Mech Desktop discontinued???

[Skunkwerkes]

I've heard rumors that Mech Desktop will be discontinued within 2 years, (losing too much ground to other programs). Can anyone verify this for me?
Thanks for your time,
Shaun Martin

 

Where did you hear that rumor? Follow the link for what AutoDesk has to say...

http://www.ccsc-online.com/mcad/inventor/Inv_SW_Record.pdf

 

Bugger. Just when you find a really nice program such as MDT which suits a wide variety of 'sectors' and sizes of company/amount of use - they go and possibly friggin start merging into "spent too much money developing, so lets flog it to death" Inventor. All this ease of use for ex-autocad users is bull in my opinion. I have used 2d Acad for years and couldnt just 'jump on board' as yet. But maybe thats just me being dumb..........
MDT has all the benifits and awesome 2d power of Autocad linked to hybrid surface and solid modeling and is used by others than 'Product Design' to which Inventor seems aimed at. Companies who dont always want to draw *everything* in 3d are going to be fairly stuck arent they? - MDT can do it all - draw up bits you want in either 3d or 2d when req'd and link to almost all other 2D/3d midrange cad as easily as ACAD2000 and to all those not even advanced past the most basic of CAD packages. Sure, Inventor may do 2d aswell as 3d, but its no comparison to the vast power of AutoCad upon fist impressions.
By all means adapt it and improve MDT but if they wanna merge(replace)it together with Inventor then fool them. If anything, some of the Inventor engine/sheet metal etc wants integrating with mechanical dektop, not the otherway round - so thousands of us arent left high and dry with something that may not be suited to us anymore. This joint venture, if it is going ahead in the future, could be ok if they keep elements of both softwares and make Inventor more like MDT and MDT closer to Inventor.
Perhaps Im too much of a cynic, but Im going to have to learn Inventor by the sounds of it. Basic fundamentals of drawing found in even AcadLT dont seem to be there in Inventor on my initial excursion and its a shame folk get caught up in the whoohar of it all being new etc and are quick to forget the power of MDT. Hybrid Surfacing, history based solids,parametrics, 2d and 3d at the same time in the same window and file type! - Perhaps Think3 needs a good looking at in future....

A yet un-enlightened, possible future Inventor user Newbie person...

Thats my nightly rant over with .......

Stick in the Mud.

 

Well now, it seems autodesk are worried about thier sales of Inventor, they must not be as revolutionary as expected yet. Good news is that MechanicalDesktop etc is still being continued for the forseable future, only not as a stand alone release. Now if you buy Inventor, you get MDT,Mechanical,and Acad2002 aswell!!!!. This is most excellent news and benifits Autodesk and users alike. My panic's over!!.
This is a excellent way to channel off the different situations and needs of different sofwtare capabilities to the right companies. Hats off to them for dreaming this one up. Full benifit of Autocad for existing data and the option of inventor and future technology as and when its right for your company.
Hopefully as Inventor progresses, it will cover all the features that MechanicalDesktop and Acad beat it with - or Mechanical desktop will evolve and progress to encorporate Inventor stuff better. But for now, it seems you cant loose with this option and boy am I glad. This is the best result I could ever have imagined.
Oh, by the way, I am in no way associated with Autodesk - I just love Autocad and Mechanical Desktop and now I feel I could take a look at inventor at a speed thats suitable. Next thing is to persuade my employers to switch to Autodesk. Four cad packages for the price of one!. Simply Amazing.