Topic: Anyone Planning to upgrade to 2009 next Month?

[CottageCGirl]

I'm going to upgrade everyone.

I'm not looking forward to that... I've shown some people the new interface and I've already got a few "Is there an option for the 'old' interface?" and "Can you change the background color - I want it to be black!".

This is going to be a long and tiring road to travel.  I'm not looking forward to all of the whining and complaining.  Oy!

is there a preview somewhere I can look at? what are the main differences other than not being black?

[Josh Nieman]

http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2008/02/learn-more-abou.html

[quamper]

http://autodesk.blogs.com/between_the_lines/2008/02/the-2009-produc.html

[CottageCGirl]

http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2008/02/learn-more-abou.html

the irony of this is that both of these sites are blocked by my network......
I will look when i get home

[quamper]

http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2008/02/learn-more-abou.html

the irony of this is that both of these sites are blocked by my network......
I will look when i get home

Here's the pdf

[CottageCGirl]

http://heidihewett.blogs.com/my_weblog/2008/02/learn-more-abou.html

the irony of this is that both of these sites are blocked by my network......
I will look when i get home

Here's the pdf

thanks soooo much!

[Birdy]

Those of you that are upgrading, what are your compelling reasons for upgrading?

I find it's easier to learn/ implement/ train on new features a "wee" bit each year, rather than a "way" bit every several years.

[rkmcswain]

I find it's easier to learn/ implement/ train on new features a "wee" bit each year, rather than a "way" bit every several years.

Maybe learn and train, but not necessarily implement. We can't do 100+ installs every 12 months.

[whdjr]

We only have 6 users here, but when we get a new version and no training then everybody does it the same way they always have done it.  We don't have much time (read none) for training.  We have to learn while we work (read - do it the way we always do it).

[Krushert]

We only have 6 users here, but when we get a new version and no training then everybody does it the same way they always have done it.  We don't have much time (read none) for training.  We have to learn while we work (read - do it the way we always do it).

Sounds very familiar.  Except now I have 5 users instead of 8.

[Birdy]

I find it's easier to learn/ implement/ train on new features a "wee" bit each year, rather than a "way" bit every several years.

Maybe learn and train, but not necessarily implement. We can't do 100+ installs every 12 months.

Please elaborate on the connection between implementation and installation.

By "implement" I mean: "ok, cool feature, this <insert feature here>.  How will we use it productively?  How will it effect legacy stuff? Does it mean major work to adjust our customizations?" Yeah, I agree, sometimes that can take a chunk of time.

Installs are another thing entirely (in my case).

I've found that the installs are way easier with the deployment wizard.  [If you're talking Civil3D, that may be another story.]
I've also found Matt Stachoni's "AutoCAD Architecture Installation Secrets and Techniques" AU handout to be a real time saver for configuring installation deployments (even though I only deal with 6 seats).
It's adaptable to vanilla AutoCAD, and may be adaptable to Civil3D as well, since they're all the same core product (aren't they?).

I imagine it's even possible to run a login script that will do the install. Automagically.  :kewl:

[pmvliet]

I just want to get to 2006 .........they just don't seem to get the fact, that if you don't upgrade those people that are already behind in skills, only get further and further behind.....

This is a good point, as the yearly release comes out and users are not moving up, this gap will get harder to manage.
I don't know that I would want to be more then 2 releases behind... You will need a bigger amount of training budget and will most likely take a hit in productivity with gigantic upgrade steps. Sometimes its easier to get a little money every year...

Pieter

[pmvliet]

Maybe learn and train, but not necessarily implement. We can't do 100+ installs every 12 months.

I will admit that software installations every year are not easy to implement, but it can be done.
There are large companies out there that are doing it.
You will not be implementing 2009 in March, more like September. Might be lagging 6 months
so that the release is stable with an patches that will come out.

There are several keys to make it successful:
you need dedicated staff that can work on this (ie: priority)
you need to be organized (the person, file structure, network drives, resources)
reuse as much as you can from previous release (There is no reason to make new CTB's or name them different)
Some automation with setting search paths and other resources (profile stuff)
Need support from the company
user training (formal, lunch-n-learns, etc)
Cadd Standards/Manuals updated, distributed and read by the users. Sometime the reading part is the hardest part!

Pieter