[lapuser]

I have been a vx user since V9. They have made great improvements since then but still have long standing problems especially if you intend to do MCAD work. Sheet metal is a vestige of a real sheet metal program and basically useless. This is after years of complaints in this area so evidently they don't care. The whole program on the cad side is geared towards mold and die just as they used to label their product and it is the small niche they are most capable in. Once you step outside this area this area you can still do many things but it is harder than it should be or as in sheet metal just downright impossible.

Cam has big problems and you still have tool paths that will break endmills and scrap parts until you learn where the gotchas are. After 7 years VX still can't post code to your mill and you will have to buy a third party ap to do this. Ditto for editing code because the included post editor does not work again after all these years. They refuse to do anything for lathe so if you ever intend to have a cnc lathe be prepared to have to buy another program to do this.

VX now ZW is a cumbersome program to learn and you will have to be prepared to spend a lot of time to be proficient.

One of the touted big deals with ZW 2011 is direct editing. I have been a user of Solid Edge since the first version of direct editing came out. I have looked at the beta of ZW2011 and all I can say is after over TWO years between releases if this is their idea of robust direct editing they have a major problem as it is crude and pretty well useless in many cases. Of course it could be better than I think but they have no documentation or training for the beta so you are on your own to figure it out.

If they renew me for free I will give 2011 a serious look. I will not however spend one red cent again and if they insist I send them a check for 2011 I am gone. Just to many problems not fixed for to many years and to many serious shortfalls for me to recommend this program to anyone as there are better alternatives for the $7,000.00 you will spend to get cam and cad.

It is good for mold and die shapes as it is a great complex shape modeler, it's only really stong suit but the rest will leave you hanging.

[MxM]

I have been using VX for over 2 years and succeed. Mostly CAM side cause for CAD i have Solidworks.

I have small cnc milling company in Poland and VX package manage really well. I can do a lot in the same time as in other CAM programs but 3 times cheaper. At the beginning it was hard to became familiar with the interface but after 2 years it finally looks nice. The only think worries me is that no lathe module so for the future i need to buy one more program.

Company obróbka skrawaniem.

Best regards,
Maciej

[cncmm]

I have been using VX for over 2 years and succeed. Mostly CAM side cause for CAD i have Solidworks.

I have small cnc milling company in Poland and VX package manage really well. I can do a lot in the same time as in other CAM programs but 3 times cheaper. At the beginning it was hard to became familiar with the interface but after 2 years it finally looks nice. The only think worries me is that no lathe module so for the future i need to buy one more program.

Company obróbka skrawaniem.

Best regards,
Maciej

I'd wait before I bought another program for lathe........I'm pretty sure we'll see that in the next major release