Arcworks Software

Date 03-11-2005 13:07

KeithCWI,

I have been using Arcworks for the past 5 - 6 years and it is a decent program but I updated my computer to windows XP and the Arcworks system is non compatible so I had to buy a new software and I don't thik there is anyone supporting the software anymore. I went with
Computer Engineerings - Advanced welding system just a few weeks
ago, there are a couple of things that I would like to be able to do with
with this software like write WPS, WPQR etc. to different codes ( D1.3 and D1.2) but it is preset to use D1.1 only. The code checking feature
is nice and makes it simple to use, it was reasonable as far as the cost
and they do have excellent support.

Brett B.

By fbrieden (***)

Date 03-16-2005 18:41

Arcworks functions properly with XP for me.

By raulvidal (*)

Date 03-11-2005 16:46

Hey,
our company is planning on buying WeldOffice® 2005
Industry Standard Welding Software
for Windows 95/98/2000//NT/XP

you can visit them at www.cspec.com

They haven't returned the requested quotation but I beleive that they are expensive. I think they have some demo.

Raul

By chall

Date 03-11-2005 16:56

From what I understand Lincoln is not selling any more copies of Arc Works. We have a Section IX and D1.5 and they do still support them.

My recommendation is to look into the alternatives. I love Lincoln Electric but can't stand Arc Works.

Charles

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 03-11-2005 19:18

I had an old copy of that and it was OK, seen better, but I could not get any updates after somewhere about 1998 or so. I called and found out that they had quit publishing it for some reason. I didn't like the cheezy looking joint config details it would draw, so I would cut and paste my own ACAD drawings of the details in my documents.
John Wright

By chall

Date 03-11-2005 19:51

In an absoulte rage due to losing a bunch of files because of some program bug, I sent a blistering email to the Lincoln customer feedback email address. I did get a return call from the Arc Works program director, who is a nice guy.

Without beating a dead horse, Arc Works is clumbsy and has a good number of gremlins that pop up in no apparant order, just in time to ruin hard work at the last minute.

I wish I chose some other option.

Charles

By CHGuilford (****)

Date 03-14-2005 17:35

chall and I work for the same company and I agree with his opinion. Arcworks is not as user friendly as one might expect. I use the D1.1/D1.5 version and have found the program lacking in several areas.

Some complaints:
You can't transmit a WPS via email attachment, you have to manually scan or fax it.
When our MIS Dept switched out my computer, we discovered you could not back up the files or transfer them to another drive. Many WPSs lost because of that.
The forms cannot be altered to make the data fields fit the entered information, you have to get creative with abbreviations.
And there are other "anomalies" that make life interesting.

The Weldcad portion is a plus, easy to use, and I think the strong point of Arcworks.
I did contact Lincoln about problems one time and the technician was very helpful. He mailed me a CD containing patches for the program that did offer some improvement.

My suggestion to others is to go with another option, especially if Lincoln will no longer be supporting Arcworks. (If they do continue the support then I hope some changes are made).

Frankly, I have considered making an Excel spreadsheet and importing Autocad LT drawings for the joint details. It would be about the same amount of effort.

Chet Guilford

By billvanderhoof (****)

Date 03-15-2005 09:24

Why not just install the drive with the data in the new machine?
Bill

By CHGuilford (****)

Date 03-16-2005 17:20

Bill, they (our MIS) probably could have done that. At the time the person swapping out my machine was confident that he could transfer the files to another drive on the server and then bring them to the new machine. But...didn't work. It did work for everything else, just not for Arcworks. I am not savvy enough on that to tell you why, just the bottom line is that previously written WPS's and PQRs are gone (I do have hard copies of the important ones.) Based on that and other experiences, I don't recommend the current version of Arcworks other than for the weldcad.

John, I used to use Microsoft Works and make my joint details with Draw, or Paintbrush. Worked pretty well but was tedious. That was my thought, to use Word or Excel for a basic form and import an ACAD drawing to it for the joint details. It is possible to link that to a PQR spreadsheet so that by referencing the appropriate PQR spreadsheet essential variables would be established automatically. That wouldn't be needed for D1.1 WPS's but would be handy for D1.5.
However, I don't write out that many WPS over the course of a year so have not had the push to do it yet.

Chet

By jwright650 (*****)

Date 03-15-2005 11:51

Hi Chet,
For WPSs and such, I'm presently using Omniform and pasting an ACAD drawing into the document for the joint details. But, to make this file more email freindly, I need to move on over to an Excel sheet and paste in my ACAD drawings. I've already made this move with my UT forms and slowly moving other forms over as well. Word and Excel are fairly universal and most of our customers can open what we send electronically. The omniform docs were cumbersome as you needed to save them as something else before submitting them, and Word or Excel can be sent "as is".
John Wright