Is anyone else getting annoyed with the lack of an update that brings NEW features? I understand that they may have a small team of developers but to me it's unacceptable with how long it's been since a NEW feature update was release. I really feel like I wasted my money on this software because free programs like Slic3r have some basic features that myself and other people have been requesting for some time.
I'm a developer myself and I completely understand that sometimes staff can be short or you run into major problems but you ALWAYS let your customers know you're having issues and keep them updated. I have yet to see one update of a reason why it's taking so long. It's a rudimentary way to handle business.
Re: When will there be an update??
And how long has it been since the last update?I have yet to see one update of a reason why it's taking so long.
A year? Two years? I think its only been just over three months.And on the subject of there being no feedback...we were asked for our opinions and ideas on improving feedback.....but apathy ruled!!!:
viewtopic.php?f=23&t=5909
Doug Kightley
Volunteer at the National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk
Railway modeller and webmaster at http://www.talkingtgauge.net
Volunteer at the National Tramway Museum http://www.tramway.co.uk
Railway modeller and webmaster at http://www.talkingtgauge.net
Re: When will there be an update??
Thanks for the reply but that update to 3.1.0 bought very few added features. It was back end stuff, for lack of a better word. A company that offers a paid software should not rely of a forum as a use of communication. Yes you can post stuff there but not everyone that bought the software is going to check a forum. Forums are good for problems, feature request, and finding better ways to make use of your 3D printer with this software. That's what they setup here and that's okay but don't expect users to go there looking for information on the current product state.
Important information pertaining to what's next and the time line need to sent to the emails of those who purchased the software. I'm not sure what model the team at Simplify3D uses but where I work, we use agile. I don't quite like it but it keeps us on track, especially weekly scrum meetings. We're able to meet our deadlines and provide the customer with what they want. We provide deadline to when such project or update will be complete. Yes, sometimes you can't meet the deadline but you let the customer know that.
I don't want to rip apart Simplify3D, they've taken the software of 3D printing and added a modern face to it in the form of beautiful UI, ease of use and speed when it comes to slicing. But unlike a year ago, when the offered feature surpassed that of the free programs, to now when its fallen behind, status updates are needed, not on a forum but through our personal emails.
Important information pertaining to what's next and the time line need to sent to the emails of those who purchased the software. I'm not sure what model the team at Simplify3D uses but where I work, we use agile. I don't quite like it but it keeps us on track, especially weekly scrum meetings. We're able to meet our deadlines and provide the customer with what they want. We provide deadline to when such project or update will be complete. Yes, sometimes you can't meet the deadline but you let the customer know that.
I don't want to rip apart Simplify3D, they've taken the software of 3D printing and added a modern face to it in the form of beautiful UI, ease of use and speed when it comes to slicing. But unlike a year ago, when the offered feature surpassed that of the free programs, to now when its fallen behind, status updates are needed, not on a forum but through our personal emails.
Re: When will there be an update??
I think its unreasonable for the developers to email every person who purchased the software and ask for ideas. Do you have any idea how man emails that would be. The forum is the perfect place for this especially with the name Feature Requests. Did you post any requests of what you would like to see?
Re: When will there be an update??
@nsarzyns
I agree, and the last update was more about adding more printers to the list than adding new features.
I agree, and the last update was more about adding more printers to the list than adding new features.
/Michael, Denmark
Re: When will there be an update??
Heutinck wrote:I think its unreasonable for the developers to email every person who purchased the software and ask for ideas. Do you have any idea how man emails that would be. The forum is the perfect place for this especially with the name Feature Requests. Did you post any requests of what you would like to see?
This was probably me not being clear, but for the emails, I meant something like Simplify3D could email all purchasers a monthly newsletter with product updates, upcoming information, possibly an update timeline, and any news that is interesting to the 3D printing community. At the very least though, product updates and a timeline. Doing a monthly email like this is very easily implemented. The feature request can and should be a forum only topic. That will be very overwhelming if it was completed by email.
Doing this will remove the constant "Is this software dead," "When's the next update" type of questions on the forum.
Re: When will there be an update??
So what is the alternatives?
Maybe that will put presure on the team...
Maybe that will put presure on the team...
Re: When will there be an update??
Alternatives to what?scalci wrote:So what is the alternatives?
Maybe that will put presure on the team...
Re: When will there be an update??
@nsarzyns: I agree 100% with you, I think there are many easy ways to keep users in the loop. As you say, agile methodologies, which are being more and more adopted in all software development teams, were developed to address topics like this one.
Keeping the customer in the development loop, getting feedback, delivering frequently and making sure that the product is what the customer expects are very important agile goals. But sometimes I have the feeling that in some teams, instead of the customer, the focus goes onto 'somebody' that represents the customer. Sadly enough, representing the customer seems to be not so easy, this 'somebody' gets decoupled from the real customer, and the team gets lost pursuing the things that this 'somebody' thinks are important.
I don't know if this is what is happening to the S3D team, maybe they are preparing in secret the next greatest ultra revolutionary 3D printing software, but it is true that such a disconnection and apathy towards customers doesn't look good.
Let's just hope that I was right, and they are preparing an amazing revamped S3D version which needed more than a year to develop!
Keeping the customer in the development loop, getting feedback, delivering frequently and making sure that the product is what the customer expects are very important agile goals. But sometimes I have the feeling that in some teams, instead of the customer, the focus goes onto 'somebody' that represents the customer. Sadly enough, representing the customer seems to be not so easy, this 'somebody' gets decoupled from the real customer, and the team gets lost pursuing the things that this 'somebody' thinks are important.
I don't know if this is what is happening to the S3D team, maybe they are preparing in secret the next greatest ultra revolutionary 3D printing software, but it is true that such a disconnection and apathy towards customers doesn't look good.
Let's just hope that I was right, and they are preparing an amazing revamped S3D version which needed more than a year to develop!
Re: When will there be an update??
Thanks for your response!
I completely agree with you as well about how 'somebody' on the team or sometimes an external group is the representation of the customer. Where I'm at now, we used to have this. It wasn't one person but a group of 3 that was our internal customer that at points, called shots over the real paying customer. Luckily though, this did change and that team no longer exist.
I would like to think also that they're working on something secretive but I have some very high doubts. I was hoping someone from the team would post something here but hasn't seemed to happened making me think and feel even more that this software is on its way out.
I've already had to go back to one of my very first slicer, Slic3r, because it has updated features and that one is FREE.
I hope in the very near future S3D will wake up and realize this though.
I completely agree with you as well about how 'somebody' on the team or sometimes an external group is the representation of the customer. Where I'm at now, we used to have this. It wasn't one person but a group of 3 that was our internal customer that at points, called shots over the real paying customer. Luckily though, this did change and that team no longer exist.
I would like to think also that they're working on something secretive but I have some very high doubts. I was hoping someone from the team would post something here but hasn't seemed to happened making me think and feel even more that this software is on its way out.
I've already had to go back to one of my very first slicer, Slic3r, because it has updated features and that one is FREE.
I hope in the very near future S3D will wake up and realize this though.
