Re: Why is layout/schematic software so klunky?

From: Rene Tschaggelar (none_at_none.net)
Date: 02/22/05 

Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2005 23:57:22 +0100

kmaryan@gmail.com wrote:

> This may be a bit OT for this group, but given the audience here, I
> thought I'd get better feedback.
>
> I've recently had the opportunity to review a number of schematic and
> layout packages and have come to the conclusion that everything out
> there sucks. There is very little that is intuitive and many of the
> features are poorly integrated. I'm not compeltely against these
> packages, but I see a lot of room for improvement.
>
> In mechanical cad, a few years ago there was a bit of a revolution when
> SolidWorks, SolidEdge and to a lesser extent Pro/E suddenly came out as
> intuitive, well designed packages and simply blew AutoCAD drafting off
> the map. So why hasn't the same thing happened in the elec eng world
> and do people still put up with all the oddities of OrCAD and the like?
>
> Any thoughts?

Well, I'm moreless happy with Protel. A colleague of my
that was really into Orcad, tried to switch to Protel but
got stuck at one point as he found Protel to be equally
quirky, just at other locations.

There is always a point where the concept of a software
turns to spaghetti. Be that the 4th version or the 10th.
Then comes the compatibility issue of having legacy data and
worse legacy users. The legacy data requires to be readable
with the new version. The legacy user wants the look and
feel to be the same. Both are a drag.

Then, a software company has to roll out new versions quick
to get the money rolling in. Again here is the MS shaddow
of adding new features before fixing bugs.

Compared to a 3D cad, schematic capture and layout is orders
of magnitude more complex. This also restricts new companies
from entering the market. You'd need NN man years from zero
to the first version while the competition isn't idle.
If the team isn't ideal or optimal, the money is gone before
something grabbable is there.

I worked with even more complex software, fluid dynamic
modelling and electromagnetic modelling. The market there
is much smaller, the software packages orders of magnitudes
more expensive and the clunkyness borders to the uselessness.

Rene 

-- 
Ing.Buero R.Tschaggelar - http://www.ibrtses.com
& commercial newsgroups - http://www.talkto.net

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