Solidworks 2016 bug ridden piece of crap? Or is it just me!

Hi All:
Are any of you having the same bad experience with Solidworks 2016 that I am.
It seems to be regularly flaking out; failing to recognize entities it recognized two mouse clicks ago, refusing to allow feature builds (really simple ones like extrusions or cuts) that it allowed two clicks ago, sometimes trashing relationships when going between configurations etc etc.

I'm finding it much worse than 2015 was for creating the kinds of time wasting trouble I last experienced with 2001 Plus, way back when.
Remember that bug ridden piece of shyte??

This release seems to be operating pretty much the same...inconsistent, random errors that have no obvious cause and happen even with dirt simple operations.
So aside from the truly puke-worthy new interface.....

Keith tells me it's all in my imagination, but he's cursing a fair bit more too when he's modeling in SW2016.
I'm thinking some of it may be graphics related; maybe I need to update the graphics driver or something, but SW 2015 runs fine; barely a hiccup ever.

All opinions will be welcome.
Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
Clarus Microtech

Interesting. I've been using 2016 for a while now and I haven't noticed it behaving any differently than the previous versions.

Also, with the interface, why DO all these companies think they have to keep changing all the f@%#ing icons? It doesn't take long to adjust to, but constantly re-learning where all your buttons went and what they look like now is annoying as hell.

I have not had any issues.

Beat on Tech Support... that's what you pay for.

And I also think the icon changes were silly.

Aside - I think there's somebody somewhere in marketing at all software firms who thinks they *have* to make it "look different" so they can sell it as "fresh", or "new" I actually heard such bullshit at MSFT when I worked there. It's like they're selling cars and want to add tailfins so this year's model looks different from last years's model. Really, I think that's the motivation.

And *all* of them live in terrible fear (and real hazard from) maturity of product - what if SW 2016 SP4 proves to be "as good as you can get for real humans development of cad is now over" - they're out of business by 2018....

I run it on a laptop, and I had to download a new graphics driver. It seemed to cure all the odd issues. Even those that didn't seem graphics related. I just clicked on "update driver" in "control panel" for the graphics "card".

I'm not sure about 2016, but when I upgraded to 2015 I had issues also. Can't remember now, but I think it was with sheetmetal stuff. We're not doing anything 'crazy' either. Just part files, fixing some geometry with surfacing, etc. Hardly ever work with assemblies these days.

I'll probably wait until SP1 or maybe SP2 comes out before I install 2016. Not sure how long I can get away with 2015. Guess that depends on the files I get from customers.

Not particularly happy with how seemingly unstable 2015 has been for me either. I was on 2013 for 2.5 years before we went back on maintenance. I had less crashes in that time, than running 2015.. kinda disappointing when you get used to not worrying about saving the file until you're done with it. Guess I was spoiled with 2013. Make it a point now to save every few minutes... (especially with Surfcam, fucking joke how crashcrazy backplotting is in SP2)

Some of the newer features are really nice, but it almost seems as it comes at a price. (unstability) At least in my experience.

I upgraded from 2013 this year. The interface is awful but I haven't n noticed any special problems.

FeatureBoy said:

Also, with the interface, why DO all these companies think they have to keep changing all the f@%#ing icons?

Click to expand...

Probably because they didn't add in very many new features so they have to make it "look" like a new product to trick people into paying maintenance fees.

implmex said:

Hi All:
Are any of you having the same bad experience with Solidworks 2016 that I am.
It seems to be regularly flaking out; failing to recognize entities it recognized two mouse clicks ago, refusing to allow feature builds (really simple ones like extrusions or cuts) that it allowed two clicks ago, sometimes trashing relationships when going between configurations etc etc.

I'm finding it much worse than 2015 was for creating the kinds of time wasting trouble I last experienced with 2001 Plus, way back when.
Remember that bug ridden piece of shyte??

This release seems to be operating pretty much the same...inconsistent, random errors that have no obvious cause and happen even with dirt simple operations.
So aside from the truly puke-worthy new interface.....

Keith tells me it's all in my imagination, but he's cursing a fair bit more too when he's modeling in SW2016.
I'm thinking some of it may be graphics related; maybe I need to update the graphics driver or something, but SW 2015 runs fine; barely a hiccup ever.

All opinions will be welcome.
Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
Clarus Microtech

Click to expand...

Marcus,

I am using 2015 and having issues also. Features that worked in the past no longer work today. I was thinking about moving to 2016 but after reading this I am not sure.

Tim

I upgraded and it wouldn't even run on my laptop that was running 2010 just fine. I built a new computer and it works just fine once I tricked solidworks into using my Geforce GTX 970 card.

If you're having issues like that I bet it's your graphics card. Solidworks will not certify GTX cards. Only Quadro cards. The graphics suck big time if you don't have a certified card.

My office is having no trouble with 2015 but the machine shop, with different computers and cards, has been having what look like graphics related issues. Marcus I assume you did the Update Graphics Card thing?

I watched the what's new in 2016 videos and was somewhat inspired to upgrade though now I can't remember why. You guys aren't filling me with confidence.

We're still using 2014 even though we have a subscription, because the shop computers aren't 64bit. We'll be upgrading this year though once we replace those.

What features/operations are going haywire?

If you have updated everything (Windows, drivers, SW) and still have problems give us the specifics of your setup. Even if one of us can't help, it would be useful information.

Rewt said:

We're still using 2014 even though we have a subscription, because the shop computers aren't 64bit. We'll be upgrading this year though once we replace those.

What features/operations are going haywire?

Click to expand...

Bill of materials is messed up on my System. My var has looked at it twice and cannot figure it out. There is a large pile of scrap courtesy of this problem with a cut list.

Although I swore I wasn't going to upgrade to 2016 or Win 10 anytime soon, it is done. SW2016 has been okay so far...we are using EPDM BOMs...(running Win 7 and 10, x64 with Quadro cards)

The only problems I've seen is opening [larger] 2014 assemblies (maybe 150 parts) and getting them saved as a 2016...like walking on glass until they're updated...then everything seems to work fine.

Hi again All:
I'm running a Dell T7400 Precision workstation with a Nvidia Quadro FX 5600 graphics card that's supposed to be certified for Solidworks 2015, running the driver recommended by Solidworks for that card
I have 48 GB of RAM running Windows 7 Professional on 2 Intel Xeon processors 3.2 GHz.

When I tried to update the driver for SW 2016, the option to change to a 2016 optimized driver does not exist on the SW website, so I guess SW is moving away from Win 7 and forcing everyone onto Win 10, which can be the subject of a whole new rant if you wish.

I have to say I find this whole updating thing all the time to be a tremendous time and money suck, for no real gain that I can see.
I was running SW 2003, and Master Scam 8.0 for eons, and there was nothing I couldn't make with it pretty much as efficiently as I can with the latest bells and whistles.
SW2016 is just painful for me to learn; there's so much that's been taken away or moved or made to work differently from 2015 and I cannot find a good reason why.
That and the flaky graphics has sucked so much time out of my life I feel like sending the SW boys a bill.

I get models that disappear from the screen...totally randomly.
I get commands that refuse to recognize entities like sketch entities, or surfaces, or I want to select an edge and it won't highlight the one I want to select but will highlight some other ones.
Screen redraws don't help, reboots don't help and then suddenly it all works again.

Sounds like graphics card issues to me or driver issues, but SW 2015 has none of these problems running on the same machine.

The latest joy today was an episode where I could no longer run the "Select Other" command; no way, no how.
Now it seems to work again, but I lost a good hour farting about trying to make it work, on a ten second modeling task.

I'm not thrilled with the upgrade...or should I say sideways grade

So that's it...my experience with "upgrades".

Cheers

Marcus
Implant Mechanix
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining
Clarus Microtech

bryan_machine said:

Aside - I think there's somebody somewhere in marketing at all software firms who thinks they *have* to make it "look different" so they can sell it as "fresh", or "new" I actually heard such bullshit at MSFT when I worked there. It's like they're selling cars and want to add tailfins so this year's model looks different from last years's model. Really, I think that's the motivation.

And *all* of them live in terrible fear (and real hazard from) maturity of product - what if SW 2016 SP4 proves to be "as good as you can get for real humans development of cad is now over" - they're out of business by 2018....

Click to expand...

yeah, but I can't run fast enough when I try a piece of software and it's interface is from 1995.. so you gotta strike a balance someplace.

rlockwood said:

yeah, but I can't run fast enough when I try a piece of software and it's interface is from 1995.. so you gotta strike a balance someplace.

Click to expand...

I just got a demo of Esprit and that's what I was thinking the whole.damn.time.

This much money and they can't go in Fiver and have their icons gussied up a bit from 1988?

Nvidia started a long time ago to sell graphics cards specifically make for high end cad/cam/video etc. The cards actually use the same chips as the gaming cards, but cost much more. The justification for the extra cost is the expense of the teams of folks that work the software vendors to produce optimized drivers. In days past, this was a necessity to get the best performance. But since computers and graphics processors keep getting faster and our ability to perceive resolution and motion does not, it is far less necessary today than in the past. I suspect that because Nvidia faces financial challenges, the driver teams are now pretty much decimated. So when Windows changes, they are forced to focus on the latest platform. If the problems continue, I would try a conventional gaming card in your system with the latest driver suite. Or if you have an alternate machine available without the Quadro cards, you could try it.

implmex said:

I get models that disappear from the screen...totally randomly.
I get commands that refuse to recognize entities like sketch entities, or surfaces, or I want to select an edge and it won't highlight the one I want to select but will highlight some other ones.
Screen redraws don't help, reboots don't help and then suddenly it all works again.

Sounds like graphics card issues to me or driver issues, but SW 2015 has none of these problems running on the same machine.

The latest joy today was an episode where I could no longer run the "Select Other" command; no way, no how.
Now it seems to work again, but I lost a good hour farting about trying to make it work, on a ten second modeling task.

I'm not thrilled with the upgrade...or should I say sideways grade

Click to expand...

Hello Marcus,

Well... all I can say is that I am glad to see that I am not the only one... The above is exactly what I have been fighting. I have no answers, save to say that you are not alone. Others share your frustrations. I am running 2015 SP5 with updated drivers. For what it is worth, I have a few acquaintances that are CAD managers/IT guys that service large corporations. They will not use anything but SP5 of a major SW release for the simple fact that they typically only fix all the bugs by then, and the net move is a new, major version.