Altium and Element14 - ATTENTION - time for maintenance is arriving soon ... where is Circuit Maker Pro ? ?

I've been running the beta for over a year now, currently 2.0.5. I've not heard of a 3. I've found it to be very stable - much more stable than the current product. Generating output files consistently from project to project is a challenge - but it is in 1.5 as well. I don't know why Pro isn't available yet.

I have to train two new users on the software next month and I'd like to start them on the better product. I'm in limbo - do I buy two new seats of 1.5 and hope they can upgrade to Pro - if and when it becomes available - or do I start them on KiCad, as it has more than enough functionality for our work and you can't beat the price.

Thanks for posting.  The more life that is shown the more attention this will get.

ALTIUM / OWNERS / MARKETING / SALES - it's important to provide a low cost path to a design environment like CircuitMaker Pro not only for hobbyists but also for professionals (like myself) who have or had (now retiring) AD at work.  If you are old enough to remember Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), you may recall that they installed as many mainframes and other systems as possible in the academic world.  Of course academic software is dirt cheap now so maybe not the best example but I believe it still hold true in many cases.  I have ongoing contact with my younger engineering associates who in turn, because of their involvement in recruiting in their spare time, have access literally to thousands of new recruits.  Whatever you learn on you will  likely buy professionally when you grow up and if managing, perhaps outfitting tens, hundreds or even thousands of seats.

This is of tremendous future value to Altium

Please make CircuitMaker Pro happen soon.  Thank you.

Erix - please check my newer post.  Would like if you could add your thoughts to it.

I think the mass radio silence from Altium on this and all other questions about CS speaks volumes.

I believe a purchase deal is in the works and the soon-to-be new owners of Altium (likely Dassault Systems, owner of Solidworks and more) are going to drop CS from the line.

This follows Autodesk's purchase of Eagle. Monkey See, Monkey Do.

Altium has worked for years on CM Pro and it works great. I am a Solidworks user too and CM Pro has a similar workflow. Gone are the random popup dialog boxes all over the screen, all the properties and settings are in the tabbed panel at right - just like Solidworks.

Solidworks meanwhile developed an Add-In a few years ago called Circuitworks that was supposed to share 3D data between it and other EDA software using shared libraries for 3D content. It does not support Altium file formats but, interestingly, does support Eagle. I've never gotten it to work. I don't know anyone who has.

I think Dassault desperately wants to get into the EDA business and Altium, like Solidworks, is the premium product. Why would they want a lower cost option for customers? They don't have a low cost version of Solidworks.....

If Dassualt does buy Altium then element14 will be cut out of the loop as Solidworks is only sold through Dassault or their sales reps, hence radio silence on the element14 website.

That leaves me in distress !  I have a love/hate relationship with Dassault.  Used SolidWorks for years and owned DraftSight but not perpetual.  Having E14 as your only public outlet, however, is foolish from a business standpoint.  Like selling girl scout cookies only from one stand outside a small church in Oshkosh.

Wait, there's your answer.  CM Pro might be considered as their "DraftSight" although there is no 2D/3D analogy to go with that.  DraftSight is their 2D, Autocad equivalent which works great.  It's $149 or $249 but that turned into an annual only price, however.  I switched over to one of the established IntelliCad rooted 2D packages with perpetual license.

I forgot about Draftsight! Good point. I for one hope they do keep CM Pro in their lineup. Altium has features that aren't used by 70% or more of the customer base. Meanwhile, CM Pro probably fills every need of a shop that primarily runs Solidworks.

erix said:

I believe a purchase deal is in the works

Is this a gossip you heard, or are there pointers?
They are partners but I've not seen messages about a purchase with DS. There was a bid from AutoDesk, but it was rejected.

An article regarding the AutoDesk offer being on hold mentions Cadence, Dassault and PTC as examples only, nothing firm.  These companies are ALL primarily interested in a) higher prices and b) more ways to charge more.

If CM Pro ever appears, I can guarantee that in a year it will not be perpetual and the cost, well, TBD.

100% Pure Conjecture on my part, designed to start a conversation about the future of CS, CM Pro, and element14.

100% Pure Conjecture on my part, designed to start a conversation about the future of CS, CM Pro, and element14.

That EEVBlog forum has a CS subforum that is way more useful and current than this one! Check out the last post on this thread:
www.eevblog.com/.../

My Volvo maintenance tool also uses DXP.  I think it's just a viewing tool.

But thanks for the reminder.  I forget that they have the AD/CS forums.

DXP.exe is their 15+ year-old main codebase executable, inherited from the ancient DXP PCB CAD product, it used to crash a lot back then. The current product looks recognisably similar to the old DXP.

One option for us is that Erix sell us his copy of the beta program, then move to a far away island.

But then there's the license ...

I don't use Altium... I don't see the point. I used EAGLE, but now have moved to KiCad 6. Any large org is unlikely to use Altium anyway, they will be using Mentor or Cadence, so I don't subscribe to the idea that learning these lower-cost Altium tools will help me in my career.

Altium beeing purchased By Dasault. I suspected as much 8 month ago when Altuim stopped seasonal saving offers Put up the price and selfhosting license option when from cheaper option from on demand to costing Extra £3,000.- This is exactly the price For Solidwork licensing server. It is shame that a good product became again victim of the greed of some ****. We can expect biger prices and less quality over time.

-pp-

Again, is this fact or just conjecture?

If fact, then hopefully Dasault keeps CS / CM Pro or whatever, alive.

Whatever they do to the product, I WANT MY PERPETUAL LICENSE ! ! !

If conjecture, then ... nevermind