Hi, I generally agree with your comments but where I work we have customers who supply us with files in both Protel99SE and Protel DXP formats so as a company we need to be able to support both formats.
To expand, we are a pcb stuffer (ie we fit components to pcbs not ruin pcbs!!!!) and there is a need for our purchasing, SMT and Thru-hole people to have occasional reference to the file itself so that we can confirm a component designation, footprint or location (customer BOMs quite often forget to add a footprint or the silkscreen is missing a designator etc). In these instances, and especially as the staff are not experienced pcb designers, they need access to a `single' viewer that will readily open both formats. I find it strange that Altium release a viewer that only supports DXP but have gone to all the effort when moving from DXP to 2004 to ensure that DXP automatically handles 99SE files without requiring any special input from the user. For me, a viewer supporting the last release version (99SE) would be common-sense!. I can accept ignoring 99 and 98 as we don't see any of these at all. Best Regards (Mr) Laurie Biddulph Elby Designs ABN: 70 022 727 605 http://www.elby-designs.com This e-mail and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended for the addressee only. If you are not the addressee you may not copy, forward, disclose or otherwise use it, or any part of it, in any form whatsoever. If you have received this e-mail in error please notify the sender and ensure that all copies of this e-mail and any files transmitted with it are deleted. Any views or opinions represented in this e-mail are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Elby Designs. Although this e-mail and its attachments have been scanned for the presence of computer viruses, Elby Designs will not be liable for any losses as a result of any viruses being passed on. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Tony Karavidas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Protel EDA Discussion List'" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 5:08 AM Subject: RE: [PEDA] RE: Altium Designer Viewer - Licensing and/orAltiumDesigner 200 4 > The off topic police must have been eating donuts when this one slipped by. > > Well, to bring it back on topic, it's funny you say that you have hundreds > of older Protel files and you still need a solution for viewing these files > by your manufacturing people. What have you been doing up until now? > > Altium can't exist on making more functionality on old, obsolete products. > The do import most all of their old formats because we demand it and they > still export to one or more older versions. > I think Altium wants you to upgrade to AD/DXP to get the viewer > functionality (among other new features). > > 73, > Tony > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of Brooks,Bill > Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 2:24 PM > To: 'Derek Jackson' > Cc: '[email protected]' > Subject: [PEDA] RE: Altium Designer Viewer - Licensing and/or AltiumDesigner > 200 4 > > I picked up a multi-band radio from ICOM and have used it for the last > year... It hits the local repeaters and also gets reception in the AM > broadcast stations and Aircraft bands... it's a hand held portable, The > IC-T90A 5 watts in high power mode... doubles as a scanner too. Pretty > useful for staying in touch while traveling... My truck has a Datron radio > in it that I sue for VHF repeater communications too. I plan to take the > General license this October.. I have the Tech license right now. > > > http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/dualhand.asp > <http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/dualhand.asp> > > http://www.hamradio.com/ <http://www.hamradio.com/> > > > > Bill Brooks - KG6VVP > PCB Design Engineer, C.I.D.+, C.I.I. > Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 Datron World Communications, > Inc. > _______________________________________ > San Diego Chapter of the IPC Designers Council Communications Officer, Web > Manager <http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/> > http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/ > <http://pcbwizards.com> http://pcbwizards.com -----Original Message----- > From: Derek Jackson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 9:54 AM > To: 'Brooks,Bill' > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: RE: Altium Designer Viewer - Licensing and/or Altium Designer 2004 > > Dear Bill, > > I will pursue the viewer issue. I will keep you posted on how things > progress. Thank you for the additional information on IPC and web site. > Unfortunately, I invested in a 3MHz-30MHz radio, and the Technician license > will only grant access to the higher band widths which means I will have to > invest in another radio, perhaps a 2 meter or dual band. > > Sincerely, > > Derek Jackson > Technical Consultant > _____ > > Altium - Making Electronics Design Easier San Diego Sales & Support > > -----Original Message----- > From: Brooks,Bill [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 9:01 AM > To: 'Derek Jackson' > Cc: '[email protected]' > Subject: RE: Altium Designer Viewer - Licensing and/or Altium Designer 2004 > > Hi Derek, > > That's a disappointing turn of events... Please pass along my request for an > improvement to the Protel viewer to support the older versions of the > program. We have many hundreds of older files and I don't want to have to > spend unnecessary labor on them to convert them to something that the > manufacturing folks can view... it should be viewable without changing the > files. > > We have a local IPC Designers Council chapter meeting coming up on the 20th > over at Kyocera Wireless in San Diego... There is some info about the event > on the website events page... > http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/200507sean.htm > <http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/200507sean.htm> > > I got my Ham ticket last October... there are some great resources for study > available online Rod's website is a plethora of information and help... > > http://www.ac6v.com/ <http://www.ac6v.com/> > > Let me know if there is anything I can help with... > > Best regards, > > Bill Brooks - KG6VVP > PCB Design Engineer, C.I.D.+, C.I.I. > Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 Datron World Communications, > Inc. > _______________________________________ > San Diego Chapter of the IPC Designers Council Communications Officer, Web > Manager <http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/> > http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/ > <http://pcbwizards.com> http://pcbwizards.com -----Original Message----- > From: Derek Jackson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Friday, July 15, 2005 7:54 AM > To: 'Brooks,Bill' > Cc: 'Craft,Jim' > Subject: RE: Altium Designer Viewer - Licensing and/or Altium Designer 2004 > > Dear Bill and Jim, > > Thank you for contacting Altium Support. > > Unfortunately, the developers decided not to include the translation > capability in the Altium Designer Viewer. Do you still have your older > Protel 99SE software? I see a number of Protel 99SE licenses that are > registered to your company. You should be able to view the files and/or > output them to DXF so that they can be viewed by a DXF viewer such as > AutoCAD. > > In addition, I noticed that you have an Altium Protel 2004 license. With > Service Pack 3 of Altium Designer, there is a Smart PDF output that allows > you to output your design in a PDF format with links to nets and components. > If you have access to Altium Designer, you could open your 99SE files and > select 'File >> Smart PDF'. This way, you will have a viewable PDF file > that is readable by a PDF reader, such as Adobe Acrobat. In addition, you > could save the imported file to the 2004 version which is viewable by the > Altium Designer Viewer. > > An aside note, thank you for the link to the local IPC chapter. I had been > interested in finding out more information about a local chapter, as I am > new to the San Diego area. Another aside note, I am very new to the HAM > radio, and I noticed that you posted your call sign. I have just started > reviewing the Tech No Code test requirements and am interested in finding > out about a local HAM radio chapter if you have any suggestions. > > > Sincerely, > > Derek Jackson > Technical Consultant > _____ > > Altium - Making Electronics Design Easier San Diego Sales & Support > > -----Original Message----- > From: Brooks,Bill [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 8:54 AM > To: Craft,Jim; 'Derek Jackson' > Subject: RE: [Retrieved]Altium Designer Viewer download. > > Good morning Derek (and Jim)... > > I am surprised that Altium would make a viewer utility that only views files > created with the latest version of their software... and not the previous > versions... Folks who are users of Protel have been asking for a viewer for > their files since way back in version 98... maybe even before that... Now > when Protel finally advertises a viewer for their files they STILL have not > met the needs of their customers who have so much legacy with them and their > products? Not to mention the other folks at the companies that need to have > a viewer for the assembly, test, manufacturing folks to be able to see the > board design without changing it... > Am I misinformed? Is this really what has happened? > Our files go back for years... Protel files from 1995 are in our archives > and need viewing... are you saying there is no solution? > > Very confused and disappointed. > > Bill Brooks - KG6VVP > PCB Design Engineer, C.I.D.+, C.I.I. > Tel: (760)597-1500 Ext 3772 Fax: (760)597-1510 Datron World Communications, > Inc. > _______________________________________ > San Diego Chapter of the IPC Designers Council Communications Officer, Web > Manager <http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/> > http://dcchapters.ipc.org/SanDiego/ > <http://pcbwizards.com> http://pcbwizards.com -----Original Message----- > From: Craft,Jim > Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 8:37 AM > To: 'Derek Jackson' > Cc: Brooks,Bill > Subject: RE: [Retrieved]Altium Designer Viewer download. > > Good Morning, > We have hundreds of such files. > > Jim Craft > Configuration Manager/Systems Technician Datron World Communications 3030 > Enterprise Ct. > Vista, California, USA > 92081 > Tel.: +1-760-597-3773 > Fax : +1-760-597-3777 > -----Original Message----- > From: Derek Jackson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 8:16 AM > To: 'Craft,Jim' > Subject: RE: [Retrieved]Altium Designer Viewer download. > > Dear Jim, > > Unfortunately, the viewer does not have any translation capability. It > sounds like you have the old Protel 98/99 format files. How many files do > you have that need to be viewed? > > > Sincerely, > > Derek Jackson > Technical Consultant > _____ > > Altium - Making Electronics Design Easier San Diego Sales & Support > > -----Original Message----- > From: Craft,Jim [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Tuesday, 12 July 2005 6:22 AM > To: 'Derek Jackson' > Subject: RE: [Retrieved]Altium Designer Viewer download. > > Derek, > Thanks for your help with the install. I have been able to install the > product and activate the license (stand-alone mode).Unfortunately, the > product (or its operator :-)), is not opening files, much less viewing them. > Any attempt to open a file (I have tried both Protel-authored .sch and .pcb > files) using the File...Open command, has no discernable affect. > I had hoped that this product could be used to view our existing library of > Protel files, but I am so far unable to do so. > All of the files which I have attempted to open with DXP open correctly in > my Protel Client 99 application. > Any suggestions? > > Jim Craft > Configuration Manager/Systems Technician Datron World Communications 3030 > Enterprise Ct. > Vista, California, USA > 92081 > Tel.: +1-760-597-3773 > Fax : +1-760-597-3777 > -----Original Message----- > From: Derek Jackson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Monday, July 11, 2005 5:43 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [Retrieved]Altium Designer Viewer download. > > Dear Jim, > > Thank you for contacting Altium Support. > > The file that you downloaded was only the patch for the SP3 Viewer. To > download the Main Viewer Files, visit > http://www.altium.com/Forms/designer/viewer.aspx > <http://www.altium.com/Forms/designer/viewer.aspx> and fill out requested > fields of the form. The next page will allow you to download the main > viewer installation. The downloaded viewer in version 2004 with SP4, and > there is no need to install the SP4 patch. > > > Sincerely, > > Derek Jackson > Technical Consultant > _____ > > San Diego Sales & Support > > Altium - Making Electronics Design Easier 17140 Bernardo Center Road, Suite > 100 San Diego, CA 92128 > Telephone: +1 858 485 4600 > Facsimile: +1 858 485 4610 > <http://www.altium.com> www.altium.com > _____ > > This email message, including any attached files, is confidential and > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it has been > addressed. Altium prohibits the right to publish, copy, distribute or > disclose any information contained in this email, or its attachments, by any > party other than the intended recipient. If you have received this email in > error please notify the sender and delete it from your system. > _____ > > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > You are subscribed to the PEDA discussion forum > > To Post messages: > mailto:[email protected] > > Unsubscribe and Other Options: > http://techservinc.com/mailman/listinfo/peda_techservinc.com > > Browse or Search Old Archives (2001-2004): > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > Browse or Search Current Archives (2004-Current): > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > > > > > > ____________________________________________________________ > You are subscribed to the PEDA discussion forum > > To Post messages: > mailto:[email protected] > > Unsubscribe and Other Options: > http://techservinc.com/mailman/listinfo/peda_techservinc.com > > Browse or Search Old Archives (2001-2004): > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > > Browse or Search Current Archives (2004-Current): > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] > ____________________________________________________________ You are subscribed to the PEDA discussion forum To Post messages: mailto:[email protected] Unsubscribe and Other Options: http://techservinc.com/mailman/listinfo/peda_techservinc.com Browse or Search Old Archives (2001-2004): http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] Browse or Search Current Archives (2004-Current): http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]
