Professional Design, 3D Modelling and Drafting Services

[Richard Hed]

SW basic is still about 4K I believe and is a perpetual license. That's standard on Solidworks, although they are pushing the cloud based version HARD. I use the software professionally, so the upgrades are worthwhile. Even essential, in fact. Solidworks change to a new version every year that is not forwards compatible - to force users into buying the maintenance package. If you only make models for yourself, not an issue. Also - SW policy is to make you pay for missing subscription years - I think to a maximum of 3 - if you decide to up your version year less frequently than once a year. It's a bit punitive in my view and I think they'd do better by cutting the sub fee - I think they'd get more people and make more money. But like I say, they are pushing the cloud based version hard and I think ultimately will ditch the perpetual licenses all together. They already tried it but there was a huge backlash, but eventually they'll do it again. Maybe it's actually cheaper to go that route, but I hate all these cloud based applications.

Well, the cloud krap, they claim that it is unhackable, but that is an outrageious lie. The banks, the military, intelligence agencies, --they've all been hackt. Then when the cloud gets hackt they will say "oh sorry, it won't happen again", but in the mean time, someone has YOUR proprietary work or single copy of a work of fiction, bank information or whatever. I was looking for a hard drive yesterday in Costco--none. (Anyone notice that Costco now has very high prices?)

 

[Richard Hed]

I was hoping there would be a couple of guesses and see if someone could win a free drawing, but there isn't very likely to be those guesses, so I'll just come out with it and say I charged him $15 for this one.

That is not a fixed price - it depends on amount of info provided, amount of details, complexity and so on. But - that's pretty cheap, honestly. All models / drawings include one round of redlines to fix misunderstandings. Clerical errors on my part get fixed for free for all time (because they usually get picked up very quickly), but there is not endless design change support if that makes sense.

In the world of industry and manufacturing the CAD cost for that spacer would be SIGNIFICANTLY higher than $15.

Right. That was a pretty simple drawing. I would certainly not pay 100$ for something so basic. But industry might pay a lot more. Then there is the military-industrial-congressional complex which would pay as much as possible simply because they are guaranteed 15% over cost!