I have been asked by several of you to offer an updated opinion the new Pro/Engineer product called Wildfire.  Unfortunately, after using it, disappointing a good description.  It's not a very good tool, and it's full of big issues.

If you've seen the sales presentations you know a good salesman can make Wildfire seem really enticing.  Don't be fooled.  It makes a fun toy, and it makes enticing presentations, but it is not ready for production work.

On the positive side, Pro/Engineer Wildfire has some really cool new functionality.  The feature creation concepts are great.  The UI is more consistent.  The previews are neat.  It's more stable out-of-the-box than any recent version.  Unfortunately, all the good things are wrapped in a package riddled with issues.

My recommendation  . . .  Wildfire is not ready for production.  I highly recommend that companies do not migrate, and furthermore, new customers should approach purchases of Wildfire with extreme caution - regardless of propaganda or promises from PTC.

Why would I say such things?

Here are a few highlights from a very long list of issues including Lost and Degraded Functionality:

• You can't create "Make Datums" anymore (all datums are "hard").
• In many cases you must pick datums from the screen (now very cluttered with datums) - you can't pick them even from the Model Tree for instance.
• You can't modify Part dimensions directly in Assembly! - you have to enter a Part mode (which means you can't modify or see dimensions of more than one Part at a time - Not in any mode of Wildfire!)
• In fact, to even see dimensions of more than one feature at a time (in the same Part only), you must pre-select the features all at once!
• Many things that were a single features are now created as multiple features.  This means to modify one, you now have to find and select multiple features and/or parent features.
• Selection is now difficult and horrible in many ways.  Be careful not to move your mouse even one pixel selecting or using mouse shortcuts - you may lose your work!
• Poor modeling practices are now the "Default", so a user must be savvy (and willing to fight with Pro/E), or model construction is poor and difficult to change, or reuse.  (Heaven help you when you have to make big changes to someone else's model!)
• The Query Select is no longer in it, and the replacement is a model highlight only function that is nearly impossible to get right.  There is a new "Pick from List" function that is similar to Query, but takes extra mouse picks to use.
• And the list goes on.

Although beginning users may be able to create models sooner, in the end it will take more time to complete projects - meaning companies will pay more for development through a loss in efficiency end up with a longer time to market.

Wildfire Issue Resolutions?

I have spoken at length with PTC and sent PTC's management some very long lists of issues to consider.  I simply asked them to respond and let me know where I'm wrong so I could print their info in our New Article, but PTC has been unable (or unwilling) to respond directly to the issues.  In fact, one feeble note of response says basically "Get use to it".

Well, as a customer, I don't want this poison pill crammed down my throat.  I think there is great potential with Wildfire functionality (and I'm quite sad about it), but PTC has a lot of work to do to fix it.  In that light, we as users have several options.

Most importantly, I'm asking all Pro/Engineer users to refuse to migrate to Wildfire.  I say try it out, play if you have the time, but it's a big mistake to change over.

For more information, please read the article A New Outlook on Wildfire, and the long list of issues.

• The Pro/E Tip-of-the-Month is a service of Synthesis Engineering Services . . .
• . . . a Product Development and Engineering Design services company  . . .
• . . . Please Call Us for great service in Engineering, Design and Consulting!