesk Fusion 360 costs $300 per year. Only students and educators can get a free version.

Steffen Ahmad · July 2016

...or Enthusiasts:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-activate-start-up-or-educational-licensing-for-Fusion-360.html

Steffen Ahmad · July 2016

btw - I think its fine to charge something for addons but they need to work and open files properly.

Roy Klein Gebbinck · July 2016

@Steffen Ahmad:
...or Enthusiasts:
https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/fusion-360/troubleshooting/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/How-to-activate-start-up-or-educational-licensing-for-Fusion-360.html

Aha, I have to admit I did not look that far.

weedywhizz · March 2017

Requested another Demo, lets see if any fixes have been implemented...

Richard Webb · March 2017

If there's still a problem, I'd suggest raising a support request. Bricsys is quite responsive and they do answer support questions regarding demo versions. If there's a feature that needs to be added or an issue to be addressed then a support request is the channel to get it into the hands of the devs.

Jim Canale · December 2017

There have been some issues opening Solidworks files in Communicator. I also reported a bug months ago. The program would not release the file it was importing. I don't recall if that was fixed.

Communicator and the yearly subscription cost are big expenses for a small firm like my employer. What bothers me the most is to get an update to the import capabilities of Communicator (or even a bug fix), you have to upgrade to the next major version of BricsCAD. I have ZERO interest in updating to V18 at this point, because the Vast majority of the development effort since V16 has been on adding features for architecture and civil engineering. We do mechanical design. I don't need or want BIM And why should I risk a bunch of new bugs being an early adopter of V18? The only reason I would update would be to get a newer version of Communicator.

Egor Ermolin · December 2017

Dear Jim,

@Jim Canale said:
There have been some issues opening Solidworks files in Communicator. I also reported a bug months ago. The program would not release the file it was importing. I don't recall if that was fixed.

I can't find any SR from you (at least in Communicator category) mentioning some problems with releasing of files. Could you please find it and post some message to the SR or open a new SR so we could check it?

Communicator and the yearly subscription cost are big expenses for a small firm like my employer. What bothers me the most is to get an update to the import capabilities of Communicator (or even a bug fix), you have to upgrade to the next major version of BricsCAD. I have ZERO interest in updating to V18 at this point, because the Vast majority of the development effort since V16 has been on adding features for architecture and civil engineering. We do mechanical design. I don't need or want BIM And why should I risk a bunch of new bugs being an early adopter of V18? The only reason I would update would be to get a newer version of Communicator.

Communicator libraries are stitched to ACIS .dlls. To upgrade Communicator import capabilities means to upgrade its libraries and upgrade ACIS. ACIS .dlls are usually updated in minor releases, so Communicator does, i.e. for the releases we had recently:
~Nov 2016 BricsCAD V17.1.XX + Communicator upgrade
~Mar 2016 BricsCAD V17.2.YY + Communicator upgrade
~Nov 2017 BricsCAD V18.1.ZZ + Communicator upgrade

As for bug fixing, we don't delay them to next major versions of BricsCAD, but try to include it to the nearest maintenance releases, as soon as bug is fixed.

Best regards,
Egor ERMOLIN

Jim Canale · December 2017

There have been some issues opening Solidworks files in Communicator. I also reported a bug months ago. The program would not release the file it was importing. I don't recall if that was fixed.

Communicator and the yearly subscription cost are big expenses for a small firm like my employer. What bothers me the most is to get an update to the import capabilities of Communicator (or even a bug fix), you have to upgrade to the next major version of BricsCAD. I have ZERO interest in updating to V18 at this point, because the Vast majority of the development effort since V16 has been on adding features for architecture and civil engineering. We do mechanical design. I don't need or want BIM And why should I risk a bunch of new bugs being an early adopter of V18? The only reason I would update would be to get a newer version of Communicator.

Jim Canale · June 2018

@Egor Ermolin said:
Dear Jim,

....... I can't find any SR from you (at least in Communicator category) mentioning some problems with releasing of files. Could you please find it and post some message to the SR or open a new SR so we could check it?............. Communicator libraries are stitched to ACIS .dlls. To upgrade Communicator import capabilities means to upgrade its libraries and upgrade ACIS. ACIS .dlls are usually updated in minor releases, so Communicator does, i.e. for the releases we had recently:
~Nov 2016 BricsCAD V17.1.XX + Communicator upgrade
~Mar 2016 BricsCAD V17.2.YY + Communicator upgrade
~Nov 2017 BricsCAD V18.1.ZZ + Communicator upgrade

As for bug fixing, we don't delay them to next major versions of BricsCAD, but try to include it to the nearest maintenance releases, as soon as bug is fixed.

Best regards,
Egor ERMOLIN

Egor,

I'm not going to open a new SR for a problem I reported previously. Just muddies the waters. For all I know, the problems I reported HAVE been fixed. But I don't recall getting any feedback from the support group. However, I will do this.... Here are some of the SR's I have submitted about Communicator. They are currently flagged "DEVELOPMENT":

SR 47138, SR 63592, SR 49563

Not sure I understand your comments about upgrades. Are you telling me you sometimes post a new version of Communicator to go with an minor release of BricsCAD? In the past, I've been lead to believe that the only time we should download and install a new version of Communicator is when there is a major release of BricsCAD.

Egor Ermolin · June 2018

Hello Jim,

Thank you for listing SRs. Probably I couldn't find them since they were not classified as Communicator (fixed). We'll check the status of these SRs.

For the Communicator versions, as it was shown in my December post:
~Nov 2016 BricsCAD V17.1.XX + Communicator upgrade
~Mar 2016 BricsCAD V17.2.YY + Communicator upgrade
~Nov 2017 BricsCAD V18.1.ZZ + Communicator upgrade
In V18.2 Communicator has been also upgraded, as Release Notes
show it.

Best regards,
Egor

Communicator - SLDPRT format

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