Posts made by dpaul

I know I have omitted many great plugins in my previous post, but I have to mention PROFILE BUILDER 2. It is the best in the AEC industry at what it does (better than Archicad and Chief Architect).

I am not quite sure you answered my question: what happens to my PS/SU files once my subscription is cancelled?

Of course I can use SU, but what about all the work I would have done in PS within SU? It appears to me that I cannot continue to work with that side of the model (the PS side) at all. I assume it just reverts to being SU groups or components.

So therefore, what is the point? I have lost what I wanted to keep: the ability to parametricize my model with your software----which I would like to purchase as a permanent licence. Obviously I can't.

SU and PS combined come up to almost $2K. Are you seriously telling us that: "many PlusSPec subscribers are actually mums and dads who want to design their home so they can understand the structure and cost behind the empty faces provided by a 2d drawing or an un detailed surface only 3D model. These people rarely re subscribe yet to my amazement many still do, some actually change career paths as PlusSpec opens up new opportunities......?"

Waaaaa.....?

I, along with Garry and Pixero and other posters are professional users of CAD programs, SU in particular, and we spend a SIGNIFICANT amount of time learning these programs and their plugins. Yet, somehow, an important component of your market is 'mums and dads" casually picking up both SU and PS over a weekend barbie to effortlessly design their new home or addition?

No. Something is not quite right here........

By the way, there is no need to patronize us on what PS is intended to do over layered on to SU. I just see it as an excuse to charge more to the unwary (but surely there cannot be too many of them, are there.....?)

"Some of the largest construction companies in the world use PlusSpec and yes I could have decided to charge $5000 up front (plus $700 for SU) for perpetual licenses yet in 2 years what good would they be?"

This is simply ill-informed arrogance (the largest construction co's in the world..?They can't do the math on the best BIM program to purchase?). Archicad is $5K. Chief Architect is closer to $4K. In both cases they have been around for 30 years (+). They are mature and accomplished and come out with an upgrade every year. Again, why can't you do that?

Everything is moving at great speed technologically, I agree. But here is what is happening in the SU world: for the first time some very seriously accomplished coding is coming to SU for the AEC market.

We have CABMAKER from Garry K (perhaps the best in AEC), plus VALI'S series of amazing plugins for terrain, roads, etc., SCATTER, roofing trusses and framing by MeDeek, and so on.

Now I just found out that GK is about to come out with a window tool (to complement his door tool). I have been waiting for this for a very long time. All very good.

The last item I am waiting for someone to write is a powerful wall tool. Once that one hits SU, I am back to work exclusively within SU. A moment will come soon enough when a beautiful clutch of extraordinary plugins will do it all for us WITHOUT the much touted values of outdated BIM thinking.

Please do not get me wrong: we want you to succeed. However, you need to listen to the professional users who would like to purchase a licence while deciding if they want to upgrade or not. Unless you are honest with us ordinary pro's, to my mind, everyone else you refer to are just a fantasy.

Think about your business model again, please.

I know PS works inside SU, but I am still not sure I understand what you are offering under the subscription program that is so special:

1. The advantage of PS inside SU is its speed and BIM capabilities, OK, and as you say "you can use your model as long as you like and can use SU capabilities to edit a model created in SU with your plugin". Right.

2. But what happens to the model when I choose NOT to renew the PS subscription? What happens to the file then?

3. My impression is that I lose all the advantages of PS when it is no longer there. I may have a good SU model but no
   capacity to keep my speed up with PS/SU, let alone retaining all the BIM capabilities you are talking about.

4. This is what I mean: I want to have a permanent licence of PS, regardless of when I decide---or not---to upgrade to your latest version.

5. Even if I have a 2 or 3 year old version of PS down the road, it will still give me the capabilities you are referring you have today. It is today's benefit I do not want to lose.

6. The Archicad upgrade every year is $1000. I did not upgrade to version 19. I have, though, version 18. It still has all the power I committed to purchasing at the time, and I will never lose the licence.

If Archicad, Vectorworks, Chief Architect (my present residential BIM), Softplan, etc. can sell the permanent licence to me and offer upgrades that I can choose to take or not, why can't you.....?

A permanent licence and the option to upgrade as my choice. That is what I want. How on earth does this hurt your business model?

Again, not sure I understand.

It is NOT about the cost. It never was.
It is about the simple fact that at the end of any given year, if I decide not to continue paying the yearly subscription fee I HAVE NOTHING. I will have lost all of my work. None of us can take that kind of risk.

Pixero is right: why not craft a program similar to SU or even Archicad or Vectorworks? Get rid of the rental only program and you will be pleasantly surprised: you will have a great many more buyers, myself included. Once purchased, we can decide for ourselves if we want to pay for an upgrade or not.

Enjoy your Aussie beer......